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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 plot is abuzz with wildlife, including ladybirds, lacewings, bumblebees and ground beetles. They're all marvellous for my crops; bees increase my yields by pollinating flowers, and ladybirds and lacewings eat a lot of aphids. As well

, such as clover. Many pesticides just kill them.Our gardens are fast becoming refuges for bees - especially some species of bumblebee, which are happy to nest in wild corners, bird boxes and under sheds. Many also come into our gardens to feed. Sadly some species

. Insects you'll attract to your garden include buff-tailed and common carder bumblebees, honeybees, hoverflies, comma, painted lady, small tortoishell, speckled wood butterflies and the angel shades, dart and brimstone moths. Some will still be found

Make a bee-lineGreat flowers start with pollination, and for that you need bees. Find out how to get the busiest garden insects to work for you.How to... make a bee hotelGardens are extremely important for bumblebees, and vice versa. Bees need

20 seconds worrying what the neighbours would think, and then relaxed, happy with our new arrival.My bumblebees (RIP) were rescued from friends who were landscaping their garden; some of my frogs were rescued from a kitchen drain and the rest I picked

in their bespoke hibernaculum kept me from tidying one corner - everything else was set for summer within a few hours.This year I'm even more determined to leave the garden alone, because I want to encourage bumblebees to nest in spring. As a general rule

's head fritillary, crocus, grape hyacinth and allium, to name a few. The wonderfully named hairy-footed flower bee is particularly fond of grape hyacinths.Last year’s late arrival of spring was hazardous for many insects, especially some bumblebee queens

for the base, a bumblebee flitted down to investigate the lavender and sage. It did not stay long though. Unfortunately for our photographer, it was doing what bumblebees (and honeybees for that matter) do best - showing precise flower fidelity.Although we

plumipes is not a bumblebee (although it's about the same size), and has no commonly used English name, which is a shame because it's a characteristic and widespread garden insect. I've always described it as the 'feather-footed bee' (the Latin - plumipes