20/05/2024
Happy ! 🐝 I photographed this tree bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum) feeding on our cotoneaster plant. Although introduced into this country, cotoneaster is a magnet for all kids of bees, hoverflies and wasps so I kept it on the side of the house where the previous owners have planted it.
Bees are some of our most important pollinators and provide a free service to us, pollinating many plants which produce fruit and vegetables that we eat. There are over 270 species of bees in the UK, with majority being solitary bees like leaf-cutting bees, mason bees and mining bees to name a few. There are 24 species of bumblebee. Tree bumblebee is a short tongue bumblebee which likes feeding on raspberry flowers, brambles and cotoneaster.
The number of bees in the UK has declined massively in the past 50 years. Loss of habitat, pesticide use and climate change are some of the reasons for their declining numbers.
If you wish to help bees on this , try leaving a patch of your garden untouched let the grass and flowers grow. Plant some pollinator friendly plants (make sure these are organic; a lot of garden centre plants are soaked in a cocktail of pesticides), and please please please do NOT use any pesticides. These are damaging to pretty much all life.
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