Category Archives: Pollinators
A countryside fit for pollinators
Pollinators are vital to the natural environment and economy in the UK, providing services worth over £440 million per year. Recent declines in their numbers and health are concerning, and evidence linking neonicotinoid pesticide use with these has prompted further … Continue reading
Bees and neonicotinoids: moving towards a Europe-wide ban?
It’s been an exciting week for bee health both in the UK and Europe. Progress towards the removal of neonicotinoid pesticides from use is advancing rapidly, with several UK companies banning these products from sale, and the European Commission setting … Continue reading
Bees and neonicotinoid pesticides: acute risks identified by EU’s food safety authority
Bees are vital parts of our ecosystems in the UK, providing irreplaceable pollinator services for both crops and wildflowers. Worrying declines in the number of bee populations have been observed recently, and have been attributed to a number of causes … Continue reading
Plankton, Amphibians, Elephants or Bees: which would you choose?
On Wednesday evening the BES Policy Team joined a packed audience to consider the cases made by academics and media commentators for the species they would choose to save. Organised by the Zoological Society of London and the Wellcome Trust, … Continue reading
Science/policy recommendations of International Insects Pollinators Workshop published
A newly published Report from the International Insect Pollinators Workshop held in February 2012 adds a strong voice to the argument that insect pollinators are invaluable to the environment and to society. The report, which should be made available this … Continue reading
Homecoming of the short-haired bumblebee after 24 years
Following three years of intensive preparations, the short-haired bumblebee (Bombus subterraneus) finally came home today to South East England. Around 50 queens from Sweden were released today at the RSPB’s Dungeness reserve in Kent. The species was last seen in … Continue reading
Is the European Commission listening to evidence on the impact of pesticides on bees?
Following the publication last month of new research showing a link between the use of common neonicotinoid insecticides and bee mortality, the European Ombundsman, P. Nikiforos Diamandouros has launched an investigation into whether the European Commission has taken sufficient account … Continue reading
New study shows insecticides used on flowering crops have major impacts on bumblebees
The ongoing decline in wild bumblebee populations has caused worldwide concern, with evidence suggesting that the loss of critical pollination services could lead to a decrease in crop yields and the loss of many wildflower species. A number of reasons … Continue reading
Threatened Bumblebees Thriving in Kent thanks to Farmers
Good news this morning from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. The Trust’s project to reintroduce short-haired bumblebees to Dungeness, Kent has resulted in five threatened species of bee increasing their ranges in England. The BES featured the Bumblebee Conservation Trust’s work … Continue reading
Launch of the BES Sponsored POSTnote on Insect Pollination
Yesterday afternoon saw the official launch of POSTnote 348, on ‘Insect Pollination’, written by the 2009 BES POST Fellow Rebecca Ross. The note summarises the causes and consequences of the declines in UK insect pollinators: a subject that has received … Continue reading