Farmers and scientists have successfully managed to boost the populations of 5 of the rarest bee species in the UK. Environmental scientists have worked with farmers in Kent to recreate a bee-friendly environment. This has been done by planting the right nectar-rich flowers in field borders and rotational grazing systems to create “bee corridors” where the bees have the space to spread out.
Farmers are not doing this purely out of kindness – bees are needed to pollinate crops and so the decline in bee numbers is not good news for the farming industry.
Alas, the scheme was originally designed to create the right environment for reintroducing the short haired bumblebee to the UK, which was last seen in 1988. The plan was to ship them at low, hibernation temperatures from New Zealand, but unfortunately too few bees survived the journey.
A second attempt will be started in November to see if the short-haired bees can join their cousins back in Kent.
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//Esther Crooks
