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is to blame, with wild areas of farmland sacrificed for bigger yields. Bumblebees now have fewer nesting opportunities and flowers to feed from.Grow a range of flowering plants all year - especially from March to November when bees are most active - to provide

containing honey, pollen, and grubs. They create tough, silk tunnels, presumably to protect themselves from the adult bees. Before long the entire nest is gone, prompting the caterpillars to leave to pupate into next year's wax moths.When I found the wax moth

, ladybirds, lacewings and bees.Untreated timberHollow canes such as bambooPieces of branch or other woodWood saw2.5cm nails and hammerDrill and wood drill bitScrewdriver and self-tapping screwall year round2 hoursMake a simple box using scraps of untreated

've decided I am going to build one, but only along very particular lines.Many species of solitary bees and wasps nest in tunnels bored into wood. They often use old beetle burrows, rather than digging their own. And of course leaf-cutter bees will nest in any

to your gardenBuilding a hedgehog houseMaking a bird boxMaking a bee hotelInstalling a window bird feederMore advice on making a bat boxMaking fat cakes for birdsMaking a green roof for a bird tableBrowse plants that are attractive to wildlifeView a

Late-summer nectarAs some insects are still out foraging in late-summer, it's a good idea to provide food for them with nectar-rich, late-flowering plants.Plants for beesIn late-summer, many plants have finished flowering, but bees, butterflies

periodically.Find out more about stag beetle conservation.Attracting insects and wildlife to your gardenFlowers to attract bees and other insects.Wildlife-friendly plantsBuilding a bug box for insectsMaking a bee hotelBrowse a variety of plants

as tubby as the bees it resembles, it makes up for it by carrying off a diverse array of colour-ways, mimicking a variety of bumble species.Some specimens are almost all black, or with just the tail brownish red (just like the red-tailed bumble), some have

A recent Which? Gardening report revealed that many shop-bought wildlife homes are not worth buying. The trial included hedgehog homes, bug boxes and bumblebee nesters, and concluded that only solitary bee hotels proved successful, especially home

. The smaller branches I composted (I was amazed how quickly they disappeared).The tree trunk remained propped up against the shed for six months, until I had a brainwave: I'd use it to make a solitary bee hotel. I got an old wine box, chopped the trunk