Big Bumblebee Hunt
Bumblebees are vital for pollinating our wildflowers and crops such as apples and raspberries. Unfortunately these popular and hard-working insects are in decline and urgent action is required to save them. The Big Bumblebee Hunt gave people the chance to get involved during summer 2007.
Bumblebees have undergone a rapid decline in its range and population. There are 25 species native to the UK, but three are now extinct and six species have declined by at least 80% in recent decades. This is largely due to changes in our countryside, and the loss of habitat and fragmentation from intensive agricultural farming.
In other places, such as the south east, local populations of the rarer bumblebees are being threatened by the loss of valuable flower-rich "brownfield" sites for housing and retail development.
The survey is now closed. Thank you to everyone who took part in the Big Bumblebee Hunt in 2007. We hope that with funding we will be able to launch a National Garden Bumblebee Survey in the near future.
Use the links below to find out more about this year's survey and its results:
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Why bumblebees need your help Buglife's first-ever bumblebee survey for London, Essex and the Thames Gateway got local residents out and about to count bumblebees in their neighbourhood in July and August.
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Results The Big Bumblebee Hunt 2007 - results!
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Doing the bumblebee survey It's easy and fun to take part in the Big Bumblebee Hunt. To help you get the most out of counting bumblebees in your area, we've put together some simple step-by-step instructions.
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Identification Here are some helpful tips on how to recognise the most common species of bumblebees, and distinguishing your bumblebee from other bee lookalikes.
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Gardening for bumblebees Gardens have become important refuges for bumblebees, and you can encourage them to visit your garden by following the simple tips provided here.
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This project has been jointly funded by: Countdown 2010/Natural England, Cory Environmental Trust (Essex), City Bridge Trust (London), Anglian Water, Cecil Pilkington Charitable Trust, Antony & Noreen Daniel Charitable Trust and AS Butler Charitable Trust.
