We’ve long known that bees and other pollinators are in decline. But did you know how many types of bee there are, and the wonderful ways they live their lives? Did you know that some nest in old snail shells or that others knit together tiny hairs from leaves to make a nest that resembles a woolly sock? If you don’t, I promise you, you’re missing out.

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Hello, I’m Kate Bradbury, and today I’m in conversation with Brigit Strawbridge, bee fanatic and author of the brilliant book Dancing with Bees. A committed wildlife gardener, she lives in Cornwall where she not only gardens for bees, but also writes about bees, conducts talks about bees, and goes on trips to meet new bees – I do this too, and once Brigit and I, along with another couple of bee enthusiasts, went out to meet the long-horned bee (Eucera longicornis) and the snail-shell nesting bee (Osmis bicolor). We had a marvellous day. She’s recently moved to Cornwall and so I was keen to catch up with her again to find out what bees she has in her new garden.

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