You can, and maybe should, start some flowers indoors now for spring blooms! Think of sweet peas, begonias & geraniums. You can find pollinator friendly planting suggestions on our website. #PollinatingLT

We’re excited to welcome our new PLT Ambassadors! They are leaders from within our partner organisations who have stepped up to champion urban biodiversity. We will start introducing them soon. Look out for the official Ambassador logo on email signatures across the City. #PollinatingLT

Did you know the City of London is a haven for wild bees? Our 2024 surveys recorded 8 different bumblebee species, 39 species of solitary bee, and 27 hoverfly species right here in the Square Mile! Not much longer to wait until we share our results from last year! Stay tuned… #PollinatingLT

Maybe if I stay here, Monday won’t find me ... 😴 🔎🐝 Early bumblebee (Bombus pratorum) 📷 Claire Fidler

Up to 4 billion hoverflies migrate to and from Britain each year! They head south in autumn and wait for the right winds to carry them between Britain and mainland Europe. #PollinatingLT

POV you're a Peacock butterfly soaking up every last scrap of winter sunshine We'd hiss too if someone was blocking our sun! 📹: Jake Hearney

Our first visit to Mill Hill LNR near Shoreham today. We helped some local volunteers remove cotoneaster, privet and hawthorn to restore the chalk grassland which has declined in quality in recent years to be able to support typical chalk grassland butterflies.

Responding to the urge to tidy the garden? Resist! Hollow stems and leaf piles are great spots for overwintering insects. By leaving the "mess" until spring, you’re not disturbing the next generation of beneficial insects. #PollinatingLT

Did you know, some pollinators hibernate as adults through the winter? Some notable examples include peacock and small tortoiseshell butterflies. Have you found any in your home? #PollinatingLT

Those small street planters you walk past every day? They may not look like much but they serve an important purpose. Even a few flowering plants can act as stepping-stones that help pollinators move between bigger green spaces across the city. #PollinatingLT

This is the tree bumblebee, a relative newcomer to the UK (arriving in 2001) and now common across cities. They often nest in bird boxes, which puts them close to people and sometimes leads to a reputation for being ‘aggressive’. They’re not. Give them space and they’ll ignore you. #PollinatingLT

Did you know? Pollinators need more than flowers. Many solitary bees like this orange-tailed mining bee nest directly in the ground and prefer sandy or loamy soil they can excavate. A lot of hoverflies have aquatic larvae. Habitat variety is just as important as planting. #PollinatingLT

Wasp appreciation post! Wasps get a bad reputation, but they’re doing far more good than people realise. Many species visit flowers and contribute to pollination, and they’re great natural pest control. If we want to cut pesticide use, we need these guys on our side. #PollinatingLT

Flowering street trees provide huge amounts of nectar and pollen in a short window, and some species rely almost entirely on certain trees. Easy to overlook, but they’re one of the city’s most important food sources for pollinators. #PollinatingLT #trees

Bee hotels range from simple drilled logs to concrete blocks and multi-chamber wooden setups. Each design has pros and cons such as durability and maintenance. Do you use any at home, and what style have you gone for? #PollinatingLT

As the year comes to a close, we just want to say thank you. To everyone who followed, shared, volunteered, donated, or supported Pollinating London Together this year. You’ve helped make space for pollinators across the city. We couldn’t do this without you. Onwards into the new year! The PLT Team

That holly in your house? Its white flowers fed pollinators earlier in the year and the red berries now are the leftovers. The holly blue butterfly feeds on its leaves when they are caterpillars. #PollinatingLT

Most UK bee species are solitary, but honeybees are an exception: they make honey specifically to survive periods like winter, when forage is scarce. It feels obvious once you hear it, but some people never actually think about it. Had it crossed your mind before? #PollinatingLT

Insects have different life stages and can look wildly different as larvae and adults. It’s thought that this is to avoid competition for food resources between parent and offspring! Certain hoverflies eat garden pests such as aphids as larvae but nectar and pollen as adults. #PollinatingLT

Last chance to double your impact! Donations to PLT on BigGive.org close at midday today (12 pm!). Every pound counts towards creating greener, more pollinator-friendly spaces across the city!

✨ Your gift today = twice the support for London’s pollinators. A £25 donation becomes £50. A £100 donation becomes £200. And it only lasts until tomorrow. Let’s create more thriving spaces for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators across London. Double your impact → lnkd.in/e9-wA-v6

From now until 9 December, any donation you make through BigGive.org will be matched, doubling your impact while funds last. If you want to give London’s pollinators a boost this winter, now’s the moment. Just search “Pollinating London Together” on Big Give. 💚🐝🎄

Not all plants are equal in terms of attractiveness to pollinators. Lots of factors affect this, from amount of food resources they offer, to their shape and colour. Which plants are pollinator favourites in your green space? #PollinatingLT

Don’t miss your chance to double your donation. Starting today, until 9 Dec, every gift to PLT made via BigGive.org will be matched £ for £. Help us support London’s pollinators 🐝🌸 Huge thanks to @daviddomoney for shining a light on the campaign and backing the work we’re doing.

