Get buzzy counting bees!

Spring is here and it’s warming up which means queen bumblebees will be emerging from hibernation. So why not see which bumblebees you can spot in your garden this week? Download our simple guide to the main bumblebees you might see and follow the links below to some fantastic online resources for identifying bees and other pollinators.

April is an important month for queen bees as they need to find flowers and feed on lots of nectar so they can search for a new nest site and lay eggs. A firm favourite of our bumblebees and other pollinating insects, is the good old dandelion. A ‘weed’ to others, it’s a vital breakfast, lunch and dinner in early spring when there’s little other plants in flower. So, to help our pollinators this year, why not leave some dandelions in bloom, adding a welcome splash of yellow to your garden.

In the island of Ireland, we have 21 Bumblebee species, 77 solitary bee species and only one honeybee. Bumblebees are our most widespread pollinator and unlike honeybees, don’t make honey, but store nectar in the nest for a few days. Therefore, it’s so important there is a range of food sources for bumblebees early in the season, and right through to autumn.

We encourage everyone to report their sightings or records of not only bumblebees but also any species of interest they see close to home, such as red squirrels, the cuckoo or butterflies by following this link https://www2.habitas.org.uk/records/home

If you are keen to do more, a new recording scheme for pollinators has just been launched and championed by Biodiversity Ireland, Northern Ireland Environment Agency and a range of other partners. Follow this link and search the others following for so much amazing information on bumblebees and pollinators.

· https://pollinators.ie/record-pollinators/fit-count/

· https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/identify-a-bumblebee/

· https://pollinators.ie/

For more information on biodiversity in the local area contact the biodiversity officer in Fermanagh and Omagh District Council at biodiversity@fermanaghomagh.com.