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A recent study published in the Journal of Applied Ecology suggests that gardens make better habitats for bumblebees than the countryside. This isn't surprising, as field margins and hedgerows have become scarce over the years, so many species

The first bumblebee of the year flies past like an animated boot brush. It's a huge queen of the buff-tailed bumblebee, Bombus terrestris, looking as big as a mouse as it drones about the allotment. It comes and goes several times as we're digging

Sapphire Class at Ivydale Primary School are now experts on bumblebees. We did a workshop on climate change so I took in a tray of bumblebee specimens and we talked about the potential consequences for these well-known and much-loved insects

A few weeks ago I wrote about moving a bumblebee nest from a friend's garden. At the end of the blog I mentioned that I'd found a wax moth in the nest.Wax moth is a native, natural predator of the bumblebee, but it's one of its biggest enemies

Once spring is sprung it really does get going! My plot is a mass of potato leaves creeping out over the mounds of ridged earth, seedlings sprouting sturdily out of the ground almost as I watch. But of course, there's a hearty selection of common or garden weeds for good measure,...

I have bumblebees nesting in my garden. They didn't choose to live there, I introduced them. Or rather, I rescued them.With a reputation for being a bit of a bee fanatic, I get the odd call from friends of friends who have bumblebees nesting

at the honeysuckle flowers. But it took me a few days to realize the bumblebees were different. There were several species, but my eye was caught by the well-groomed buff orange ones. In the UK most of the all-orange bumbles, also sometimes called carder bees

We have a bumblebee nest in our compost bin. I first noticed a month ago when the first few workers started coming and going. Now we have a steady stream. The bees are buff-tailed, Bombus terrestris, one of our commonest species.I've told the family

Find out how to identify the six species of bumblebee likely to visit gardens, by using our easy-to-follow guide.In recent years, bumblebeeshave suffered massive declines, leaving two of the UK's 27 native species extinct. Loss of habitat

Bumblebee numbers have declined in recent years, due to changes in agriculture, which have led to fewer nesting opportunities and flowers for them to feed from. Making this simple nest will encourage them to nest safely your garden. Many species