Beewatch 2007 - Plight of the Bumblebee
The Bumblebee Conservation Trust, based at Stirling University, needs your help in recording sightings of bumblebees. They would like you to record what species you see, where and how many, and take pictures of any unusual specimens. Go to http://www.bumblebeeconservationtrust.co.uk/surveys.htm to find out how to take part. They are also running nesting box “trials” and need help with trying out different versions to find the most effective design. That familiar sound of summer is in decline and several species are now extinct or endangered. The bumblebee is an important pollinator, not least for commercial raspberry and runner bean crops, and without it many bee-pollinated plants will disappear. See also Chris’s previous blog on bumblebees. We’ve built one of the flower-pot style nests. I’ll let you know whether we get any occupants.
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Badgers, Beeches and Blisters
A book about the practicalities of managing your own woodland. Available free here.
9 comments so far
Chris
4 May, 2007
More on bumblebees and a guide to identifying the different types at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/features/340feature1.shtml
Peter
10 May, 2007
I’ve found a high number of dead, or very weak Bumblebees this year, especially in March and April. Anything I can do to help, apart from the recordings, which I shall start now ?
Regards
Peter
Chris
16 May, 2007
An excellent radio program about bumblebees at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/changingplaces_20060217.shtml
with lots of information / advice - about where they might over-winter in the garden (hibernaculi), or nest come spring / summer, planting for bumblebees. Note the caveat at the foot of the page - about using dilute sugar solution not honey.
Cherry McDonald
6 June, 2007
We have a bumble bees nest in a bale of straw, these are a small bumble bee and are very active on the cotoneaster and the laurel flowers, unfortunately they are too active to get a photo of, but I thought you would loke to know anyway.
We also have many of the big bumbles with black and yellow bands.
Chris
9 July, 2007
Details of another bumblebee hunt / survey at
http://www.buglife.org.uk/News/Big+Bumblebee+Hunt+launched+in+London+and+Essex.htm
Bob
4 April, 2008
Did the flower-pot nest work? There’s another survey this year, website at the same place:
http://www.bumblebeeconservationtrust.co.uk/surveys.htm
catherine
20 June, 2008
Hi Bob - no signs of life I’m afraid. The cat and the children probably didn’t help though!
Lesley
3 July, 2008
We’ve seen loads of huge bumble bees in our wood this year - they are nesting in old vole holes and in holes at the base of tree stumps.
Deborah
15 July, 2008
I have 3 bumble bees nesting separately 2 in wooden flowers boxes and one in my huge plastic flower pot which has holes in the side they don.t bother us at all very interesting to watch so I remove my onions I was growing so not to water them. North Vancouver BC Canada.