At this time of year, it is unusual to see bees flying around, but one that you might see is the ivy bee; the ivy bee is a ‘new bee’.  It was first described as a distinct species in 1993.  It was present in the Channel Isles,  back in the 1970's (where it is abundant) but was not recognised as a separate species.  In the U.K., it was first reported from Dorset (at Worth Matravers) in 2001.  It has since been found in a number of places along the South Coast – from Kent to Cornwall, and in Wiltshire, Somerset, Surrey and Essex.  It is spreading northwards, and reached the north Norfolk coast (in 2014) and Shropshire;  it has been suggested that the presence of the ivy bee here is another aspect of  climate change.    A map of the areas where this bee is likely to be seen can be found here. Read more...

The woodlands' blog has often reported on the problems that face honey bees and bumblebees - our important pollinators (see the list of related blogs in the right hand column on this page). Now there is an important report from the CEH (Centre for Ecology and Hydrology) that has looked at the state of the populations of wild bees such as the furrow bee, mason bee. Most research to date has focused on the effect of insecticides, particularly the neonicotinoids on the  behaviour of  honey bees and bumblebees.   However, the CEH team was able to use data that had been collected by the bees, wasps and ants recording scheme - their data extended back to 1994 and involved some 62 species.   Read more...

Sadly, our air is polluted with many different chemicals from anthropogenic sources - particularly the burning of fuels.  Many of these chemicals have been implicated as exacerbating a number of health conditions - notably heart disease, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), stroke and lung cancer.  Common pollutants are particulates (from diesel), ozone and nitrogen oxides.  These pollutants not only affect us but also many different plants and animals. Recent research at Penn State University has revealed that ozone interacts with plant scents (volatile oils) and degrades them.  As a result the scents are less effective in attracting pollinators (bees and bumblebees) to the flowers. Read more...

Dr Dara Stanley of New Holloway, University of London has been looking at the effects of neonicotinoid pesticides on the ‘efficiency’ of bumblebee pollination of apples.  Several studies have already implicated these pesticides in the decline of foraging behaviour of bees / bumblebees.  As some 30% of agricultural crops depend on pollination by bees and  bumblebees, hover flies and other arthropods (with an estimated global value in excess of $350 billion / year) then the effects of these pesticides needs to be evaluated, so that informed debate on the banning or restriction  of their use can take place. Dr Stanley and associates exposed some bumblebees to ‘low’ levels of neonicotinoids (such as might be found in wild flowers), others were exposed to no pesticide.  Read more...

The records of many hundreds of ‘amateur biologists’ over some forty years have been analysed in depth by Dr Tom Oliver (Reading University) and Professor James Bullock (Centre for Ecology and Hydrology) to create a report on the state of our wildlife and how it has changed.  They analysed the records / data of some 4000 species - plant and animal, across the U.K. It is clear that many species have not fared well in recent times.   Animals that provide 'ecosystem services' such as pollination and pest control have undergone significant declines - for example , bees, moths, hoverflies and butterflies.   This is also true for hedgehogs - whose numbers have dropped dramatically in recent times.  The annual Big Garden Birdwatch (this weekend) has revealed that the numbers of some species, such as starlings and song thrushes, have dropped by 70% or more.  The RSPB has suggested that the numbers recorded in gardens this weekend might be lower than in some years - but this would because there is more food available in the countryside, so that the birds are less reliant on feeding stations in gardens. Last December was not only one of the wettest on record, but also one of the warmest.   Read more...

The woodlands' blog has often reported on the problems that bees and bumblebees are facing; these range from habitat loss & fragmentation, changing agricultural practices, parasites (varroa) and viruses, climate change and extreme climate events and the use of pesticides (particularly neonicotinoids). Now there is evidence accumulating that the decline in various bird species  (sparrows, swallows and tree starlings) can be correlated with the use of insecticides.   A group of researchers from Birdlife (Netherlands), the Dutch Centre for Field Ornithology and Radboud University, Institute of Water and Wetland Research have been studying bird population declines at the turn of the century.  Read more...

Not a blog in the usual 'woodlands.co.uk" sense, but here are some jpgs of bees that have visited my garden.  In early Spring, there seemed to be very few honey bees or bumble bees around - so I was a bit concerned. However, these last two or three weeks have seen them buzzing around - on the lavender (they particularly like that), the teasels, the hollyhocks - with the occasional visit to nasturtiums and sunflowers. Read more...

Nectar is a sugar-rich liquid produced by special glands on a plant.  These glands are usually associated with the flowers - but not always.  Floral nectaries are usually found at the base of the petals so that a visiting insect picks up or deposits pollen whilst collecting the nectar; thus, 'helping' the plant to reproduce / set seed.   Common pollinators are bees, bumblebees, wasps, moths, butterflies and hummingbirds;  less common pollinators are flies, ants, possums and bats. Read more...