500: Insect week: Beetling about, solitary bees, and summer strawbs

On this episode

About this episode

Insects are vital ecosystem engineers in our gardens. Small but mighty, they help create healthy, balanced environments where plants can thrive. Of course, not all insects are flying or scuttling above ground all the time, so to mark Insect Week, we’re going underground with RHS Principal Entomologist Dr Hayley Jones to explore the beetle larvae living in our soils. We’ll learn how to identify the species that benefit our gardens, and what to do about those that can cause problems. Bee expert Rachel Richards from conservation charity Buglife joins us to reveal the remarkable diversity of solitary bees that may be nesting right outside your door, and share simple ways to support these…