Bumblebees are excellent pollinators and they are seriously under threat. Many species are suffering from habitat loss. Large fields often provide insufficient nesting sites around the edges, and the growing of a single crop plant means that the supply of food throughout the year is irregular. A mix of natural wild flowers provides a much better, continuous, flow of nectar from early spring through to autumn.
In the U.K. three species are already extinct and another nine are considered to be ‘seriously threatened’ (Bumblebees in crisis). The problem is so serious that a Bumblebee Conservation Trust has been established to attempt to halt the decline. Volunteers are asked to record their sightings of all species. Naturally this requires help with Bumblebee Identification.
The Great Yellow Bumblebee (Bombus distinguendus) is a good example a species that was once widespread in the U.K. and Europe, but has become extremely rare. It is an easy bumblebee to recognise because of its large size and bright yellow ‘hair’. One of the few places where you can see the Great Yellow Bumblebee now is on the remote Scottish islands, where agricultural practises have remained more traditional than in the rest of the U.K. The west coasts of most Hebridean Islands are well known for their wildflowers. This ‘machair’ provides an ideal habitat for bumblebees.
It was once proved, by careful calculation, that bumblebees cannot fly, but since nobody bothered to tell the bumblebees – they do! In fact they can fly very early in the day, and season, when it is too cold for other insects. Bumblebees accomplish this by ‘warming up’ before take-off. They can ‘uncouple’ their flight muscles from their wings and then work them hard to generate heat. Their ‘furry’ bodies then help them retain this heat as they buzz around. Incidentally the ‘buzz’ is the noise made by the muscles vibrating, not the sound of their wings.
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