Join the Great British Bee Count

Posted on by Louise Bunting

Do you know what types of bees can be found in your area? By joining in with the Great British Bee Count you can find out more about your local bee population whilst also helping scientists to gather data.

The count, organised by Friends of the Earth (FotE), sponsored by EcoTalk, and supported by Buglife, runs from 17th May to 30th June 2018. The data collected will be used by experts to further their understanding of how British bees are coping with the threats currently facing them, such as climate change, habitat loss, and pesticide use. This is vital information. We rely on bees for the pollination of many of our fruit and vegetable crops, as well as garden plants and flowers, but since 1990 thirteen UK species have been lost. Another thirty-five are close to extinction.

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You can download a free app from FotE to help you to identify the different species of bee that you spot. With 270 different species recorded in the UK, the app will allow for more precise results to be collected. It also contains guides to bee identification, bee-friendly plants, and the creation of habitats for pollinators, helping you to further support your local bees.

To see the results of last year’s count, check out the interactive map on the FotE website. You can find out which bees were spotted in your area and what habitat type they were found on, such as urban garden, woodland, meadow, or roadside verge. Further information from the 2017 count can be found on the NBN Atlas website, the UK’S largest collection of biodiversity information.