Results

We had over 2500 visits to the Big Bumblebee Hunt website, and 175 people from across London, Essex and the Thames Gateway sent in their bumblebee sightings. This of course was despite the exceptionally cold, wet weather we had this summer. We also ran 22 bumblebee events and 5 school workshops. Over 500 people came along to the workshops and guided walks, and joined bumblebee experts to discover more about the fascinating world of bumblebees, and learn how to identify these insects in the field.

To enable everyone to take part in the main survey we used colour groups of bumblebees rather than asking the uninitiated to try to make species identifications. All five main colour groups of bumblebees were seen during the Hunt. Those who took part told us that the bumblebees they most commonly saw were ‘two-banded white-tails’, with the ‘browns’ coming in as the runner up. ‘Three-banded white-tails’ were also seen regularly. The 'black red-tails’ and the ‘banded red-tails’ were the least commonly seen types of bumblebees.

The results showed that the bumblebees were quite industrious and many records were provided of bumblebees with pollen loads. Young queen and worker bumblebees were seen busily collecting pollen from a variety of garden plants, such as lavender, cotoneaster, holly, geraniums, hebe, aquilegia, comfrey, and foxglove. Wildflowers and shrubs popular with the bumblebees included: red and white clover, purple vetches, white deadnettle, bird’s foot trefoil and self-heal.

Foxglove provide good nectar source for the large garden bumblebee (c) Richard Burkmar

What does this tell us about the fate of our bumblebees in London and the south-east region? The exceptionally wet summer appeared to hamper the bumblebees’ activities. Some of those who took part found that bumblebees were very thin on the ground. This was especially so on overcast or wet days.

It is interesting to see that the black-tailed bumblebee was one of the less commonly seen bumblebees. Results from BBC Springwatch earlier this year, showed that the red-tailed bumblebee was widely seen across the UK, though seen on average two weeks earlier (21st March) than last year. The early emergence, subsequently followed by an exceptionally wet and cold summer, may have accounted for a lower number of red-tailed bumblebees recorded during the BBH survey.

Interestingly, we also had sightings of rarer bumblebee species. The Brown-banded carder bumblebee Bombus humilis, was recorded in Mile End, in East London. This was an exciting find as it was the first confirmed record for this area, and adds to the known distribution of Bombus humilis, which is a Biodiversity Action Plan Species. This species is found along a strip of derelict Thames-side industrial land on the eastern side of London as far west as the Millennium Dome and the River Lea, and as far north as the Walthamstow Marshes.

Bombus humilis found on a bumblebee identification workshop in Mile End, London (C) Ken Greenway/THCP

Not only did the Big Bumblebee Hunt allow us to gather records of bumblebee sightings from across the South-east, but it also got hundreds of people out of doors, observing their local wildlife. Bumblebees are a charismatic example of the wildlife we live in most close contact with. Through watching and caring for our local invertebrate wildlife, we will be better able to protect it.

Thank you to everyone who took part in the Big Bumblebee Hunt in 2007. We hope to extend the Big Bumblebee Hunt, and run other similar projects in the future.