This is likely to cause the numbers of bees to drop, especially during hot spells. Bees (and bumblebees especially) which are native to our country are essentially adapted for the cold and humidity. This is likely to worsen further as climate change progresses – you can read our full insight into its effect on bees here.

This means that sadly, the population of bees is on the decline. A few species have had some good (or even very good) years of abundance and spread, but this could be a ‘crisis bolt’ effect, similar to plants bolting.

It seems highly likely that the expanding distributions of many species are down to climactic changes and whether these distributions continue to expand, stabilise, or retract, we can't tell yet.

Another factor that could be causing an apparent increase in the population is that during the hot and dry weather, some species will rattle through their life cycles much more quickly as there are essentially no rain breaks to stop them. This may result in them having more than one brood in a year, or even several broods if warm weather is prolonged.

Some thermophilic (heat loving) insects will no doubt do quite well in warmer conditions, but for those that are adapted for the cold or need water for life cycles, it is much more challenging, and they will benefit from the extra support.

How to help tired bees in your garden

During the hottest season, you may see some bees resting on your window or looking lethargic out in the sun. In most instances it is best to leave them where they are as they could have a disease which could be spread to other bees.

However, during periods of drought it’s more likely that they are dehydrated as plants don’t produce much nectar. In these instances, putting the bee on a flower in a shadier area is the best option. We advise against giving bees sugar water as disease can be spread further if the bee flies off and others take the sugar water.

How to help bees longer term

Here are some longer-term tips for helping bees in your garden:

-  If you have room, plant / pot / ledge a wide range of flowering plants in and around your house with a long flowering periods. Tolerate vital floral resources such as willow and dandelion in spring, and Ivy and a range of weedy species throughout summer. If you already do this, you may qualify for our ‘My Wild Garden’ award – read more here!

- Avoid pesticides or any form of chemicals in your garden – they are highly toxic to bees and the vast majority of insects (as well as other animals).

- Review the general structure of the vegetation in your garden. Most local insects either live in or have evolved from a woodland edge environment. You can closely mimic this by having trees, bushes and ground-covering plants in your garden

-  Have a pond if you have room as bees will go to ponds to drink in drought periods

-  Learn to identify them and show off your knowledge! The more people feel connected to nature, the more likely they are to want to help it and make a difference. Find out more by reading our guide to different species