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A plea from the wildlife trusts Suffolk Wildlife Trust is appealing to people to help save the bumblebee. This delightful insect has become increasingly scarce over the past 70 years, with three species becoming extinct altogether. Habitat loss and changes in farming methods has meant that the number of species found in lowland Britain has halved since 1950. By growing suitable plants and providing a haven for bumblebees in our gardens we can help safeguard future populations.
Large and furry, bumblebees are among our most endearing and familiar insects and the sight and sound of them is a quintessential part of a summer’s day. These attractive, harmless (they don’t sting unless they feel threatened and are more likely to roll over on their backs and wave their legs at you when accosted!) and friendly insects are a source of interest and enjoyment – especially for children. They are vital for the pollination of wildflowers and are commercially important to the agricultural industry. Many arable and horticultural crops such as beans and soft fruits are heavily dependent on bumblebees for pollination – without them there would be no crop to harvest. Gardens now provide a valuable and flower-rich refuge in an impoverished landscape. Depending on where you live and what flowers you grow, you may see up to a dozen of the UK’s 25 bumblebee species in your garden. Bumblebees have an annual lifecycle with new nests being started by the large queens each spring. From February onwards the queens can be seen feeding on flowers such as bluebells, willow catkins and lungwort or flying low over the ground in a zig-zag pattern searching for a nest site. Some species prefer to nest underground in abandoned burrows while others nest in dense grass or leaf litter.
The queen stocks her nest with pollen and nectar and lays her first batch of eggs which she sits on to incubate like a bird, shivering her flight muscles to produce warmth. When the eggs hatch the legless grubs consume pollen and nectar, grow rapidly, and pupate after a few weeks. A few days later the first workers hatch from their pupae and begin helping their mother expand the nest and gather food from up to a 1km radius. A constant food supply must always be present in the foraging area during the lifespan of the colony, between April and September.
Later in the year females (queens) and males are produced. They leave the nest and mate with queens and males from other nests and the old queen, workers and males die in the autumn. New queens then hibernate in readiness for approaching spring. To provide the perfect environment for bumblebees in the garden it’s important to ensure that the flowering times of suitable plants cover the whole bumblebee season from March- April to August-September. Bluebell, rosemary, comfrey, thyme, foxglove, honeysuckle, lavender, delphinium and heathers are good throughout the season. For a free leaflet providing information on the best flowers to plant for bumblebees please contact Suffolk Wildlife Trust on 01473 890089. To take part in a new bumblebee survey being run by the Bumblebee Conservation Trust and the British Trust for Ornithology contact 01842 750050 For a good identification guide to some of the main British bumblebees log on to www.bumblebeeconservationtrust.co.uk For more information please contact Suffolk Wildlife Trust on 01473 890089 or Bumblebee Conservation Trust on 01786 467759 |
