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...
Rusty the Red Mason bee, pre-copulation courtship display video

Rusty the Red Mason bee, pre-copulation courtship display video

Red mason bee pre-copulation display I have often seen males on females and filmed them. Yet they were not actually copulating. If anything the males were simply ‘piggybacking’ on the females. I watched as males thrust their whole body forward making a...
Red Mason Bee (Osmia bicornis) life cycle updated 2016 video

Red Mason Bee (Osmia bicornis) life cycle updated 2016 video

Red Mason bee life cycle updated filming New films and new editing. The complete life cycle of Red mason bees filmed in my wildlife garden, using my observation nest boxes, sprinkled with a little humour! I hope you like it! Looking forward to 2016 and seeing what...
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...