With a third of the UK’s wild bee population in decline*, local housebuilder Barratt Homes is encouraging residents at its Gillies Meadow development in Basingstoke to make a home for bees in their garden in time for Don’t Step on a Bee Day on the 10th July. The housebuilder is giving away 20 bee nester habitats to residents at Gillies Meadow, with residents able to reserve and collect at the on-site Sales and Marketing Suite.
Residents at Gillies Meadow are invited to reserve their bee nester on a first come first served basis by contacting the Sales and Marketing Suite. The bee nester habitat will be placed outside at an agreed time for contact-free collection.
Solitary bees are important pollinators for our gardens, supporting the growth and spread of plants and flowers in the local environment. Residents will be invited to create a home for solitary bees, such as orchard, mason and leafcutter bees, by hanging up a safe bee nester in their garden. Made from plastic-free materials, the nester comes with insulated tubes for bees to lay their eggs, and includes a built-in guard to protect from birds and other natural predators.
Lynnette St-Quintin, Sales and Marketing Director at Barratt Southern Counties, comments: “As a responsible housebuilder, we aim to make our developments as nature-friendly as possible, and the donation of bee nesters supports many of our ongoing nature friendly measures at Gillies Meadow, including bee-friendly planting. It is so important to share our gardens with nature, so we are pleased to see that so many of our residents have already registered to receive a bee nester and create a long-term home for bees.”
Barratt Developments has an ongoing partnership with the RSPB, the UK’s largest nature conservation charity. The housebuilder is on a mission to encourage families at its developments to make small changes to safely co-exist with wildlife.
Barratt Southern Counties is currently building a range of four-bedroom homes at its Gillies Meadow development in Basingstoke, with prices starting from £445,995.
For further details about Barratt Southern Counties visit www.barratthomes.co.uk or call 0333 355 8498.
*https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/bees-died-extinct-important-food-b1850196.html