Did you know?

■ In Britain there are around 270 species of bee, just under 250 of which are solitary bees. Only the honeybee produces honey.

■ Bees are important to our environment, pollinating 80% of all British flowers and a third of the food we eat.

■ Honey bees can fly as far as five miles for food.

■ Garden bumblebees have the longest tongue of all UK bees and at a stretch it can reach just over 2cm.