Did you Know..
- That Bumblebees have been around for millions of years - many flowers evolved in partnership with them.
- That there are 24 or so species in Britain (the exact number depends how you classify them).
- That there are six species - commonly called the 'Big Six' that do very well in gardens and their populations are currently holding up - but only so long as gardeners grow suitable flowers that they can use as a food source.
- That several other Bumblebee species are now rare and declining due to habitat loss.
- That several species have become extinct in Britain in the last century.
- That a Bumblebee species new to Britain, the Tree Bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum) moved here just a few years ago, and is spreading rapidly? It is a common species in Northern Europe.
- That another bumblebee species , the Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) is establishing winter colonies in Southern Britain? More about this on my winter bumblebeepage.
There are lots of recent books about Bumblebees. The essential one for identification is the Field Guide to the Bumblebees of Britain and Ireland, by Mike Edwards and Martin Jenner, revised edition 2009. This also has a good section on 'gardening for bumblebees'. Be sure to get the revised edition, which is completely up to date.
For more help with identification the common species, go to the BBCT identification pages, and to the Natural History Museum's Bumblebee ID page.
Others bumblebee books are reviewed in a special Bumblebee section in my wildlife gardening bibliography, which you can download from the READING page.
You may have noticed that there is a page on this website that tells you how to make a bee house. It refers to solitary bees such as Mason Bees, not Bumblebees. They are very different! There is more information about some common solitary bees and their favourite flowers in my 'World of Wild Bees' factsheet which you can download from the FACTSHEETS page.
Why not make a garden that Bumbleees will find just as enjoyable as you do...
© Marc Carlton 2009. You are welcome to print this page, for personal use or for educational purposes.