Latest news with #BeeWalk
South Wales Argus
10 hours ago
- General
- South Wales Argus
Tredegar House to be transformed into bumblebee sanctuary
Tredegar House in Newport is part of a new project by National Trust Cymru and the Bumblebee Conservation Trust to protect declining bumblebee species, including the rare shrill carder bee (Bombus sylvarum). The estate, located on the Gwent Levels, is one of just five areas in Wales and England where the shrill carder bee still survives. Chris Flynn, head gardener at Tredegar House, said: "We are pleased to be working alongside the Bumblebee Conservation Trust on this important conservation project. "Bumblebees urgently need our help, and we want to ensure species such as the shrill carder can continue to thrive here at Tredegar House." Orchard Garden in Tredegar House, on the Gwent Levels, one of five areas in England and Wales where the rare shrill carder bee still survives (Image: James Beck) The work is part of the Natur am Byth programme, Wales' largest-ever species recovery initiative, funded by the Welsh Government and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Planned habitat improvements will take place across 90 acres of gardens and parkland at Tredegar House, focusing on the creation of flower-rich meadows to support the shrill carder and other pollinators. Mr Flynn said: "Our aim is to enhance the diversity of plants in the garden, thoughtfully extending flowering periods throughout the year to provide crucial nectar sources from early spring through to late autumn. "We are carefully introducing nectar-rich grassland plants such as cowslip, crocus, snake's head fritillary, red clover, ivy, and bird's-foot trefoil. "We hope these subtle, yet significant changes continue to support and attract bumblebees and other pollinators, while also enriching the beauty and biodiversity of our gardens for everyone to enjoy." Other bumblebee species expected to benefit include the brown-banded carder bee and the more common garden bumblebee. To monitor the impact of the project, National Trust staff and volunteers have joined the Bumblebee Conservation Trust's BeeWalk scheme, a citizen science programme that collects monthly bumblebee sightings from March to October. Tom Bucher-Flynn, shrill carder bee project officer for the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, said: "We're delighted to announce that National Trust Cymru and the Bumblebee Conservation Trust are teaming up at Tredegar House."
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Bumblebee numbers dropped to record low in 2024, report finds
Last year saw the lowest number of bumblebees in the UK since records began, a new report shows. Bumblebee numbers declined by nearly a quarter compared to the 2010-2023 average, figures from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust (BCT) show. Their annual 'BeeWalk' report marked the worst year recorded for the insects in the UK. There are 24 species of bumblebee in the UK, which play a vital role in pollinating crops and wildflowers. This makes their decline a 'major ecological concern' say the BCT, with greater conservation efforts needed to safeguard the future of the bee. Their decline is likely down to cold and wet conditions in spring and early summer, researchers say, which is the 'most vulnerable period' for the species. This is the time of year when the colony is established, with queen bumblebees functioning as 'single mothers' that must feed themselves and the growing larvae. The lower numbers were not spread equally across their two dozen species, however, with those that typically reach their highest numbers in June or July suffering the most. Worst affected were the red-tailed and white-tailed varieties, respectively down 74 and 60 per cent. Other affected species were the garden bumblebee, tree bumblebee, southern cuckoo bumblebee and buff-tailed bumblebee. Dr Richard Comont, science manager at the BCT, said: 'The 2024 results from BeeWalk highlight just how vulnerable our bumblebee populations are to shifting climate and environmental conditions. With another challenging year behind us, monitoring in 2025 will be crucial to understanding how – and whether – these species can recover.' The bumblebee expert also shared how individuals can play their part in supporting the insects: 'The key thing is having big populations because big populations are resilient populations. 'All of the stuff you see about planting flowers in your garden, letting wildflowers grow, not using pesticides; all of that standard advice around increasing pollinator populations, not just bumblebees, that will allow us to have larger populations of pollinators.'
The Independent
27-02-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Bumblebee numbers dropped to record low in 2024, report finds
Last year saw the lowest number of bumblebees in the UK since records began, a new report shows. Bumblebee numbers declined by nearly a quarter compared to the 2010-2023 average, figures from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust (BCT) show. Their annual 'BeeWalk' report marked the worst year recorded for the insects in the UK. There are 24 species of bumblebee in the UK, which play a vital role in pollinating crops and wildflowers. This makes their decline a ' major ecological concern ' say the BCT, with greater conservation efforts needed to safeguard the future of the bee. Their decline is likely down to cold and wet conditions in spring and early summer, researchers say, which is the 'most vulnerable period' for the species. This is the time of year when the colony is established, with queen bumblebees functioning as 'single mothers' that must feed themselves and the growing larvae. The lower numbers were not spread equally across their two dozen species, however, with those that typically reach their highest numbers in June or July suffering the most. Worst affected were the red-tailed and white-tailed varieties, respectively down 74 and 60 per cent. Other affected species were the garden bumblebee, tree bumblebee, southern cuckoo bumblebee and buff-tailed bumblebee. Dr Richard Comont, science manager at the BCT, said: 'The 2024 results from BeeWalk highlight just how vulnerable our bumblebee populations are to shifting climate and environmental conditions. With another challenging year behind us, monitoring in 2025 will be crucial to understanding how – and whether – these species can recover.' The bumblebee expert also shared how individuals can play their part in supporting the insects: 'The key thing is having big populations because big populations are resilient populations. 'All of the stuff you see about planting flowers in your garden, letting wildflowers grow, not using pesticides; all of that standard advice around increasing pollinator populations, not just bumblebees, that will allow us to have larger populations of pollinators.'
BBC News
27-02-2025
- Health
- BBC News
British bumblebee numbers lowest on record
2024 was the worst year for bumblebees since records began according to the latest findings from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. Findings from their 'Beewalk' showed that across Great Britain bumblebee numbers declined by almost a quarter (22.5%) compared to the 2010-2023 believe the drop in numbers may be due to the cold and wet conditions in the UK last findings are concerning to researchers as bumblebees play a vital role in UK wildlife. Why are bumblebees so important? Bees help the flowers by spreading their pollen. This is called pollination. Many plants would not be able to fertilise without bees and other also pollinate many of the crops used for animal feed. Without them, it would be harder to produce lots of our meat, egg and dairy products. Bees pollinating crops also helps farmers save money. It is estimated that it would cost UK farmers £1.8 billion a year to pollinate their crops manually if wild bees also supports other insects, birds, bats, and mammals so without bees we would see a big impact on the food produce honey, royal jelly, pollen, beeswax, propolis, and honey bee venom. These substances have been used by humans for thousands of years for nutrition and medicine. According to data from the Met Office many areas of the UK had more than double, and in some cases triple, the usual amount of rainfall for the time of year in March, April and May during weather is what researchers believe affected many bumblebee species. The bad weather came during what is the species most vulnerable period - the colony establishment stage. This is when the queen bumblee's are like single mothers and must feed themselves and growing larvae whilst also incubating the nest. The Bumblebee Conservation Trust's beewalk is a national recording scheme to monitor the number of bumblebees across the county. Volunteers identify and count the bumblebees they see on a monthly walk along a set route from March to Richard Comont is the Science Manager at the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. He said; "The 2024 results from BeeWalk highlight just how vulnerable our bumblebee populations are to shifting climate and environmental conditions. With another challenging year behind us, monitoring in 2025 will be crucial to understanding how - and whether - these species can recover."
