How can i help bumblebees

Scientists report similar losses across Europe, South America and Asia. Bumble bees face many threats, including habitat loss, pesticides, introduced diseases, climate change and competition from honey bees, says Sarina Jepsen, endangered species program director for the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation and deputy chair of the IUCN Bumble Bee Specialist Group.

The good news is that all of us—particularly wildlife gardeners —can help bumble bees in and around our own homes.

Here are some of the most important steps you can take :. A pollen-dusted bumble bee feeds on coneflower nectar in an Ohio backyard. Photo by Josh Mayes. Active from early spring through late fall, bumble bees need access to a variety of nectar- and pollen-producing flowers as food for the adult bees as well as their larvae. Native plants are best because they have coevolved with native bees. Plant a variety of native plants, some that bloom in the spring, some that bloom in the summer and some that bloom the fall, to provide three seasons of food for bumble bees and other pollinators.

Most bumble bees nest in hives in underground holes made by larger animals, while some nest above ground in abandoned bird nests, grass tussocks or cavities such as hollow logs or spaces beneath rocks. In gardens, they may also use compost piles or unoccupied birdhouses. If you do need to mow, do so with the mower blade set at the highest safe level and leave fallen leaves where they fall on your property. Both insecticides and herbicides should be avoided. In particular, steer clear of systemic pesticides such as neonicotinoids, which are taken up by the vascular systems of plants.

Report the bees you see in your yard or community to Bumble Bee Watch , a new citizen-science project sponsored by the Xerces Society and five North American partners.

May is Garden for Wildlife Month —the perfect time of year to establish or improve your habitat for bumble bees and other native wildlife. Like what you read? Please consider making a donation to support our critical species recovery and conservation work. Recent studies have shown that small-scale urban gardening can have a very real and measurable impact for pollinators.

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Melanie Lippert April 13, A flowering bellwort plant. Credit: Dan Mullen. A bumble bee on a bee balm. A rusty patched bumble bee on a bergamot blossom. A boy admiring black-eyed susans and coneflowers in a Virginia garden. Credit: Sherry Schellenger Parker. Conservation , Garden Habitats bumble bee , Garden for Wildlife , rusty patched bumble bee. It has been estimated that a full honeystomach will give a bumblebee about 40 minutes of flying time. Without the energy in nectar a bumblebee cannot fly.

If a bumblebee cannot fly it cannot reach flowers to get nectar - it will die. See the grounded bee section below on how to help grounded bumblebees.

Click here to be taken to an extensive list of flowers visited by north American bees and European bumblebees. The most important thing to understand in planting flowers for bumblebees is that they need flowers throughout the season. Unlike honey bees they do not have a large store of honey in their nests, but just enough to last a few days. I have split the flowers into early, summer and late flowers, but this will vary according to where you live.

You can feed bumblebees and many other insects even if all you have is a windowbox. When I lived in the centre of Paris all I had was a couple of north-facing window boxes. However from spring onwards I had bumblebees, hoverflies and moths. The images above and below were taken of bumblebees on my windowbox. This need only be done if there has been a frost or strong wind that has damaged the flowers. Put a small amount of the mixture onto a small container, e.

This works very well in a patch of heather, and will be appreciated by the queens. During cold days you may find what appears to be an injured queen, that is a bee that is not dead but doesn't fly away. She has probably got too cold and does not have enough energy to build up heat.