Help!

A recent report from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust has highlighted the decline in bumblebee populations since the record breaking heat of 2023. The populations of red tailed, buff tailed and common carder bumblebees are under particular threat. The Trust reports the bumblebee is not adapted to such extreme heat and drought. Their thick coats can make it hard to cool down and they can struggle to find the food sources they need. Unlike honeybees, bumblebees cannot collect water, relying instead on the fluid within nectar. In response the Bumblebee Conservation Trust urges people to grow bee friendly wildflowers. Even a pot of native wildflowers on a doorstep or windowsill can help. Putting in a pond and shade can help too. Plants grown near water and in damper spots tend to produce nectar with more moisture in it.