Nature provides many benefits to agriculture such as control of crop pests by their natural enemies, crop pollination or prevention of soil erosion. These are known as ecological services and while organic farmers are heavily reliant on them, on conventional farms there is little active management of the habitats essential to support pollinators.



Several practices can enhance the presence and activity of both wild bees and honeybees. These include for example enriching wild herbaceous elements with shrubs, making these much more attractive for the bees. Furthermore, combining early and late flowering species around the crop fields will ensure that the beneficial insects can find food throughout the year, especially during seasons when resources are scarcer (beginning of spring and during the autumn).



For the same reason it is better to not cut flowering herbs as Achillea, Leucanthemum, Hypericum and Trifolium.



Weeds are also source of food for pollinators, so farmers can clearly benefit them by limiting the use of herbicides. In addition, by reducing other inputs such as pesticides, farmers can contribute to the health and production of beehives in the areas surrounding the farm. Finally, besides nectar, honeybees need pollen, which acts as source of proteins. Therefore the presence of wild vegetation in their environment is essential for them.