The Humble Bumble Bee - Treat with TLC

With these wonderful balmy summer evenings we have become used to the hum and jiggling, bumbling flight of the bumble bee. There are six principal fairly easily identified species in the UK that are common.

If you want more information about their life history this is a good site to start. Not only are they fascinating creatures they also pollinate your plants for you.

The British Natural History Museum as you might expect has an excellent site on the Genus Bombuswhich has an Idiot's guide to identification , plus notes on distribution.

Naturally the manin threat to them is the gardener and their armoury of insecticides. The rule is simple - DO NOT USE CHEMICAL INSECTICIDES.

The picture, is one Lord Patel took yesterday of Bombus lapidarius which, unsurprisingly ,is called the Red Tailed Bumble Bee, on Black Knapweed, Centaurea nigra a good plant to find many bees, moths and butterflies.

MORE LINKS

The BBC have a story today about examining the foraging habits of Bumblebees which shows they can forage upto 13 Kms.

Also a story in May about the formation of a Bumblebee Conservation Trust at Stirling University, whose website is well worth visiting, with a good Bibliography of in print books,plus an ID poster and the chance to send money and get a cute badge ... good fun for the kids in the summer holidays.