A new project to help boost the UK's bee population has been launched, and researchers are asking for help from members of the public.
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) is launching the ‘Bumbles on Blooms’ initiative to identify which plants are most visited by bumblebees in spring.
The initiative, supported by the Bumblebee Conservation Trust will run from Monday, February 12 until Friday, May 31, SWNS reports.
What can members of the public do to help?
Researchers have called upon members of the public to observe bumblebee sightings on flowers in gardens and parks across the UK and record their findings and photographs.
They note that the challenges of habitat loss and climate change mean that the availability of flowers in springtime is critically important for helping bumblebees establish successful colonies at the start of the season.
It is hoped that the data gathered during this project will help boost bumblebee populations by ensuring that gardeners receive the best advice for what to plant and improving scientific understanding of their habitats.
To get involved in this project the public must photograph bumblebees on flowers, check the identity of the bumblebees, and submit these findings online.
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Helen Bostock, RHS Senior Wildlife Specialist said: “Bumblebees are a vital part of our ecosystem, pollinating our crops and flowers, and playing a key role in much of the food we eat.
“In the face of large-scale changes to the countryside and the ensuing decline in their numbers, flowers in gardens and parks are an increasingly important source of pollen and nectar for bumblebees.
“This project is an opportunity to give back; the better we understand which plants these industrious insects most rely on, the more we can help them to thrive.”
