Lidl is donating £10,000 to support bee conservation efforts and giving away miniature drinks intended to revive the creatures.
More than 200 six-packs of 2cm-tall bottles filled with inverted sugar syrup are being given away in a prize draw to mark World Bee Day today (20 May).
The drinks – or ‘Bee-rs’, as Lidl is calling them – are intended to be given to bees looking tired and stranded on a patio, windowsill or floor, by pouring out a small amount in front of them. This will help revive them so they can travel to a flower to find a natural food source, according to the discounter.
The bottles can be refilled with a half-and-half mix of white granulated sugar and warm (but not boiling) water.
The £10,000 donation is going to the British Bee Charity to fund an education programme in schools – BeeBombs4Schools – aiming to help children understand the importance of protecting the pollinating insects.
Some 40% of bee species in the UK are undergoing “dramatic rates of decline”, according to a 2023 WWF report, with both urban and rural areas seeing a reduction in flowers and greenery to fuel them.
Lidl will also be selling bee-friendly plants in stores nationwide from 23 May, including French Lavender, Garden Hydrangea, Large Hanging Planters, and Alstroemeria, with prices starting from £2.99.
“So much of our flora, fauna and food depends on pollinators – we’re hugely excited to partner with Lidl this World Bee Day to give bees and other pollinators the spotlight and support they need,” said British Bee Charity chairman Greg Bool.
“Lidl’s Bee-rs campaign is a great opportunity for nature lovers to give local biodiversity a little helping hand, and Lidl’s donation will support funding thousands of pupils getting out and about in nature and learning about the precious ecosystems around them.”
The prize draw, which closes at midnight tonight, can be entered at https://www.lidl.co.uk/c/lidl-bee-rs/s10045719.
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