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Bumblebees like untidy gardens, study shows
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml;jsessionid=SQSFAORGAOVF5QFIQMG

CFFOAVCBQUIV0?xml=/earth/2007/07/23/eabees123.xml

By Paul Eccleston
Last Updated: 12:01am BST 23/07/2007

The humble bumblebee gets a buzz out of British gardens, new research
shows.

The garden is the bumblebee's favourite place to set up a nest - especially
if it has been somewhat neglected.

There are 25 different species of bumblebee (Bombus pascuorum) and while
some are flourishing others have suffered a dramatic decline in the past 50
years mainly because of the changes brought by intensive farming methods on
their main food plants.

Bees play a crucial role in the pollination of crops and it is estimated 40
per cent of the world's food production depends on pollination by wild bees
as they search for pollen from flowers.

The National Bumblebee Nest Survey was carried out by more than 700
volunteers who recorded nesting sites in their own gardens and at six
different countryside sites throughout the UK.

The survey was aimed at discovering more about their nesting habits to help
protect them and to preserve their numbers. Gardens had one of the highest
concentrations of bumblebee nests, with an average of 36 nests per hectare
(15 per acre).

Farm fences had nest densities of 37 per hectare (15 per acre), hedgerows
30 per hectare (12 per acre), woodland edges 20 per hectare (8 per acre),
and woodland and grassland between 11 and 15 per hectare (between 4 and 6
per acre).

The study's lead author, Dr Juliet Osborne, from Rothamsted Research in
Harpenden, Hertfordshire, said: "Gardens have such a variety of styles, and
that's what bumblebees key into.

"Some species nest underground while others nest on the surface or above
ground. If you've got different grass areas, flower beds, compost heaps and
hedges, there's a vast variety of habitats for bumblebees.

"I think people should encourage bumblebees to visit their gardens, and
it's easy to do.

"Bumblebees are happier in gardens that are not perfectly tended. If you
can leave some of the grass uncut, and a few areas looking slightly untidy,
that's what they love.

"Even if most of your garden's neat and tidy it's a good idea to let some
areas stay undisturbed. Behind the garden shed or garage are good places.
You should also make sure you've got a variety of plants that flourish
throughout the season.”

Bumblebees build nests that vary from a tennis ball to a football in size.
Most colonies contain no more than 50 bees, though the larger ones can
number up to 300.

Dr Osborne said many of the flowers gardeners favour most, especially blue
and purple scented varieties such as lavenders and lupins, are also
attractive to bumblebees.

The research appears in the Journal of Applied Ecology, published by the
British Ecological Society.

Rothamsted Research's bumblebee identification chart is available here.

For more information on bumblebees and bumblebee-friendly gardening, visit
www.bumblebeeconservationtrust.co.uk.