West Dean Parish Council - Bee Squared Project

Please help us support biodiversity in WEST DEAN PARISH by planting a 1 metre square of wildflower seed in your garden.

Helping to SUPPORT BIODIVERSITY – BEES, BUTTERFLIES AND POLLINATORS

It has been well publicised that our bees, butterflies, moths, and pollinators are in trouble. Butterflies in England have declined by more than 50% since 1991, and 71% of our butterflies are in long term decline, along with 75% of our moths. Once-common species like the small tortoiseshell have dropped by up to 80% in the last 30 years in some areas. Half of our 27 bumblebee species are in decline, with 3 of these species already extinct, and 7 bumblebee species have declined by more than 50% in the last 25 years. There are more than 250 species of solitary bee in Britain, many facing significant declines because they collect nectar and pollen from a restricted range of plants that you would find in traditionally managed flower-rich meadows, which are now a scarce habitat.

Here in the Forest of Dean, we have seen a decline in species that relied on the more open habitats created by grazing animals – such as the small pearl-bordered fritillary butterfly, which was previously found at over 50 different places in the Forest and now remains in just two.
So why are our bees, butterflies and pollinators declining?
 Lack of forage from flowering plants: the quantity and quality of flowers has declined massively. This is due to intensive farming destroying, fragmenting and isolating flower-rich habitats and affecting the quality of what remains, as well as loss of flowery habitat to urban growth. The Dean Meadows Group, know that we’ve lost 97% of wildflower meadows since the 1930s – that’s 7.5 million acres of wildflower habitat gone. One square metre of wildflower meadow can be home to 570 flowers on a single day so one acre of wildflower habitat can contain just over 2.3 million flowers – that’s a lot of nectar and pollen!
 Loss of nest and breeding sites: Bumblebees and solitary bees have specific requirements for nest sites with many other pollinators such as hoverflies, butterflies and moths have specific habitat requirements for their larvae. The loss and fragmentation of suitable habitats reduces nesting and breeding opportunities.
 Pesticide and insecticide use: intended for the ‘troublesome’ insects but killing the beneficial ones too, whether it’s in our gardens or farmland. Pesticides (including weedkillers) kill essential food plants and prey species for pollinators.
 Climate Change: unpredictable and extreme weather events have an effect on geographic ranges.
So, what do our bees, butterflies and pollinators need? top of the list is a continuous supply of pollen and nectar all through the seasons, especially in the early spring and late autumn. They need a wide variety of plants and different levels of vegetation to support their life cycles (nesting habitat, plants suitable for egg laying, larval and caterpillar food sources). Wind breaks and sheltered areas are important for butterflies and all insects need protected and sheltered areas to hibernate over the winter.

What can we do to help?

  • Keep managing your wildflower habitats. Whether it’s a 1 metre square garden patch or several acres of wildflower meadow – this will provide essential food sources and habitats for all our pollinators, flowering hedgerow plants like hawthorn provide nectar and pollen.
  • Garden for pollinators. Try to provide a continuous succession of flowers through the seasons: winter flowers include hellebores, heathers and mahonia, early bulbs like crocus, primroses, violets, pulmonaria then dandelions, aubretia and native bluebells, followed by buddleia and red valerian and, finally, ivy flowers which are a great late-season asset in the autumn.
  • No mow May. Leave the lawn unmown in May to provide dandelions and daisies for the pollinators to feast on.
  • Most bumblebees prefer perennial flowers, herbs (marjoram, rosemary, fennel) and traditional cottage garden plants. Try to provide flowers of different shapes, bowl-shaped, bell-shaped, ‘lipped’ and tubular as different bees have different tongue lengths.
  • Moths love night-scented flowers like jasmine and honeysuckle. Hoverflies and many solitary bees like open, daisy-type flowers and umbels. Avoid ‘double’ flowers, many modern hybrids often have much less nectar and pollen, making them less beneficial.

Below is website which will give you a plant list to help bees and other pollinators:

Provide a wide variety of habitats and plants to support their lifecycles.

  • In our meadows, fields, and gardens aim for a mosaic of different levels and heights, let lawn margins and corners of the garden grow long tussocky grass, carder bumblebees will nest here.
  • Cultivate a bank of stinging nettles, they support more than 40 species of insects. Many butterflies including the Peacock and Red Admiral, lay their eggs on stinging nettles. Once hatched, the caterpillars feast on the nutritious leaves.
  • Don’t use pesticides and never spray open flowers, accepting the presence of some pests can help a natural balance in the garden and provide larval food for pollinators.
  • Provide water especially in hot, dry spells, having a shallow margin of a pond or shallow dish filled with stones or marbles and water will provide a safe source of water.
  • Provide protected and sheltered areas for nests and over winter.
  • Keep your hedgerows and make them thick, they are important natural windbreaks for pollinators and butterflies and create sheltered areas in the garden and fields for butterflies.
  • Provide nest sites for wild bees, bumblebees will create nests in undisturbed compost heaps or underneath hedgerows, mining bees will use ant or mole hills and many solitary bees nest in bare soil or short turf.
  • Keep enough ivy and brambles, butterflies and pollinators will hibernate there.
  • Keep hollow wood for overwintering butterflies and let them use your shed or garage in winter.
  • Make a Bee house – How to make a bee hotel | The Wildlife Trusts

The following information is provided by Drugwatch

Roundup is a widely used herbicide that contains the active ingredient glyphosate, which is a non-selective herbicide, meaning it can harm both unwanted weeds and desirable plants alike. Numerous studies have been conducted to investigate its potential health effects, particularly its link to cancer and other health problems.

This chemical also represents an issue for ecosystems and pollinators such as bees, monarch butterflies, and other beneficial insects. Our goal is to shed light on the topic of glyphosate and its potential health and environmental implications and with that in mind we have created a couple of free educational guides.

Please check it out here:
https://www.drugwatch.com/roundup/glyphosate/
https://www.drugwatch.com/roundup/alternatives/