Bijenmix zakje in de hand voor een bloemenveld

Project Save The Bees

Together we're sowing 1 million m² of flowers for wild bees.

Wild bees are finding fewer and fewer flowers. That's why we sow together with our customers, each in their own garden. Here you can read why, how it works and how far we've come.

Read why we sow

Why wild bees

The honeybee is just one of hundreds of bee species in the Netherlands.

Honeybees live together in their thousands in a hive. Wild bees mostly live alone. Each female builds her own nest: in the ground, in hollow stems or in small holes in wood.

Wild bees pollinate flowers too. One species visits all kinds of flowers, another depends on a single plant. That's exactly why lots of different flowers matter.

More than half of our bee species are on the Red List.

Wild bees need food and a place to nest. That's exactly where things often go wrong.

Too few flowers

Verges, meadows and gardens offer fewer and fewer flowers. So wild bees find less nectar and pollen.

Too few nesting sites

Some species nest in the ground. Others need hollow stems, dead wood or a sheltered spot.

Flowers at the wrong time

Some wild bees are only active for a few weeks a year. If their flowers aren't blooming then, they struggle to find food.

Paarse verbena tegen een donkere achtergrond

Why Humelie

We love honey. But bees matter for much more than honey alone. That's why we sow flowers for wild bees, which have to manage without a beekeeper.

The goal

From your 5 m² to 1 million m²

5 m²

That's how many flowers you sow with one 25 gram packet of bee mix.

200.000

That's how many 5 m² gardens fit into our goal. A bigger garden counts for more m².

1.000.000 m²

Our goal: around 140 football pitches of flowers, spread across gardens in the Netherlands and Belgium.

The route

This is how we get to 1 million m².

The first step is your bee garden. The last is our goal. We'll take the steps in between together. The bar shows how many m² are already on the map.

Step 1In progress
5 m²
Your own bee garden
Order a packet of wild bee seed mix and sow 5 m² of flowers in your own garden. Every packet counts.
Order the bee mix
Steps 2 to 9
We'll decide these steps along the way, together with our beekeepers and with you. You'll see each new step appear here.
1. Step 2: not decided yet
2. Step 3: not decided yet
3. Step 4: not decided yet
4. Step 5: not decided yet
5. Step 6: not decided yet
6. Step 7: not decided yet
7. Step 8: not decided yet
8. Step 9: not decided yet
Step 10Our goal
1.000.000 m²
A flower field for wild bees
Together we're sowing one million square metres of flowers for wild bees. Around 140 football pitches, spread across thousands of gardens.

145 m² of 1.000.000 m²

Each circle: bee mix ordered in that town (1 sachet = 5 m²)

How to join in

Your first 5 m² in three steps

1. Order the bee mix

A 25 gram packet of organically grown seed, including phacelia, cornflower and sunflower.

2. Sow between March and August

Straight into open ground, in a sunny spot. After a few weeks the first flowers appear, and with them the first bees.

3. Your m² go on the map

Every packet of bee mix you order goes on the map automatically: 5 m² in your town. You don't need to do anything.

Humelie wilde bijenmix zakje, voorkant met Project Save the Bees sluitsticker

Achterkant bijenmix zakje met zaai-instructies op de sticker

Bijenmix zakjes voor- en achterkant met losse zaadjes

Bijenmix zakje op tuintafel met korenbloemen en zaden

Wild bee seed mix 5 m²

€ 6,95

25 grams of organic seed for just over 5 m² of flowers for wild bees. Ordering honey too? Then add the bee mix to your basket in one click.

Questions about the project

Frequently asked questions

Can't find your question? Just email us, we are happy to help.

Get in touch

What is Project Save The Bees?

Together with our customers we're sowing 1 million m² of flowers for wild bees. Everyone sows in their own garden. Every m² on the bee garden map counts towards the goal.

Why wild bees and not the honeybee?

Honeybees have a beekeeper to look after them. Wild bees have to fend for themselves, and more than half of the Dutch bee species are on the Red List. Above all, they need more flowers.

Are honeybees bad for wild bees?

No, it's not that simple. Honeybees are important pollinators too. But they can compete for nectar and pollen, especially where there are lots of colonies and few flowers. That's why it starts with more flowers.

What is the Wild bee seed mix?

A 25 gram packet of organically grown seed, including phacelia, cornflower and sunflower. It's an annual mix that flowers all season. One packet is enough for just over 5 m².

When and how do I sow the bee seed mix?

Sow from March to August in open ground, in a sunny spot. Use 25 grams per 5 m². Ordering in autumn or winter? Then sow from March.

I don't have a garden. Can I still join in?

The bee mix is meant for open ground. Don't have a garden yourself? Then give the packet to someone with a patch of soil. What they sow counts just as much.

How do I get on the map?

Automatically. Every packet of bee mix you order from us counts as 5 m² in your town. The map and the counter are updated every night.

Will my address be visible?

No. We only show your town, together with all the other orders there. Your name, address and email address appear nowhere on the map.

Do I have to order from Humelie to join in?

On the map we count the bee mix ordered from Humelie. Already sowing flowers for wild bees with seed from elsewhere? Then you're helping the bees just as much, you just won't see it on the map.

What are steps 2 to 9 of the route?

We'll decide those along the way, together with our beekeepers and with you. You'll see each new step appear on this page. Want to hear when there's a new step? Sign up below.

How do you count the m²?

Every packet of bee mix is good for 5 m² of flowers. We add up all the packets ordered. You'll see the total in the progress bar above the map.

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