Keep a little patch untrimmed. Unruly gardens are a vital refuge for bumblebeees. Gardens left to run wild have been ranked as one of the richest for these important pollinators, offering better shelter and food resources than farmland and wooded areas. (Guardian Unlimited)
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Enrique Gili is a freelance writer covering Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS), issues for regional magazines in the Southland and beyond. I live in Ocean Beach, San Diego the coolest beach town around.
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Save A Little Bush For Bees
Category: Environment
Posted on: August 2, 2007 11:12 AM, by EJGili
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Today I saw a monarch butterfly intrude on some flowers that were full of bumblebees - they really resented its being there and harassed it from bush to bush until it left. They actually dive-bombed it repeatdely.
Posted by: The Ridger | August 2, 2007 04:31 PM
There is a charity in the UK called Buglife which is running 'The Big Bumblebee Hunt' this summer as well. Check out their website at http://www.buglife.org.uk/bigbumblebeehunt/. The idea is to find out how certain species are doing, so they help protect bumblebees better. They are a very cool bunch, and I'm not just saying this because my wife works for them!
Posted by: MikeB | August 2, 2007 04:59 PM
Good idea - also check out "Time-and-Motion Study", David Quammen's essay on bumblebees in his collection "The Boilerplate Rhino". He references the book "Bumblebee Economics" by Bernd Heinrich (a title like that has to spark some interest).
Posted by: Matt | August 2, 2007 05:58 PM
Would a patch of blackberry or raspberry bushes be wild enough for bumblebees? If so, this would be good dual-use, a wild bee refuge and berries for me.
Posted by: Roy | August 2, 2007 06:48 PM