The list, which includes planting more bee-friendly flowers and cutting grass less often, is part of a campaign launched by environment minister Lord de Mauley at the Plant Life Conference, hosted by HRH the Prince of Wales.
The NFU has backed the call to action.
Bees, butterflies and a range of other insect pollinators play a vital role in a wide range of crops and some, like raspberries, apples and pears, are particularly dependent to produce good yields of high-quality fruit.
Research has estimated the value of insect pollination at around £400 million due to increases in yield and quality of seeds and fruit. Defra will be publishing a national strategy for pollinators in the autumn, following a public consultation earlier this year.
What you can do…
Whether people live in a town or in the countryside, they are being urged to help create or improve a habitat for pollinators in five simple ways:
1. Grow more nectar and pollen-rich flowers, shrubs and trees
2. Leave patches of land to grow wild
3. Cut grass less often
4. Avoid disturbing or destroying nesting or hibernating insects
5. Think carefully about whether to use pesticides
Want to know more?
Visit the website www.beesneeds.org.uk
Lord de Mauley said: “Pollinators such as bees are vital to the environment and the economy and I want to make sure that we do all we can to safeguard them.
“That’s why we are encouraging everyone to take a few simple actions and play their part in helping protect our bees and butterflies. We will be publishing a nationwide strategy for pollinators later this year to set out everything that we can do to help pollinators flourish.”
NFU Vice President Guy Smith said: “The NFU is pleased to support the ‘call to action’ and continues to encourage farmers and growers to play their part in helping support insect pollinators through the good management of flowering crop and non-crop areas.
“The ‘call’ lists simple actions we can all take to benefit pollinators, focusing on providing more of the food and habitat they need to thrive, and reinforcing the need to take care when using pesticides.
“Through the Campaign for the Farmed Environment, the NFU has already helped deliver pollinator events to over 800 farmers and growers across the country this year, giving them the information they need to support pollinators on their farms.”
Friends of the Earth Executive Director Andy Atkins said: “The plight of our bees is high on people’s environmental concerns so it’s great to see Government, businesses and communities launching this call to action to protect this iconic species.
“The good news is that everyone can be part of the generation that helps saves our bees, from creating a ‘Bee World’ wildflower patch in your local area to helping scientists monitor bee health by logging any bees you spot with the free Great British Bee Count app.”
Marylyn Haines Evans, Chair of the National Federation of Women's Institutes said: “This is a great foundation for us all to start helping our bees through five practical actions which everyone can get behind. These actions, combined with government leadership, will be vital to get the right framework in place for bee health in the long term.
“The WI now looks forward to seeing the publication of the National Pollinator Strategy in the autumn with clear actions and targets for the future.”