Devastating news We all need to act, so dump your barren lawns and primped beds Stop mowing, sow with wild flower seeds and stock up on bee-friendly plants in your borders When the bee population is in good shape, so are we www.theguardian.com/global/2025/... - ThreadSky

profbillmcguire.bsky.social • 8 hours ago

Devastating news

We all need to act, so dump your barren lawns and primped beds

Stop mowing, sow with wild flower seeds and stock up on bee-friendly plants in your borders

When the bee population is in good shape, so are we

https://www.theguardian.com/global/2025/feb/27/uk-bumblebee-numbers-fell-to-lowest-on-record-in-2024-shows-data

Comments

drtobiaswiren.bsky.social•8 hours ago

But we are not in good shape...at least not me, I've been slacking since Christmas...

johnderek.bsky.social•5 hours ago

Member of Bumblebee Conservation Society

I have 6 acres that I am rewilding but Orkney not best place for bees

profbillmcguire.bsky.social•4 hours ago

👍I can imagine 😊

monika-uk.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Every year, my crocuses and snowdrops were visited by early bumblebees. Not a one this spring as yet, and they should be around already, with mild weather for this time of year. I even left the prunings and leaves in piles all over garden to help them hibernate. It's concerning.

mustntgrumble.bsky.social•8 hours ago

Ban artificial grass. It’s the work of satan.

dennispatton.bsky.social•8 hours ago

Stewards of the Countryside helping in the extinction.

johnnyboy808.bsky.social•7 hours ago

less than 5% of land in England is residential gardens. I appreciate people's need to 'do something', but spreading the thought that planting a few wildflowers in the backyard will change anything is counterproductive.

chilternbirder.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Another excuse to do nothing.

monika-uk.bsky.social•7 hours ago

It's true. The farms are by far biggest killers of native bees.

But it helps to have repositories of bee friendly plants in residential gardens, if only for promoting variety of species. Bees don't travel over vast distances, they need local solutions.

johnnyboy808.bsky.social•7 hours ago

I agree and I do my bit in my own garden. But I do get tired at the constant messaging that the solution is all down to people planting more wildflowers, rather than political action targeting Defra and land use policies and regulations.

monika-uk.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Yes, I'm thinking the same. Pesticides that are proven harmful to bees, are still used in the UK, because it's in "economic interest".

I ask, is health of our environment not in everybody's interest? Unhealthy environment causes sickness in people, sick people don't contribute to economy.

profbillmcguire.bsky.social•7 hours ago

It obviosuly goes without saying that government should be doing a massive amount more - including a permanent ban on neonicotinoids

monika-uk.bsky.social•7 hours ago

"Sugar beets" was their latest excuse for use of neonicotinoids. We know they harm bees, but really, what do we know about long term effect of new chemicals on human health? Nobody knows for sure, but I bet they aren't neutral.

profbillmcguire.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Not true. Five percent is actually a very large area in real terms, and making gardens bee-friendly en masse can make a huge difference. This would be very far from 'a few wildflowers' And note - there are plenty of non-native species that are extremely attractive to bees.

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