(BBC) New labels from the National Botanic Garden of Wales will guarantee eligible plants have no synthetic insecticides and are grown in peat-free compost. “Lockdown has seen a massive growth in gardening with many more people spending extra time and money buying plants to make their gardens more wildlife-friendly, without realizing the plants could contain residues of synthetic insecticides that are extremely damaging to pollinators and to our environment.”
(CBC) Urban beekeeping has been touted as a way to boost pollination and improve sustainability, food security and biodiversity in cities. Many people and businesses who’ve added beehives to their backyards and rooftops (including CBC) say they’re doing it to help fight declines in bee populations. But researchers say urban beekeepers are likely doing just the opposite when it comes to wild bee species.
(Xerces Society) A project to better understand the status of Missouri’s bumble bees is being launched this month thanks to a new conservation partnership. The Missouri Bumble Bee Atlas will combine the efforts of the Missouri Department of Conservation; the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources; two nonprofit organizations, Quail and Pheasants Forever and the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation; and volunteers spread throughout the state.
(WSDA) The hornet was found in a WSDA trap set near Birch Bay in Whatcom County. This was the first hornet to be detected in a trap, rather than found in the environment as the state’s five previous confirmed sightings were. “This is encouraging because it means we know that the traps work.”
(BBC) A country park in Somerset is creating habitats aimed at allowing a rare species of bee to thrive. Park rangers will leave dense grassy tussocks to grow in the hay meadows. They hope shrill carder bees can forage, nest and hibernate there.
(Twitter, Elaine Evans ) “Take photos of bumble bees and share on iNaturalist. If you can ID bumble bees, also keep track of your time looking and help record some other data to help us track bumble bee populations.” Check out the project website and the iNaturalist project webpage.
(Cherokee One Feather) The Cherokee Nation has installed 16 new bee pollinator homes in the tribe’s heirloom garden in Tahlequah as part of a new initiative by First Lady January Hoskin to boost the population of pollinators while improving the environment.
(Quad-City Times) Amy Loving was working at Davenport’s Nahant Marsh Education Center, taking photos of bees and other insects buzzing around the building in preparation for an upcoming program. Spotting a bee in some white clover, she crouched down to get a shot. Back inside the center some time later, she was scrolling through her images when suddenly she felt her heart begin to race. One of her pictures showed a bee with a rusty patch in its yellow backside.
