All hail the red-tails

Buzzy fuzzy bumblebees are on the wing...

What a beautiful day! Finally, spring had arrived. It was late March and there was a break from the seemingly relentless rain - the sun shone for almost a whole day. There was a genuine warmth in the air...and insects were on the wing. Amongst the solitary bees, bee-flies, butterflies and hoverflies were several bumblebees including a beautiful queen red-tailed bee, bumbling amongst the spring blossom.

I adore seeing queen bumblebees buzzing about in spring. They're making the most of their short time in the sunshine. These are the individuals that emerged last summer and fed heartily on late flowers before spending the winter hunkered down in a state of diapause (the insect version of hibernation). When they emerge in spring, they spend a relatively short time gathering provisions before settling down to start their family. Where they nest depends on the species. Red-tailed and buff-tailed queens, for example, will seek out old mouse holes or other dark cavities. You might come across common carder bee nests at the base of grassy tussocks whereas tree bumblebees often seek out bird boxes or even cavities in roofs to settle into.

Red-tailed bumblebee (all black body with a red tail) on an orange flower — Red-tailed bumblebee by Simon Pugsley

Most people love these furry pollinators. When threatened, bumblebees would prefer to wave a leg at you (it looks like they're attempting a high-five) rather than sting. They're considerate to other bumbles too; as they visit a flower to sup nectar, they leave behind a scent so that other bees know not to waste their time at that particular flower until it's had time to replenish its nectar.

Bumblebees are also social creatures. They work together for the good of their whole colony. The queens that you see now, in spring, mated last autumn and are ready to start their family as soon as they find a suitable home. Take that beautiful red-tailed bumblebee I saw last week, for example. Perhaps she'd already found an abandoned mouse hole (they seem to be attracted to the smell) and was out gathering both pollen and nectar to start her family. Back at base she builds two wax cups to store the nectar and pollen and once these are full, she settles in and won't see the light of day again. The nectar will sustain her as she incubates her eggs and the initial pollen store will feed her first young ones when they hatch. As these youngsters become adults (all female), they'll head out to do the food gathering whilst mum continues to lay eggs and grow the family. Later in the season, the colony produces males and a new generation of queens.

Our wild bees, and other insects, are having a hard time. It's estimated that over 40% of insects in the UK are at risk of extinction. But we can all do something to help them. If you've got space in your garden, in your local green space, at your allotment, on your patio or in a window box, make sure you've got flowers that are rich in pollen and nectar. The bigger the area you've got, the more variety and the longer flowering season you'll be able to offer. Your patch can provide an important stepping stone in the landscape, helping to create safe corridors for wildlife to move through. Some bumblebees will travel up to 1km from their nest site in order to find food but imagine how much extra energy they need to do this. Giving them a smorgasbord of food on their doorstep, or even a just a pit-stop, could make the all the difference for a large, healthy bumblebee colony (and for the pollination of your plants, veggies and local crops).

Male red-tailed bumblebee (mainly black body with yellow collar and face as well as a red tail) feeding on a lilac lavender flower — Red-tailed bumblebee male by Penny Frith

It's also important to help us know where our bees and other wildlife are. Via our Wildlife Sightings form, you can log what you spot and we'll get it registered on the county database. Knowing where our bees are and in what numbers helps us to know how best to help them. Red-tailed bumblebees are one of the easiest bumbles to recognise and we can verify your sighting even by a blurry photo. The queens and females are all black with a red tail whereas the males (out a little later in the year) have the addition of a yellow collar on their neck and yellow hairs on their face.