The results of a monitoring programme of Irish bumblebees make for tough reading. Native Irish bumblebee populations in 2017 were at their lowest level since monitoring began in 2012.
Dr Tomás Murray, senior ecologist at the National Biodiversity Data Centre, co-ordinator of the All-Ireland Bumblebee Monitoring Scheme, revealed the marked losses in our native bumblebee species.
“The current overall trend from 2012 to 2017 is a year-on-year decline of 3.7%, leading a total loss of 14.2% from 2012 to 2017. In Ireland, we have 21 species of bumblebee,” he said.
Dr Murray says these insects are vital pollinators of our crops and wild plants.
“Of our 98 wild bee species (which includes 77 solitary bees), one third are threatened with extinction. The large carder bee (Bombus muscorum) is threatened across Europe and, despite Ireland having relatively widespread populations of this species, we’ve observed a 23% decline in the numbers seen since 2012.”
What can farmers do?
Dr Úna FitzPatrick from the National Biodiversity Data Centre says one of the main reasons for bee declines is hunger. There are simply not enough wildflowers in our landscapes today to provide enough food for bees.
Bees rely entirely on nectar and pollen for food, which makes them our most important insect pollinators. Our tendency to tidy up the landscape rather than allowing wildflowers to grow along roadsides, field margins and in parks and gardens is playing a big part in reducing resources for bees.
A lack of safe nest sites, pesticides and climate change also negatively impact bee survival.
Guideline documents for bumblebee conservation are available for download at www.pollinators.ie. Dr Fitzpatrick suggested a number of ways farmers can help conserve bee populations including:
Maintain native flowering hedgerows.Allow wildflowers to grow around the farm.Provide nesting places for wild bees.Minimise artificial fertiliser use.Reduce pesticide inputs.
The results of a monitoring programme of Irish bumblebees make for tough reading. Native Irish bumblebee populations in 2017 were at their lowest level since monitoring began in 2012.
Dr Tomás Murray, senior ecologist at the National Biodiversity Data Centre, co-ordinator of the All-Ireland Bumblebee Monitoring Scheme, revealed the marked losses in our native bumblebee species.
“The current overall trend from 2012 to 2017 is a year-on-year decline of 3.7%, leading a total loss of 14.2% from 2012 to 2017. In Ireland, we have 21 species of bumblebee,” he said.
Dr Murray says these insects are vital pollinators of our crops and wild plants.
“Of our 98 wild bee species (which includes 77 solitary bees), one third are threatened with extinction. The large carder bee (Bombus muscorum) is threatened across Europe and, despite Ireland having relatively widespread populations of this species, we’ve observed a 23% decline in the numbers seen since 2012.”
What can farmers do?
Dr Úna FitzPatrick from the National Biodiversity Data Centre says one of the main reasons for bee declines is hunger. There are simply not enough wildflowers in our landscapes today to provide enough food for bees.
Bees rely entirely on nectar and pollen for food, which makes them our most important insect pollinators. Our tendency to tidy up the landscape rather than allowing wildflowers to grow along roadsides, field margins and in parks and gardens is playing a big part in reducing resources for bees.
A lack of safe nest sites, pesticides and climate change also negatively impact bee survival.
Guideline documents for bumblebee conservation are available for download at www.pollinators.ie. Dr Fitzpatrick suggested a number of ways farmers can help conserve bee populations including:
Maintain native flowering hedgerows.Allow wildflowers to grow around the farm.Provide nesting places for wild bees.Minimise artificial fertiliser use.Reduce pesticide inputs. 
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