Bumblebees are fascinating creatures that deserve conserving in their own right. However, there are also pressing ecological and economic reasons to halt their decline.
“If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man.” Albert Einstein
It’s hard to believe that such a small creature can be so important to our food supply but bees are major pollinators of crops and other plants. If bumblebees continue to decline many plants will set less seed, resulting in further decline and extinctions.
This could have a devastating effect on the whole ecosystem. Therefore bumblebees are seen as a keystone species for conservation (ie they have a disproportionate effect on their environment compared to their numbers).
What’s causing the decline?
Bumblebee numbers in the UK have declined by 60% since 1970.
Currently scientists are stumped – but everything from climate change, mobile phones, parasites, loss of habitat, intensive farming and overuse of pesticides, have been suggested as possible causes for the decline.
The simple truth is that bees need flowers, and there are fewer flowers to be found in neatly cultivated gardens and intensively farmed countryside these days.
What can you do?
Bumblebees are dependent on flowers for nectar and pollen. They also need a place to shelter and build a nest to maintain a successful colony throughout their lifecycle.
Gardens have become important refuges for bumblebees and you can encourage them to visit your garden by following some simple tips.
- Bumblebees need a succession of flowers from spring to autumn, so there is always a food supply. Perennial flowers such as herbs and native wildflowers are ideal.
- Flowers are best planted in large groups – or patches – of the same kind, so the bees don’t have to waste valuable energy scouting around the area for more.
- A selection of flowers of different shapes (eg bowl-shaped, bell-shaped, lipped and tubular) will appeal to different species, as they have different tongue lengths.
- Bedding plants such as Petunias, Begonias, Busy Lizzies, French Marigolds, Pelargoniums, Pansies etc, aren’t appreciated by bees, nor are insecticides.
- If possible, part of the garden should be left uncultivated to provide suitable nesting sites. Some bees make their nest in long, tussocky grass or under hedgerows.
- You can also make a bumblebee nest to put in your garden, using this simple guide from the BBC (PDF format, requires Adobe Reader).
More information
Find out what else you can do to help save the bumblebee on the Bumblebee Conservation Trust website, and check out some facts about bumblebees on BBC Breathing Places.
You can also register at Save Our Bees to receive a free packet of bee-friendly seeds plus an activity pack, and find out what farmers are doing to help bees on the Operation Bumblebee website.
Please share your tips and stories about what you’ve done to save the humble bumblebee by leaving a comment below.
4 comments… read them below or add yours now
Of course it’s not just the bumblebee that is suffering – that’s bad enough – but all bees are in decline along with butterflies and moths, and many other insect species. It’s a very good idea to turn over part of your garden to go wild, as you say with the wildflower seed mixes, but in addition to leave a pile of leaves and branches in a corner to overwinter as these provide shelter for not only the insects but also frogs and toads.
We started keeping honey bees, just one hive for now, in our garden last year. There are courses available everywhere for beginners. Commercial beekeeping is very different to so-called amateur beekeeping, but it is in more people becoming amateur beekeepers that we find the only hope for the honeybee’s survival. Colony Collapse Disorder is seriously scary.
Honey bees and bumblebees co-exist in our gardens quite happily, so I’d say to people, as well as doing all the above, please consider becoming a beekeeper. There’s lots of support, you make new friends AND you get some lovely honey as well, plus wax for candlemaking.
Twitter: @GlobalPatriot
Like the canary in the mineshaft, it’s important to understand changes in the population of all species. Such declines may be indicators of much bigger problems that cannot be fixed on short notice. In this case bees provide a critical function in the maintenance of the planet’s ecosystem. A long term disruption in their population and patterns of activity does not bode well for the earth.
@Andy aka Spicy Cauldron: Welcome to Green Pepper and thanks for sharing your views with us. You made some great points and I’m delighted to hear that you keep honey bees. Starting this year, I’m going all out to support bees in my garden by planting more (ie lots!) of wildflowers and providing a bumblebee nest (I hope it get occupied).
@Global Patriot: I like the analogy – bees are indeed indicators of a healthy eco-system, and we should do all we can to halt their decline.
I actually am using this article for a current event for my homeschooled 9th grader, but the more I read, the more I got excited about raising bees. I don’t know where to start, so if you have any suggestions, I’d love them. I also take a teaspoon of local honey in my tea every day, because my doctor says it helps me build an immunity to certain pollens in this area. It would be wonderful to be able to harvest that honey myself, and help the enviroment as well.