UK Bees - a Population in Decline and How You Can Help

Photo by Stefan Steinbauer on Unsplash

As Spring has started with gusto across much of the United Kingdom, it is time to consider a vital component of our gardens and wild spaces – bees.

Britain is home to an astonishing 270+ species of bees that act as essential pollinators. Unfortunately, most species are facing dramatic population declines due to habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change. Two bumblebee species are already known to be extinct. Immediate action by gardeners, landowners, and policymakers is critical to reversing these losses and protecting our food security and ecosystems.

These remarkable insects fall into three groups: honeybees (primarily kept by beekeepers), 26 species of social bumblebees living in seasonal colonies, and over 250 species of solitary bees that complete their entire lifecycle within a year.

While most of us learn that bees pollinate flowers, fewer appreciate he extraordinary evolutionary partnership between bees and flowering plants spanning millions of years. Flowers have evolved specific colours, shapes, and scents to attract specific bee species, while bees have developed specialized body structures to access particular flowers.

Some plants, like the bee orchid (Ophrys apifera), even mimic female bees to trick males into pollination.

Ophrys apifera © Hans Hillewaert/Creative Commons

This intricate relationship sustains entire ecosystems and human agriculture, yet it now faces unprecedented threats. British bee populations have crashed over the past century with several other species facing severe decline. Solitary bees suffer similarly as their specialized habitats disappear. Primary threats include:

• Agricultural intensification eliminating flower-rich grasslands and hedgerows

• Urban development fragmenting critical habitats

• Pesticide use directly killing bees and destroying food sources

• Climate change disrupting timing between flowering and bee emergence

• Competition from managed honeybees displacing struggling wild species

  
  

Trend lines show average occupancy of 1 km grid cells in Britain across all modelled bee (n = 139, blue) and hoverfly (n = 214, orange) species. Powney, G.D., Carvell, C., Edwards, M. et al. Widespread losses of pollinating insects in Britain. Nat Commun 10, 1018 (2019)

To put it bluntly, the loss of even a single flowering patch from a park or hedgerow can eliminate entire local populations of bees. This decline threatens crop yields, wild plant reproduction, and countless species dependent on pollinated plants.

Reversing bee decline requires coordinated efforts across society. Gardens represent some of Britain's finest pollinator habitats due to their plant diversity. The most effective actions favour wild bumblebees and solitary bees, species that face far greater conservation threats than managed honeybees.

Every garden, no matter how small, can make a difference. There are five critical actions that we can all contribute to:

1. Reduce mowing frequency, especially spring and early summer, mow lawns less often! This allows dandelions, clover, and daisies to provide vital food. Designate corners as mini meadows mowed just once or twice yearly. This is the easiest action: do less work, help bees more.

2. Eliminate pesticides. Stop using chemical pesticides and herbicides that kill bees directly or destroy their food plants. Healthy gardens naturally control pests through beneficial insects and birds. Choose pesticide-free plants or grow from seed.

3. Plant diverse flowers. Ensure continuous blooms from early spring through late autumn. Include native species (primroses, foxgloves, willows) alongside garden favourites (lavender, cosmos). Consider planting specialists such as bellflowers (Campanula species) that support Bellflower Blunthorn Bees Melitta haemorrhoidalis and ivy that provides crucial autumn forage.

4. Create nesting sites. Leave patches of bare, sunny soil for ground-nesters. Retain dead wood, hollow stems, and install bee hotels on fences. Most importantly, embrace untidiness—leave corners with leaf litter, dead stems, and undisturbed vegetation providing crucial shelter.

5. Provide water by placing shallow dishes with pebbles or stones in sunny spots, creating safe landing platforms. Refresh the water regularly to prevent stagnation.

Try not to worry about stings as female solitary bees are remarkably docile and only sting in self-defence when roughly handled. Bumblebees and honeybees won't sting while foraging if left undisturbed. Simply avoid disturbing nests.

If you’re interested, contribute to citizen science by photographing and identifying bees you encounter, then submitting records to platforms like iRecord. These observations provide invaluable data for conservation planning and help scientists monitor population trends.

Often, the wildest, most untended corners of your garden provide the greatest value to bees. What appears untidy to human eyes represents critical habitat for species struggling to survive in our increasingly managed landscapes. By creating bee-friendly spaces, you meaningfully contribute to reversing population declines and preserving the intricate relationships that sustain our ecosystems.