By Hugo Gault, Bumblebee Science Assistant Trainee
The Trust’s new research project – Moss carder bees of Cornwall – has kicked off! The project will be looking to find out more about the foraging and nesting behaviours of on of our more rare bumblebee species the Moss carder bumblebee (Bombus muscorum), as well as giving us more detail on their abundance and distribution in the area.
Project Officer Pip Cook by Hugo Gault
Moss carder bumblebees have been experiencing a decline in the UK and Europe, likely because they forage shorter distances from their nests than many other bumblebee species. This makes them particularly vulnerable to habitat loss. The Moss carder bumblebee population has not responded well to habitat interventions so increasing our knowledge about them means we can put effective interventions in place to stop their decline.
Group of staff by Hugo Gault
With curiosity, I took a break from the office (I’m based further north) and travelled down to Cornwall to assist with setting up our recording method for the project. The trip was both my first time in the area and my first time undertaking important field work for the Trust. It was also a great opportunity to meet our new Project Officer for the project Pip, and learn from other experienced staff who joined me on the trip.
There are also lots of unique habitats in Cornwall, which I had the pleasure of seeing for the first time: Cornish hedges, for example, are stone walls covered in diverse vegetation which provide an excellent marginal habitat for bumblebees and keep field sizes small. I spent some time with my colleague surveying some of the gorgeous habitat in the area, such as sand dunes, wet woodland and grassland.
Unfortunately, I didn’t see any Moss carder bumblebees during my visit, but I did find another scarce species, the Brown-banded carder bumblebee (Bombus humilis). We also spotted the Common carder bumblebee and Garden bumblebee. Surveying efforts are now underway, and several Moss carder bumblebees have been recorded.
I’m looking forward to following the progress of this new project in the hope this beauty of a rare bumblebee is recorded more often.
Bumblebee in pot by Hugo Gault
Thank you to Kelly’s of Cornwall Ice Cream for funding seven months of research for this project.
