Over three-quarters of the thousands of bumblebee colonies imported into the UK every year are riddled with parasites, a new study has revealed. Scientists say the discovery has “alarming” implications for the health of the UK’s wild bees and honeybees, many of which are already in serious decline, and that urgent action is required to […]
Tag: bee
Third of all honeybee colonies in England did not survive winter
More than a third of all honeybee colonies in England died over the winter, according to figures from the British Beekeepers Association, the worst losses since its winter survival survey began. On average, 33.8 colonies in every 100 perished over the long winter of 2012-13 compared with 16.2% the previous winter. In the south-west of […]
Why endangered species need conservation champions
Without heroic conservationists many of today’s most beloved species would be extinct: think of pandas, tigers, and elephants. By single-mindly focused on saving a particular species, these conservation champions bring much-needed research, publicity, and, most importantly, targeted actions to keep an imperiled animal from the brink. Through their own exuberance, these heroes also gather others […]
Pangbourne sprays to kill oak processionary caterpillar ‘dangerous’
Wildlife in a Berkshire woodland was endangered by a “sledgehammer-to-crack-a-nut” approach to killing a toxic caterpillar, experts have said. Birds, bats and rare insects were affected by Forestry Commission aerial sprays to kill a moth larvae, Butterfly Conservation and Buglife claimed. It was unclear if oak processionary caterpillar larvae were even present in the Pangbourne […]
Britain’s rarest bees in steep decline – in pictures
Many of the UK’s 250 bee species are in trouble, according to a report from the University of Reading and Friends of the Earth, with intensive farming, urban sprawl and coastal development blamed as well as pesticides. This article was written by Damian Carrington for The Guardian and re-posted on Focusing on Wildlife.
Canon’s Best Macro Lens for Nature Photography: Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L
It may surprise you that I believe Canon’s 180mm macro lens to be the best macro lens for nature photography. After all, a few years ago, Canon released a new macro lens, the EF 100mm f/2.8L. It’s smaller, lighter, cheaper, auto-focuses faster, has a wider maximum aperture, and it even sports a new hybrid form […]
Little guys
Welcome! hello there! I’d write more but my hands are frozen and typing is no fun (excuses, excuses, eh? Mmhmm)! Yeah…Texas, what? 35 degrees this morning? I do not approve. I’m craving my happy-thriving temperature of 84 and above. This 30’s thing this is pretty unacceptable. I’m not made for this nonsense, guys! But hey, […]
Domesticated bees do not replace declining wild insects as agricultural pollinators
Sprinkled with pollen, buzzing bees fly from one blossom to another, collecting sweet nectar from brilliantly colored flowers. Bees tend to symbolize the pollination process, but there are many wild insects that carry out the same function. Unfortunately, wild insect populations are in decline, and, according to a recent study, adding more honey bees may […]