Poorer Neighbourhoods Are The Bee's Knees

Researchers at Leeds University have found that poorer neighbourhoods were visited by twice as many bees than more affluent areas.

The research suggests that making small changes to they way people maintain their gardens could have a large impact on bee populations.

Numbers of honeybees in the UK have halved in the last 25 years while bumblebees have fallen by 60 per cent since 1970. Three species have died out and seven have suffered serious declines.

‘Keeping up appearances’ in more wealthy areas may lead to a decline in bee populations, as having regimented flower beds with lots of bedding plants does not provide much wealth to pollinators. Also, more affluent areas were likely to have more trees; providing a habitat to birds and other predators.

By contrast, poorer areas tend to tolerate weed-like plants (such as dandelions), and there are often nearby brownfield sites that provide food and nesting opportunities for bees.

Thanks to Andy Newman for submitting this excerpt from an article in The Daily Telegraph