Bumblebees and Conservation

9th August 2023

Quex Park, through its association with conservation and stewardship of the land projects, recognises the importance of encouraging pollinating insects such as the humble bumblebee of which there are 25 species in the UK.

Land on the Quex Park Estates is designated to provide wildflower meadows that encourage many of the insects that pollinate the crops, but especially the bumblebees.

Field margins are allowed to grow and are planted with a mix of wildflowers and grasses to provide a super-highway, or a Bee-Road, of food and shelter for the bees.

Bumblebees are one of our most recognised insect garden visitors and to see and hear them buzzing around our gardens searching for the next nectar or pollen-laden flower is a recognisable part of our summer.

But due to many gardens being removed to make them easier to manage, the over-use of garden pesticides and large areas of land being redeveloped or intensively farmed, their numbers are now sadly in decline.

How you can help

But you don’t have to be a farmer to get involved in looking after the bumblebees and other pollinating insects. You can make some small changes to your own garden, balcony or window box.

Luckily, many of the plants and flowers that bees enjoy are quite easy to grow. Some many be already growing in your garden such as dandelions and daisies, which is why it is so important not to remove these as they are among the earliest flowers to nourish the bees.

You can also plant tubs of lavender and lilac, which will not only make your garden smell beautiful, but also feed the bees. Perhaps you could grow some honeysuckle or even plant a blossom tree such as a cherry, plum or apple.

Find out how you can create your own wildlife haven by visiting the National Trust website below.

National Trust

Visit our Latest news and articles about Quex Park to find out more about what we are doing at Quex Park throughout the year, using conservation techniques and stewardship of the land.

Just by making a few small changes to your own home and garden you too can make a positive impact on the survival of our bees.

The link below to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust will help you find out more about:

Bumblebee conservation
How to identify a bumblebee
How to create your own bumblebee garden habitat
Report a sighting
How you can volunteer
Keep up to date with all the latest news

Bumblebee Conservation Trust