Bee Blogs & more…
With a wealth of knowledge and experience our Conservation Team are, quite simply, a “hive” (or maybe that should be “bee-bank”) of information.
We’ve asked them to put fingers to keyboards and share some of the details they keep stored in their grey matter. We’re really pleased that they’ve embraced the task, providing a number of blogs for you to read. More will be added as they are written, so do check back!
Bee Blogs
Bare ground experiments to help save rare bees and wasps
a guest blog by Chloe Hardman, (Natural England), Aaron Bhambra and Bailey Carswell-Morris (University of Birmingham).
Gardening for Solitary Bees
… a blog by Buglife Development Officer, Beth Barber.
The Legend of the Pantaloon Bee
…a blog by Kernow Wyls ~ People for Pollinators Conservation Assistant, Dr Will Hawkes.
The Long-horned Bee, a Victim of Changing Times
… a blog written by Kernow Wyls – People for Pollinators Conservation Officer, Scott Martin, and Life on the Edge Conservation Officer, Sam Skevington.
Not-so Solitary Bees
a blog from B-Lines Officer, Rachel
An introduction to the Northern Colletes mining bee
a blog from Buglife Species on the Edge Conservation Officer, Sally
Bees of the Changing Chalk Partnership Area
a blog from Buglife Changing Chalk Conservation Officer, Alice
Building for bees
a blog from Buglife Get London Buzzing Engagement Officer, Scarlett
B-Lines: Building the Insect Super-highway
a blog from get the Marches Buzzing Conservation Officer, Kate
An introduction to the Large Scabious Mining Bee
a blog Buglife North Cornwall B-Lines Conservation Officer, Laura
There are some great resources out there: experts we love, blogs we visit, and books we wouldn’t be without.
Here are some suggestions from our Conservation Team that will help you learn more about solitary bees and wildlife in general.
Useful Resources
The Bee Book
Steven Falk’s Field Guide to the to the Bees of Great Britain and Ireland is an invaluable resource. It is usually next to us and hastily reached for as we try and identify who’s nearby!
The Bee Lady
Brigit Strawbridge is a legend in bee circles and her blog and social media accounts are constant sources of information, beautiful images and inspiration. Keep an eye on her website as she does also do lots of talks around the country.
Field Studies Council (FSC)
The FSC have a host of useful resources including offering courses and ID guides – some free and some paid for so it’s always worth visiting their website
BWARS ~ Bees, Wasps & Ants Recording Society
The BWARS website and Facebook Group offer a variety of opportunities to learn, love and share when it comes to solitary bees
A Sting in the Tale
Professor of Biology, Dave Goulson, specialises in bumblebees. Author of: A Sting in the Tale; A Buzz in the Meadow; Bee Quest; The Garden Jungle to name a few
The Solitary Bee Book
A completely up-to-date introduction to the most common group of bees in Britain.
Open your eyes to the so-called ‘solitary’ bees, and discover a wonderfully diverse population – miners, leafcutters, carpenters and masons – many of which can be found in your own back garden.
Patch - the Solitary Bee
Patch the Solitary Bee follows a day in the life of a solitary bee who does not know she is a solitary bee. Patch meets honeybees, wasps and flies before eventually finding out she is a Patchwork Leafcutter Bee.
The book is aimed at confident young readers aged 7-9 years
Mini Guide to Identifying Bees - created by North Cornwall B-Lines
Created by the North Cornwall B-Lines Team with a focus on Cornish bees but a handy guide for anyone wanting to know more
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