Bumble Bee Atlas Development:

Bumble Bees, along with many other Hymenoptera, are declining. These are extremely important insects as they pollinate many of our crops and also the grasses and plants which feed our livestock and maintain our atmosphere. More information is needed about both the current distribution of these insects and about their biology in order to make decisions about how we manage for them in the future.

RECORD is working with Carl Clee, the Cheshire County Aculeate Hymenoptera Recorder, on the production of a Provisional Distribution Atlas of Bumble Bees in the Cheshire region.

Carl has produced simple Bumble Bee Identification Cards which help to ease the identification of the species you find in your garden and on your walks. These can be downloaded from the Downloads page of this site.

The data so far collected is already showing that one species of Bumble Bee - the Garden Bumble Bee (Bombus hortorum) has probably declined further than originally expected.

How can you help?

You can easily become involved by sending in your Bumble Bee records to RECORD offices (via e-mail on: [email protected] , or via snail-mail at: RECORD, Oakfield House, Chester Zoological Gardens, Upton, Chester, Cheshire, CH2 1LH).

You can help even more by agreeing to undertake Bumble Bee surveys from anywhere in the Cheshire region. We are interested in all Bumble Bee records, whether they are from your garden, from roadside verges, or from special sites and more formalised surveys.

Should you have access to old records in lists, notebooks or journals we would be very pleased to be allowed to take photocopies of such documents. This will enable us to enter the data whilst allowing almost immediate return of the valuable documentation to the owner.

Training courses in Bumble Bee identification will be arranged throughout the year - please contact us for details on: 01244 383749.

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