Fruitful signs of thriving British pollinators

sir – We keep hearing about the imminent demise of the country’s pollinators and the catastrophic effect this will have on the yields of all crops.

Here, however, in this part of Hampshire, we have had one of our most abundant autumn harvests of apples, pears, plums, damsons, quince and vegetables in decades. Bumble bees have, in addition, covered the lavender in their hundreds.

On some fruit trees nearly all the blossom must have been successfully pollinated.

Was this simply an exceptionally good year for pollinators – or is their reported disappearance being exaggerated?

Edward Lowndes

Romsey, Hampshire

Busy bees: a delicious year for English apples from Newton Wonder to Ribston Pippin