Threats and pressures: why bees need our help

The story of bumblebees over the past century has been one of decline. Two species became extinct in the UK during the 20th century: Cullum's bumblebee (Bombus cullumanus) last seen on the Berkshire Downs in 1941, and the Short-haired bumblebee (Bombus subterraneus), last seen at Dungeness in 1988 and officially declared extinct in 2000. A further eight species (a third of the remaining species) are currently listed on at least one of the English, Welsh and Scottish conservation priority species lists due to their large-scale declines in distribution.

These declines have occurred mainly because of large-scale changes to the way the countryside is managed.

Many of our rarer bumblebee species don't forage more than 1km from the nest, and 5-600 metres is common, so areas must be both flower-rich and diverse to provide enough flowers to sustain the colony each year.

It is well-known that bumblebees are great pollinators, and therefore have a key role in producing much of the food that we eat. 

Bumblebees also help pollinate many wildflowers, allowing them to reproduce. Without this pollination many of these plants would not produce seeds, resulting in declines in both abundance and distribution for a range of species. 

Fortunately, there is much that can be done to benefit bumblebees. At the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, we work to raise awareness of the plight of the bumblebees amongst the general public, as well as landowners, policymakers and other interested parties.

It is entirely possible for individuals and other groups to help bumblebees without owning much land! Perhaps the simplest thing to do is to plant some bee-friendly plants in your garden, to flower between March and September.

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