12 August 2023 , 09:00
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Mary Poppins extolled the virtues of a spoonful of sugar, and now David Attenborough has joined in too. This summer, we should be trying to leave a heaped one in the garden as often as possible - especially in the hot weather.
It sounds bizarre - and unhelpful, given that sugar attracts ants and wasps, and we tend to not want them crawling and buzzing around too much. But there is one creature who will really thank you for it. Whether you think they're a nuisance or love them, the fact is we rely on bees a lot.
In fact, almost a third of the food we eat is pollinated by these insects who are responsible for feeding 90 percent of the world’s population. Remove them from the ecosystem, and we have a serious problem. Unfortunately, that's what we appear to be doing, as a combination of pesticides, urbanisation and climate change are causing bee numbers to drop dramatically.
"If bees were to disappear from the face of the earth, humans would have just 4 years left to live," Attenborough has said in the past. Here's where a spoonful of sugar comes in. "This time of year bees can often look like they are dying or dead, however, they’re far from it," Attenborough said according to Country Living.
"Bees can become tired and they simply don’t have enough energy to return to the hive, which can often result in being swept away. If you find a tired bee in your home, a simple solution of sugar and water will help revive an exhausted bee. Simply mix two tablespoons of white, granulated sugar with one tablespoon of water, and place on a spoon for the bee to reach."
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The mix of water and sugar will rehydrate the tired bee and give them some much-needed energy.