Bumblebee Bivouac

Twenty-five native UK species of bumblebee have been listed. Three of these species are now said to be extinct in this country, 9 others in a precarious position and 15 in serious decline. A recent article (http://environment.guardian.co.uk/conservation/story/0,,2132575,00.html ) has reported the results of a National Bumblebee Nest Survey that involved 700 UK volunteers checking for the nests of these prominent insects in a garden and at least one other 'natural habitat' (a woodland, farmyard fencing etc). The survey concluded that gardens (36 nests per hectare) and farmyard fencing (37.2 nests per hectare) were the richest sites. Woodland locations only revealed 11 nests per hectare. An author, Dr Juliet Osborne of the Rothampstead Agricultural Research Centre, suggested that untidy gardens were especially important to these insects as they supply the moss and leaves that the bumblebees use to line their nests (that are generally above ground). It was suggested that changes in farming and gardening practices might account for the declines in these important pollinators. I would not wish to argue against the conclusions of this interesting survey but it is worth mentioning that the counts for gardens may be somewhat inflated compared to the other locations. The volunteers are likely to have been able to draw on their detailed knowledge of gardens to locate nests more easily that in the other locations (I suspect that the gardens are also easier to search, being limited in size and with generally clear boundaries).