British bumblebee numbers lowest on record

2024 was the worst year for bumblebees since records began according to the latest findings from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. Findings from their 'Beewalk' showed that across Great Britain bumblebee numbers declined by almost a quarter (22.5%) compared to the 2010-2023 average.Researchers believe the drop in numbers may be due to the cold and wet conditions in the UK last spring.The findings are concerning to researchers as bumblebees play a vital role in UK wildlife.
Why are bumblebees so important?
Bees help the flowers by spreading their pollen. This is called pollination. Many plants would not be able to fertilise without bees and other pollinators.Bees also pollinate many of the crops used for animal feed. Without them, it would be harder to produce lots of our meat, egg and dairy products. Bees pollinating crops also helps farmers save money. It is estimated that it would cost UK farmers £1.8 billion a year to pollinate their crops manually if wild bees disappeared.Pollination also supports other insects, birds, bats, and mammals so without bees we would see a big impact on the food chain.Bees produce honey, royal jelly, pollen, beeswax, propolis, and honey bee venom. These substances have been used by humans for thousands of years for nutrition and medicine.
According to data from the Met Office many areas of the UK had more than double, and in some cases triple, the usual amount of rainfall for the time of year in March, April and May during 2024.This weather is what researchers believe affected many bumblebee species. The bad weather came during what is the species most vulnerable period - the colony establishment stage. This is when the queen bumblee's are like single mothers and must feed themselves and growing larvae whilst also incubating the nest.
The Bumblebee Conservation Trust's beewalk is a national recording scheme to monitor the number of bumblebees across the county. Volunteers identify and count the bumblebees they see on a monthly walk along a set route from March to October.Dr Richard Comont is the Science Manager at the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. He said; "The 2024 results from BeeWalk highlight just how vulnerable our bumblebee populations are to shifting climate and environmental conditions. With another challenging year behind us, monitoring in 2025 will be crucial to understanding how - and whether - these species can recover."

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8 hours ago

• Scotsman

Here's all you need to know about the summer solstice, including when the summer solstice is this year, why the date changes and what the weather forecast is.

Watch a Met Office video explaining the summer solstice - When is the summer solstice? Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The Met Office says the summer solstice occurs when the northern hemisphere is fully tilted towards the Sun. It is the longest day and shortest night of the year. Here's all you need to know about the summer solstice, including when the summer solstice is this year, why the date changes and what the weather forecast is. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Daniel Leal / AFP via Getty Images | Daniel Leal / AFP via Getty Images Is the summer solstice the start of summer? Meteorological summer began on June 1, and will end on August 31, as it does every year. However, the summer solstice is the start of astronomical summer, which will end on September 22 this year. When is the summer solstice? The summer solstice occurs on June 21 or June 22 each year. This year the summer solstice will be on June 21. Why does the date of the summer solstice change? According to the BBC, the exact date of the summer solstice changes slightly each year due to the calendar year not perfectly matching the time it takes for the Earth to orbit the Sun. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Is the summer solstice the latest sunset of the year? The summer solstice is the day with the most hours of daylight in the year, but it's not the latest sunset or the earliest sunrise. The earliest sunrises take place before the summer solstice, and the latest sunsets happen after. Is the summer solstice celebrated? Many people in the UK celebrate the summer solstice at Stonehenge. Stonehenge was built to align with the sun on the solstices. This year summer solstice will be celebrated at Stonehenge from 7pm on June 20 to 8am on June 21. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad There will also be a solstice swim in Bridlington. The Flamborough Flippers are inviting people to join them for a swim in the sea, and ask people to try and be in the water at Bridlington's North Beach by 04:42 on June 21. In Scotland, Jupiter Artland in Edinburgh is running a summer solstice celebration evening, with activities such as sound baths, sunset swims and flower crown building. To find out more and to book tickets visit their website here . What is the forecast for the summer solstice? The Met Office UK weather forecast for summer solstice this year - June 21 - is: 'Hot and humid with sunny spells. Thundery showers moving north and east through the day, heaviest over northern England and Wales. Turning fresher from the west later.'

BBC News

15 hours ago

• BBC News

Why your hayfever may be bad at the moment

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Scottish Sun

16 hours ago

• Scottish Sun

Every Scots household warned to keep windows CLOSED today – don't get caught out

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