With spring in the air, it will soon be time for the queen Bumble Bees to emerge from hibernation.
They overwinter in nests, often in the ground and come out with the first rays of spring sunshine to start their search for a new home. They can be seen crawling over the ground seeming dazed or injured, but if left alone they will soon warm up and be flying around in search of food.
Bumble bees are vitally important to our gardens and agriculture, with many plants such as tomatoes and raspberries relying on these insects for pollination. In fact, some plants can ONLY be pollinated by Bumble Bees.
There are many species of Bumble Bee but they are reaching a crisis point with a few of the species now extinct and others on the seriously endangered list. This is primarily due to use of pesticides and over intensive farming which has removed many of the wild flowers and hedgerows upon which these creatures rely.
The outlook, however, does not have to be grim. Farmers are now replacing hedgerows and leaving patches of grass to revert to meadow, and there are even things we can do in our gardens to help preserve our Bumble Bees.
Bumble Bees only travel about 1.5Km from their nest, making it vital that they can find wild flowers nearby.
The Bumble Bee Conservation Trust has a brilliant website with information about the species, how we can help and a special children’s section with fun things to do to get the youngsters involved.
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