Give Bees A Chance
There are serious problems with populations of Bumblebees and Honeybees. 3 species of Bumblebee are extinct and 9 more are threatened, while Honeybee populations have seen huge losses in some areas. Our understanding of solitary bees and their interaction with the social bees (Honeybees and Bumblebees) is limited. Bees play a vital role in our ecosystem, and their loss would be a huge threat to mankind - Bees pollinate around three quarters of agricultural crops.
In partnership with the Isle of Wight Festival, Gift to Nature are working to improve understanding of the importance of Bees and threats to them, commission research to further our knowledge of Bees and their habitats, and protect and enhance Bee habitats on the Isle of WIght.
Honeybee threats
Honeybees are currently being affected by Colony Collapse Disorder, which threatens their very existence. Its cause is not fully understood. One possibly cause is a virus which attacks a single bee which then returns to the hive and infects the entire colony killing all the other bees, though recent research suggests increased use of mobile phones could be to blame. The biggest difficulty in finding the cause is that the bees are never found, and are thought to die far from the hive. Gift to Nature is contributing to National Bee research into the problem.
British Bumblebee Threats
Loss of hedgerows reduces Bee habitat. Gift to Nature sponsors the annual Isle of Wight Hedgelaying competition which increases the length and quality of hedgerows around the Island and promotes the craft of hedgelaying.
Monoculture and intensive agriculture reduce availability of consistent food sources. Gift to Nature promotes planting of fruit trees and other nectar bearing plants such as Red Clover and Birdsfoot Trefoil – why not order one of our Beewicks to plant in your own garden? We also manage several sites to encourage wildflowers and trees which provide a vital food source for wild Bees..
Bee Research
Gift to Nature will be funding an extensive baseline study of solitary Bees on the south coast of the Isle of Wight, including their interactions with social bee colonies. This will help us direct our conservation efforts, and better understand how to look after our Bees. With social Bees suffering large scale losses it is important that we understand more about solitary bees so we can protect them effectively.
How to help
You can help in several ways.
Download our free leaflet produced for the Isle of Wight Festival 2008, which has some info on Bees and what you can do to help.
Buy a beewick. This little hemp strings are impregnated with Birdsfoot Trefoil and Red Clover seeds and will grow beautiful flowers which will provide a banquet for Bees. You can get more information on what to do with your Beewick here
Donate. Your donations will help our conservation work, contributing to research and managing our wildlife sites across the Island.
Photo Credits: Bee Research image courtesy of Bramblejungle, Honeybee courtesy of Joanne Ellison-Brooks, all other images Island 2000 Trust