Will the UK retain the neonicotinoid moratorium post-brexit? By Prof. Dave Goulson With thanks to Prof. Goulson for permission to use this article. Original here A couple of weeks ago the Society of Chemical Industry held a meeting in London to discuss “Are...
Are honeybees, bumblebees and solitary bees safe from the Asian Hornet? The Asian Hornet, Vespa velutina, or yellow legged hornet, is the first invasive predator of honeybees and has now arrived in the UK. It is known to have caused serious problems for European...
The Gladiator bumblebee, Bombus vestalis, is a cuckoo bumblebee Yes we have all heard of cuckoo birds. Cuckoos and their rather anti social behaviour are known to many people. But did you know there are species of bees and wasps that are also cuckoos? Queen bumblebees...
Effectively castrated by the nematode Sphaerularia bombi, these queen bumblebees cannot nest The queen becomes a surrogate mother for the nematode worms When hibernating in the soil, the fertilised female nematode, Sphaerularia bombi, which only infects bumblebee...
Predatory bird kills bumblebee queen After months of hibernating the bumblebee queen eagerly sets out to feed up and start her colony. It’s her life’s quest. Likewise, a predatory bird, probably a Great tit or even a robin, itself getting into breeding...
Bee fly, Bombylius major, a bumblebee mimic feeding in my wildlife garden This large bee fly looks like a dark-edged specimen, Bombylius major, one of only four species in Britain. It looks rather innocent as it feeds upon the nectar from your garden flowers. It has...
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