On a hot sunny May day Herefordshire Meadows members learned about what bumblebees need to thrive and all about their life cycle as well as how to look for the Big 8 common species we are most likely to find in our landscape. These are buff tailed, white tailed, garden, heath, early, red tailed and tree bumblebees and the common carder bee. There are also some local rarities to keep a eye out for including bilberry bumblebee, brown banded carder bee and redshanked carder bee.

Making sure that there is a pollen and nectar supply from February to September is something all landowners can put in place. As well as providing a range of places for bumblebees to nest and overwinter including in hedgerows, field margins, meadows, rough grassy habitats, orchards to name just a few.

Click here to see the presentations given by Richard Comont on Bumblebee Ecology and Surveying and on Bumblebee ID and Resources. If you want to find out how to get help to ID bumblebees and what kit you need to get started then see our Bumblebee training summary  or download the Big 8 ID-sheet