Scientists fear flight of Britain's bumblebees

Last year, I allowed the grass and the weeds of the lawn in front of my home to grow, and was delighted to see the bees who were attracted by the dandelions.

This year I've done the same, but the bees are nowhere in sight.

This is worrying.

The article below from Reuters outlines the reasons why we in Britain should be concerned:

Britain's bumblebee population is under threat in a crisis that could wipe out entire species and have a devastating knock-on effect on agriculture, scientists say.

The furry yellow-and-black creatures, essential for pollination, are being killed off by pesticides and agricultural intensification, which have cut back on hedgerows and removed their source of food.

"There just aren't enough flowers around," Professor Dave Goulson, the director of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust at the University of Stirling in Scotland, said on Monday.

"If we knock out an important group like bumblebees, it can have a huge knock-on impact on other things, such as the pollination of important crops and flowers."