This archive brings together practical, experience-led articles from The Backyard Farmer, covering gardening, DIY, indoor growing, foraging, reviews, and sustainable living. Each post is written with real-world use in mind — focusing on working with nature, building practical skills, and making sustainable choices more accessible.
Introduction The Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius) is one of the easiest UK bumblebees to recognise, especially when you see a female. Queens and workers are mostly velvety black with a bright red or orange-red tail and no obvious yellow bands. Many people first notice this
Introduction The Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum) is one of the first bumblebees you are likely to see in the UK each spring. Small, quick-moving and often active from March onwards, it is an important early pollinator for garden plants, fruit blossom, wildflowers and hedgerow plants.
Active months From March to October. Nesting habits Honey bees nest in Beehives or in cavities above the ground. How to identify Honey Bees The honey bee stands out and is easy to spot. They have an amber abdomen Abdomen with amber bands or completely black.
Introduction The White-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lucorum) is one of the most familiar bumblebees seen in UK gardens, hedgerows, meadows, parks, and woodland edges. It has a mostly black body, bright lemon-yellow bands, and a clean white tail. However, this is also one of the harder
Introduction: Bee Identification Made Easy Not sure what kind of bee you’ve spotted? If you’re trying to improve your bee identification in the UK, it helps to know two things: first, the UK has 250+ bee species, and second, many of the most common ones
What time of year do bees sting? Bees tend to sting the most in the summer moths when temperatures are higher. In the warmer days bees are more active and you are therefore more likely to bump into them, as well as wasps! What month
Introduction Bees are essential for our food supply and ecosystems. In fact, they pollinate around a third of the food we eat. Without bees, many fruits, vegetables, and crops simply wouldn’t exist in the same way. As a result, their role goes far beyond what
Introduction If you want to attract wildlife to your garden in the UK, the good news is you do not need acres of land, a countryside view or a show‑home landscape. In fact, even a small garden, courtyard or terrace can become a safe refuge