Bumblebee queen killed by probably a Great tit or a robin

Bumblebee queen killed by probably a Great tit or a robin

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...
Spot the resting bumblebee queen B. terrestris in my wildlife garden

Spot the resting bumblebee queen B. terrestris in my wildlife garden

Spot the queen bumblebee resting in my wildflower meadow Lovely sunny weather today, had a very large B. terrestris queen earlier in the day feeding and resting. Later in the afternoon, found this one resting in my new wildflower lawn, part of my wildlife garden....
The importance of bumblebee nest box bedding and preparation

The importance of bumblebee nest box bedding and preparation

Bumblebee nest box bedding material “ The instructions included with the Nurturing- Nature Bumble Bee box were very comprehensive. Most other Bumblebee box suppliers give little emphasis to the nest box bedding but the NN box gave excellent instructions and emphasised...
Winter active Bumblebees at the National Wildflower Centre, Liverpool

Winter active Bumblebees at the National Wildflower Centre, Liverpool

Winter, Mahonia and bumblebees seem to go together! I have heard many reports of Bumblebees working on Mahonia down south.  This is my very first sighting of them so early in the year here. There were two sections of mahonia, separated by several other bushes and...
Do neonicotinoids harm/affect other wildlife besides bees? Yes!

Do neonicotinoids harm/affect other wildlife besides bees? Yes!

My article “Do neonicotinoids affect other wildlife as well as bees? The new DDT?” made me realise that to keep abreast of this mounting evidence that they do affect other non targeted wildlife, I decided to collate science papers and corresponding press...
Queen Tree Bumblebee cleans my nails video

Queen Tree Bumblebee cleans my nails video

Queen Tree Bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum) cleaning my nails! This particular garden nest was a roaring success as regards producing queen bumblebees. I saw this one actually fly from the nest and then fall to the floor and start crawling. Her wings looked fine and she...