Published: 05:01 BST, 20 August 2026 | Updated: 05:01 BST, 20 August 2026
Forget reaching for the weedkiller – scientists say you should let the weeds grow in your garden this summer.
Letting scruffy thistles, ragwort and knapweed grow in your garden could help save hungry bees, according the experts from the University of Sussex.
Their new research has revealed that late summer is the toughest time of year for honeybees to find enough food, with August proving particularly challenging.
Bees get the least energy from foraging during this period, when fewer flowers are in bloom and more insects are competing for nectar.
The problem could be even worse during heatwaves, which can reduce the amount of nectar flowers produce and disrupt their flowering times.
Now, experts say gardeners can give bees a helping hand simply by turning off the lawnmower and tolerating a few weeds, which can provide a vital source of food when the insects need it most.
'Our findings add to a growing body of literature indicating that late–summer is a particularly challenging season for pollinators,' co–author Dr Nicholas Balfour said.
'This is incredibly important, as this period of the year is when the vast majority of pollinator species are active and require forage to provision for their offspring.'
Scientists from the University of Sussex found that bees get the least energy from foraging during late summer, when fewer flowers are in bloom and more insects are competing for nectar
The study, published in the journal Functional Ecology, found that honeybee foraging is most efficient during spring.
This is a time when most insect–pollinated trees like horse chestnut, willow and cherry are in bloom.
But the research, which took place around Brighton and Edinburgh, found the insects struggled to gather nectar in July and August.
Dr Ciaran Harris, also a co–author on this study, explained: 'Encouraging flowers that bloom in late summer when bees find it more challenging to gather nectar or pollen will be more valuable for helping them.
'This could be achieved by planting late–summer blooming flowers, adjusting when lawns are mown, or being more tolerant of summer–blooming 'weeds' like thistle, ragwort, and knapweed.'