laurawilliams-illustrations:The Great Yellow Bumblebee Bombus distinguendusThese won
laurawilliams-illustrations: The Great Yellow Bumblebee Bombus distinguendus These wonderful little creatures are the rarest species of bumblebee in the UK. Their numbers have declined by 80% in the last century and are now just concentrated in the North Highlands and Scottish Islands. The result of this decline has been linked to a drop in flower-rich meadows and an increase in farming. The current population has clung around areas where traditional methods of farming such as crofting still allows the natural growth of wild flowers. The nests tend to be found in rabbit burrows, abandoned mouse nests or long grass tussocks where the queen will have located a suitable spot and start building a beautiful structure of dome-like cells. The cells will be filled with pockets of nectar and pollen to support the nest by worker bees which foriage the surrounding area. Once enough has been gathered, the queen will focus her energy on rearing males and daughter queens for the future. If you’d like to help support the survival of these special bees, you can make a small donation to charities such as www.bumblebeeconservation.org and http://littlegreenspace.org.uk . You can also help by planting a range of wild flowers if you have the space such as red clover, knapweed and vetches. Factual information sourced from: https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Slater-Great-yellow-bumblebee-Factsheet-02.15.pdf * I will be producing prints of this piece and adding them to my Etsy Shop in the upcoming weeks!* Etsy Shop Instagram -- source link