Busy bumblebees

Documentaries like “More than honey” and several articles in the news covered the mass extinction of the honey bee. In this huge debate the news forgot to mention that also other species of the Apoidea family are highly threatened.

According to the news website heise.de, in 2006 scientist documented a decline in the varieties of bees by 80%. But at the same time wild plant species disappeared in some regions – alone in the UK up to 70%. Bumblebees and other insects are essential when it comes to pollination. Whereas honey bees quickly learn not to “powder” themselves with pollen, fuzzy bumblebees are more efficient pollinators. With up to 1,000 approached blossoms per day bumblebees dust about five times more flowers than honey bees.

If you like to support these import insects we have some advice for you. First, if you find a grounded bumblebee it is probably too exhausted to fly. You can feed it with a mixture of honey and water via a pipette and watch it flying off happily. Especially in early summer days you are very likely to find a queen and, thus, save a whole colony. Second, you can build a bumblebee nest box. See our useful links below. Third, plant herbs in your garden or your balcony – they love lavender, oregano, thyme and salvia. The captivating smell will not only attract bumblebees.

Have a look at our photo gallery to catch a glimpse what big business is going on in a lavender bush at summer time.

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More information:

• How to build nest boxes or help grounded bumblebees
• About the decline of bumblebees at heise.de
• Nature.com: Flight of the bumblebee decoded

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