People across England are being encouraged to take simple steps to help bees and other pollinating insects as Bees’ Needs Week 2026 gets under way.
The annual campaign, which runs from today (13th) to 19th July, is organised by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) as part of its Wild Again: Restoring England’s Wildlife initiative. It aims to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators and inspire communities, schools, businesses and individuals to take action to help them thrive.
Bees and other pollinating insects play a vital role in maintaining biodiversity and supporting food production by pollinating crops and wild plants. However, many species continue to face pressures from habitat loss, pesticides and climate change.
Throughout the week, Defra and its partners are hosting a series of events designed to highlight the importance of pollinators and showcase the work being carried out to protect them.
The programme begins with Pollinating London Together’s annual pollinator count, alongside an evening event exploring how data can be used to improve pollinator conservation in urban areas such as central London.
A major highlight follows on 14th July with the Bees’ Needs Science Festival at RHS Garden Wisley. Visitors will be able to meet scientists and conservation organisations, hear talks from pollinator experts, enjoy honey tasting with researchers from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, take guided tours of pollinator-friendly planting and learn more about the UK’s Pollinator Monitoring Scheme.
The week concludes on 19th July with educational activities and a dedicated pollinator stand at Kew Gardens.
Defra is also encouraging people to organise their own local events, from bug hunts and community gardening sessions to creating bug hotels and carrying out flower-insect timed (FIT) counts.
FIT Counts are a simple citizen science activity that helps monitor pollinator populations across the UK. Participants choose a single type of flower, mark out a 50cm by 50cm patch and spend 10 minutes counting every insect that lands on those flowers between 1st April and 30th September.
They then record the different groups of insects they observe, along with basic weather information, with the data helping scientists track where pollinators are found and how their numbers are changing over time.
The department is promoting five simple actions that can make a significant difference to pollinator populations: growing more nectar-rich flowers, allowing parts of gardens to grow wild, cutting grass less often, protecting insect nesting and hibernation sites and carefully considering whether pesticides are necessary.
As part of the campaign, the annual Bees’ Needs Champions awards will once again recognise the efforts of local authorities, community groups, farmers, businesses and individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to supporting pollinators and restoring habitats across England.
Photo: William Warby