Bumblebees are buzzing – even in winter
IT’S strange to be writing about bumblebees in the middle of winter but it comes after a request from the wonderful Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording Society (BWARS).
I love saying BWARS out loud, it’s one of those words that sounds like a groan of frustration, like a swear word without swearing. Try saying it a couple of times, it will make you feel better.
Anyway, BWARS have been in touch to ask people to keep an eye out for the buff-tailed bumblebee, or bombus terrestris as they like to call it. Winter-active bees were first spotted in the UK in the 1990s, where our buff-tailed friends were seen in the south in December and January.
BWARS say: “It is believed that some of the summer generation of queens establish nests in October and these start producing workers in early to mid-November. Pollen foraging workers may be active throughout the winter and a new generation of queens and males emerges in February.”
Most of the occurrences are in major cities and we know that we have winter-active bees in the north west. Ness Gardens on the Wirral is the highest-profile site.
The best places to see them are in gardens, parks, car parks and areas of shrubbery. And they definitely make for garden centres. It appears that our desire to have winter-flowering plants which provide pollen and nectar for the bees is the reason why we seeing them all year round. Plants like winterflowering heathers, honeysuckle and rhododendron are great for these cold-weather bees. I am pretty certain that warmer conditions help too, so don’t be expecting bees after a deep fall of snow – even though BWARS have records of bees when there is snow on the ground! Buff-tailed bumblebees look well-equipped to deal with cold weather with their furry coats. They have a hooped coat with a thin orange band on the neck, then wider black and orange and black. The tail of the queen is obviously buff with the worker having a buff band and then white. Sometimes the buff band is missing which makes it difficult to tell the difference between these bees and a white-tailed bumblebee.
There is no exact science about winteractive bees at the moment and that is why BWARS are asking you to record any sightings on their website.
The website is brilliant if you want to know more about the bees in your garden. Did you know there are more than 20 types of bumblebee in the UK and many of them visit the flowers that you grow?
Bees are fascinating, easy to study and, as this survey proves, full of surprises.
To become a member of the Trust go to the website at www.lancswt.org.uk or call 01772 324129.
For information about Cheshire Wildlife Trust call 01948 820728 or go to cheshirewildlifetrust. org.