Bumblebee Infogram – How do neonicotinoids affect bumblebees?
When giving talks or presentations to people whom do not read academic papers for whatever reasons, then try (!) to translate them into everyday language so that non academics can understand can be rather difficult and dare I say it boring with maths, stats and graphs!!
I have started to use simple but effectives messages which, to date has been given favourable comments by people attending my bumblebee presentations using Apple’s Keynote. A lot of Bumblebee Conservation Trust leaflets were taken so I hope some join!!
On Wednesday 22nd July 2015, the Society was pleased to host George Pilkington from Nurturing Nature who gave a very entertaining talk on bumblebees.
Through a combination of funny anecdotes, interesting facts and fascinating slides—including videos he has taken himself over a number of years—George told us everything there is to know about bumblebees: from mating to nesting, pests to diseases, foods to ‘icides’, there really was a great deal to learn.
George has spent many years studying and observing bumblebees in his own garden, and in the wild, often pre-empting and even overturning formal academic studies with his findings.
His wealth of knowledge has led him to develop, what is described by Professor Dave Goulson as, “probably the best commercially available bumblebee nest box”. It comes complete with a ‘bumblebee cat-flap’ to help prevent invasion from one of their biggest threats: the wax moth (horrible little things!).
Our thanks to George for a most interesting talk!
To learn more about Nurturing Nature, or to order a bumblebee nest box, visit www.nurturing-nature.co.uk.
The Burton & Rossett Horticultural Society
With thanks to the Burton & Rossett Horticultural Society and the photographs by David Hughes.
Join the Bumblebee Conservation Trust here
Bumblebee Infogram
Science. 2012 Apr 20;336(6079):351-2. doi: 10.1126/science.1215025. Epub 2012 Mar 29.
Neonicotinoid pesticide reduces bumble bee colony growth and queen production. Whitehorn PR1, O’Connor S, Wackers FL, Goulson D.
Chronic exposure to neonicotinoids increases neuronal vulnerability to mitochondrial dysfunction in the bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) Christopher Moffat et al 2015
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