Little Green Space
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Little Green Space |
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THE
PLIGHT OF THE BUMBLEBEE Bumblebees
are not everyone’s cup of tea. ‘Bee
equals sting equals pain’ is the most likely thought-chain of most
people—and yet bumblebees, unless seriously provoked, are happiest just
minding their own business. Minding
their own business consists almost exclusively of looking for, and
collecting, nectar and pollen to take back to their nest, during which
activity they perform the most useful and necessary function of
pollinating a huge range of flowers, fruits and other crops. And
just a little more investigation will show that they are, in fact, quite
endearing little creatures. First
there’s the name, ‘bumblebee’, it rolls off the tongue beautifully.
Years ago they were also called ‘humble bees’ and even earlier, in
some country dialects, they were known as ‘dumbledores’. Sorry,
Harry Potter fans, J. K. Rowling didn’t invent the name after all! Then
there was the aerodynamics expert (Swiss I think) who, back in the
‘Thirties, claimed to have conclusively proved that it was impossible
for a bumblebee to fly. Well,
to look at one, you wouldn’t exactly argue that its design was perfect
for flight but nature being what it is, nobody told the bumblebee it
couldn’t fly—and it does
very nicely, thank you! And,
let’s face it, in flight they look pretty impressive. Dr
Ben Darvill of He
tells me that some species in As
a result the country’s bumblebee population has virtually halved in the
last 50 years and is still in decline. So
what can you and I do to help? Bumblebees
need a good supply of pollen and nectar-rich flowers as well as somewhere
safe from disturbance to build a nest. In
essence, this means we should all try to make sure that our back yards,
whether a window box or hundreds of acres of landscaped gardens, contain
the right flowers to attract these wonderful insects Couple
this with providing bumblebees with the opportunity to nest and we’re
well on the way. Remember,
too, that improving the habitat for one species invariably enriches it for
a whole range of creatures, including other insects, invertebrates, birds
and mammals. Let’s
consider food first of all. Fortunately bumblebees seem to be
happiest with many of
the old-fashioned, cottage garden type of flowers which are easy to grow
and provide some striking splashes of colour in patio pot or border. Things
like foxglove, scabious, sweet sultan and forget-me-not. And forget-ye-not
the buddleia! Leaving
a section of the lawn uncut so that smaller wild flowers (which many might
consider weeds) have a chance to bloom will also be a big help. Try to
arrange for a succession of flowers to be available right through from
spring to autumn. With a little planning it can be done. Bumblebees
may find it difficult to find natural nest sites -- so
why not provide some? You
can’t hope to supply suitable sites for every species but readily
available boxes intended for both ground level and subterranean siting are
excellent and you can reduce the cost considerably by building your own. A
simple hole dug with a spade and covered by a paving slab is an even
cheaper option. In
a short time you could make your garden a haven for bumblebees. And the
more you see of them, the more fascinating they become! To
learn more about them, including a full list of suitable flowers, designs
for nesting boxes and nest sites and how to build them, not to mention
bumblebee identification, visit www.bumblebeeconservationtrust.co.uk
There you will find the answer to every question you might possibly have
about bumblebees. At
surprisingly little cost you could make your patch a bumblebee paradise
and I think you’ll agree, your garden would be a poorer place without
them. Ken
Dykes |