The largest fly in the UK is the dark giant horsefly (Tabanus sudeticus, not pictured), with a body length of up to 24mm! Horseflies visit flowers but also need a blood meal to lay their eggs. #PollinatingLT

Our Big Give Christmas Challenge starts 2 Dec, until 9 Dec! Every £1 you donate via BigGive.org will be doubled while match funds last. Help us support London’s pollinators this winter 💚🎄Search “Pollinating London Together” on Big Give. Pictured is a blue mason bee, O. caerulescens #PollinatingLT

Not all pollinators can be seen flying around during the day! Some visit flowers in the dark, like some species of moth. These fluffy ones can be more effective pollinators than bees for some species of plant! #PollinatingLT

Some people choose to clean their bee hotels and collect the cocoons, others leave them bee. What do you do with yours? #PollinatingLT

What a day! 🌸🐝 Last week our team joined the Lady Mayor’s Show with a lorry full of blooms, a live pianist, and plenty of wings. Thanks to everyone who came out to cheer us on. We had such a good time bringing a bit of bloom to the parade! #LadyMayorsShow #London #PollinatingLT

Temperatures are dropping now that we’re past Halloween and in the run-up to Christmas. Are you still seeing pollinator activity in your garden? You might still see some ivy bees out and about!  #PollinatingLT

They’ve been #BeeWashed www.countrylife.co.uk/food-drink/m...

We’re proud to be part of the iconic Lady Mayor’s Show in the heart of London, look out for us as No. 70 in the procession! Join Pollinating London Together as we celebrate urban biodiversity and give pollinators the spotlight. 🐝 #PollinatingLT

One in three mouthfuls of our food are due to the hard work of pollinating insects, including bumblebees. But insect populations are crashing. Help them by growing nectar-rich plants that flower in autumn, winter and early spring. Ideas: littlegreenspace.org.uk/features/bre...

PLT is featured in GiGL’s new piece on creating space for pollinators in London! We’re working together to map rooftops + green spaces and help connect habitats across the city — proving small spaces add up. 🌼 Search: GiGL “Creating Space for Pollinators in London”

Bumblebee queens can hibernate safely under snow! Whitehorn et al. (2025) found that queens survived winter extremely well under different snow-pack conditions. Snow helped insulate them from the cold, but warmer winters led to greater weight loss. ❄️🐝 #Pollinators #ClimateChange #PollinatingLT

Ever wondered what happens to pollinators when the flowers fade? Different species have very different survival tricks: 🐝 Queen bumblebees hibernate underground. 🦋 Some butterflies migrate thousands of miles. 🐛 Many bees and beetles overwinter as larvae, waiting for spring. #PollinatingLT

A raspberry isn’t one fruit, it’s dozens of tiny ones! 🍓 (well, technically “drupelets”). If pollination is uneven, some drupelets don’t develop, leading to “wonky” fruit. A flower that has received plenty of insect visits is less likely to be wonky. #PollinatingLT

Autumn is a crucial time to support wildlife in your garden: 🌱 Leave some leaf litter for insects and hedgehogs to shelter in. 🌸 Plant springPlant Spring flowering bulbs for next year. 🪵 Create a log pile, perfect overwintering spots for small wildlife. #PollinatingLT

Did you know people once thought insects could magically appear out of mud or rotting food, aka spontaneous generation? Today we know they’re far more fascinating, with complex life cycles and survival strategies. #PollinatingLT

Buff-tailed bumblebees are one of Europe’s go-to managed pollinator. They’ll fly in relative cold, and can even “buzz pollinate” by vibrating flowers to shake pollen loose! #PollinatingLT

Buff-tailed bumblebees are one of Europe’s go-to managed pollinator. They’ll fly in relative cold, and can even “buzz pollinate” by vibrating flowers to shake pollen loose! #PollinatingLT

Many bumblebee colonies are winding down. New queens are leaving the nest to hibernate, ready to start fresh colonies next spring. Late species like Bombus pascuorum can still be seen foraging into autumn. #PollinatingLT

Did you plant any pumpkins this year? This years’ false autumn has some gardens yield smaller produce. How about yours? #PollinatingLT

Join PLT for a special tour of Bunhill Fields! A Grade I-listed historic burial ground that’s also a haven for pollinators, birds & bats. Rare access behind the railings included! Wed 17 Sept 2025 12:15–13:45 Limited spaces – booking essential. More info on our website.

Late summer can be a great time for pollinator spotting. Look out for ivy bees, bumblebees, and hoverflies on late-blooming flowers. What’s been visiting your garden or balcony this week? #PollinatingLT

Thank you to everyone who supported our Christmas Challenge 2025 campaign! We are delighted to share that the target has been reached. Your generosity will make a real difference for pollinators across London. #PollinatingLT

Drought stresses plants and pollinators alike. Flowers produce less nectar during dry spells, though the sugar concentration can increase. This could mean that pollinators must work harder for fewer rewards. What changes have you noticed in your garden this summer? #PollinatingLT

There’s still time to pledge and double your impact for pollinators! Become a match funder before 29 August and help us secure vital resources for our 2025 projects. community.biggive.org/s/pledge?cam...

Yesterday we were out catching and marking pollinators on three rooftops, two of them more than 10 stories high, to see if they were travelling between them! #PollinatingLT

Pollinators use a mix of cues to find flowers, including scent, shape, nectar quality/volume, and even chemicals like caffeine, which can make them more likely to return. Some flowers even smell stronger in the morning when bees are most active! #PollinatingLT