Wildlife

Bumblebee Welfare: Colony Health and Wildflower Conservation

Overview of bumblebee welfare, colony decline, and conservation through wildflower habitat.

Key Facts

Two UK bumblebee species have become extinct in the past century
Varroa mite is not a threat to bumblebees but other diseases affect colony health
Loss of wildflower-rich grassland is the primary driver of bumblebee decline
Bumblebees are important pollinators of wild plants and crops
Garden planting of bee-friendly flowers can significantly support bumblebee welfare

Welfare Considerations

Bumblebee welfare depends on year-round foraging resources including spring, summer, and autumn flowering plants, and undisturbed nesting habitat. Agricultural intensification has devastated wildflower-rich grassland at landscape scale. Conservation requires both landscape-scale agri-environment delivery and local actions including garden planting and reduced pesticide use. Bumblebee populations are welfare and ecosystem service indicators.

What You Can Do

Plant a range of bee-friendly flowering plants for spring through autumn foraging
Avoid neonicotinoid and other systemic pesticides in gardens and advocate for wider bans
Support Bumblebee Conservation Trust and local meadow restoration projects