Bumblebees in Crisis!

In recent years it has become apparent that several bumblebee species are in severe decline:

  • The UK currently has 24 bumblebee species

  • Within the last 70 years two species* have become nationally extinct

  • A further 6 are designated UKBAP priority species, in recognition of the need for conservation action

  • Although six species remain relatively common many of our other species have declined to varying degrees

  • Some species may face national extinction unless urgent landscape-scale action is taken

  • Two species (the Shrill Carder and Great Yellow) are of particular concern to BBCT due to their small and fragmented populations

  • Bumblebees should be a conservation priority, but at present not enough is being done to help them.

    *A third species, the Apple Bumblebee (Bombus pomorum) disappeared from the UK prior to this. There is some debate over its status in the UK.

The beautiful Great Yellow Bumblebee is now clinging on in small habitat fragments. It will probably disappear from the UK without help.

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Bumblebees are fascinating and beautiful creatures that deserve conserving in their own right. However, there are also pressing ecological and economic reasons to halt their declines.

Bumblebees are major pollinators of a majority of our wildflowers. If they continue to disappear these plants will set less seed, resulting in sweeping changes to the countryside. It may become dominated by a different suite of plants. Our countryside would lose its colour. Many rare plants may disappear.  There is evidence that this process is already underway. These changes will have catastrophic knock-on effects for other wildlife dependent on these plants. Bumblebees are keystone species and they should be a conservation priority.

Learn more about our conservation work - click here

Bumblebees are also of enormous commercial importance. Many arable and horticultural crops depend on bumblebees for pollination to varying degrees. Some, like oilseed rape, can set adequate seed without bumblebees provided there are sufficient honeybees, but others, such as broad, field and runner beans and soft fruit crops dependent on them. Without them there would be little or no crop to harvest. In total the value of Europe's insect pollinators is estimated at €14.2 billion. In some regions where fields are large and there are few hedgerows (in which queens forage in spring and build their nests) crop yields are already falling.

Something needs to be done....

So what should be done?

It is essential that we conserve our remaining bumblebee populations, and if possible restore them to their past abundance. This cannot be achieved with existing nature reserves. Bumblebee nests are large, containing up to 400 sterile workers, each travelling around 1 km from the colony in search of suitable flowers. Each nest needs many hectares of suitable flower-rich habitat, meaning that to support a healthy population large areas of land must be managed sympathetically. UK nature reserves are simply too small in isolation. It is essential that the wider farmed countryside and the vast areas covered by gardens are managed in a sensitive way.

  • We need to encourage farmers to adopt appropriate agri-environmental schemes. These actually benefit farmers by improving crop yields at the same time as enriching the countryside. 

  • We need to support the replanting of hedgerows and the recreation of hay meadow and flower-rich grasslands 

  • In gardens nationwide we need to use wildflowers and traditional cottage-garden plants - learn more

  • Roadside verges and motorway embankments should be managed to encourage wildflowers, and cut less often

  • The solution is simple! By whatever means possible we need to create a mosaic of suitable habitat across the whole of the UK. Bumblebees need small patches of wildflowers here and there in field corners, margins, gardens, waste ground, roadside verges and motorway embankments