The rarest bumblebee in England has been found at RHS Garden Hyde Hall in Essex, expanding the Bumblebee Conservation Trust’s recorded range for the species.
The first sighting at the Garden has been verified by the Trust and extends its known distribution for the species.
The Shrill carder bumblebee (Bombus sylvarum), was spotted in September, in the Hilltop Garden’s Herbaceous Border by BeeWalk volunteer Cheryl Sheff.
RHS Garden Hyde Hall is the only RHS garden to have a recent record of the bumblebee, which was last recorded at RHS Wisley in 1920.
Found in only five small areas across the whole of the UK, the Shrill carder bumblebee is a priority species of conservation concern in England, and has its own conservation strategy led by the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.
The botanical red carpet was ready and waiting for the ultra-rare bumblebee, which was found on Salvia ‘Royal Bumble’. The crimson salvia stars in a fiery display of reds, oranges and yellows in the ‘hot bay’ of the colour-themed Herbaceous Border.
“The bumblebee was found feeding on garden cultivars, showing the value of garden spaces for rare species,” says Dr Andrew Salisbury, RHS Head of Plant Health.
The Shrill carder bumblebee is a sun-loving species that is widespread across the warmer regions of continental Europe. The only known UK populations are in the Thames Estuary and Somerset Levels in England, as well as in Pembrokeshire, the Gwent Levels and Kenfig–Port Talbot in Wales.
Named for its distinctive high-pitched buzz, the Shrill carder bumblebee emerges relatively late in the season, with new colonies established by a single queen around late May and workers active from June to October.
RHS Senior Wildlife Specialist Helen Bostock says: “We knew there was potential for the Shrill carder bumblebee to be found in the Garden, and had been on the lookout.
“It’s been generally a good season for bees, as the warm and dry spring meant less damage to bumblebee colony establishment than in 2024. The discovery of the Shrill carder bumblebee was the icing on the cake at the end of an exciting bumblebee survey season.”
Helen Dickinson, Senior Surveys Officer at the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, says: “This is a significant range expansion for our records of the species’ south-eastern population and an incredibly encouraging result. It’s a testament to the habitat work at the Garden and the commitment of the RHS to BeeWalk, the Trust’s national bumblebee monitoring scheme.
“Having volunteer BeeWalkers like Cheryl on the ground collecting this important data on bumblebee numbers allows the Trust to monitor population trends across Britain. That in turn provides the information we need to further high-quality conservation work for our rarest bumblebees, alongside more widespread species.”
BeeWalk is the national recording scheme which monitors the abundance of bumblebees across Britain. The scheme relies on volunteers, who identify and count the bumblebees they see on a fixed walking route of around 1 to 2km. Each BeeWalk route is walked at least once a month from March to October. Find out how you can get involved in BeeWalk.
Image: RHS Hyde Hall Herbaceous Border by Neil Hepworth, RHS