How Wildflower Seeds Can Save Bumblebees

What if we told you that by planting a handful of Wildflower Seeds, you’d be contributing towards the preservation of the few remaining species of Bumblebee in the UK? Would it inspire you? Or perhaps you’ve no interest at all. - In any case, we ask that you take a moment to read this post and carefully consider how the following scenarios would make you feel:

One

It’s a gorgeous, warm day in the early summer. The sun is shining and after relaxing in the garden you enjoy a leisurely stroll through the wildflower meadows. You bask in the sun while a gentle breeze rustles through the leaves in the trees. You hear a gentle whispering throughout the grass and the wildflowers and admire as they dance gracefully to nature's song.
A kaleidoscope of colourful Butterflies flutter from one flower to another, landing gently and collecting nectar as they go. Feel the warmth of the sun on your face and lose yourself in the moment.
Listen to the individual sounds around you that come together in a delicate chorus: the distant bleating of sheep, the song of Skylarks and Buzzards and the rhythmic thrum of insects bumbling from A to B. You open your eyes and spot a Bumblebee settling on a nearby flower, collecting pollen and nectar.

Two

Now, we ask you to imagine that very same scene again. Only this time, there are no wild flowers rustling gently in the breeze. And because there are no wild flowers, there are no Butterflies or Bumblebees to be seen. There’s a whole lot of grass, though very little colour and not much of anything else.

Which of the two scenarios do you prefer? We’d wager number one, as number two just doesn’t feel quite right does it?

Wildflower Seeds are the Key

The Bumblebee is so ingrained in our existence that we take them for granted. All of our lives they've been busy going about their business, while we’ve been busy going about ours.

The Bumblebee is an important indicator of the health of our natural environment, and when they’re no longer around, we’re going to suffer the consequences dearly. Bees and Butterflies are responsible for the pollination of virtually all of our fruit and vegetables. Potatoes, cabbages, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, apples, pears, cucumbers...can you imagine life without them?

Because unless we start contributing towards the preservation of their natural habitat; that’s what the future will have in store for us - which is where Wildflower Seeds come in.

One of the main reasons for the decline of these perfect pollinators is the shortage of Wildflowers that provide the Bumblebees with their essential nectar and pollen. The first Queen Bees come out of hibernation in February and March. Bumblebees need a constant steady supply of nectar rich habitats in order to sustain them. They use so much energy to keep warm and fly, that a Bumblebee is literally only 40 minutes away from starvation, unless they can find a suitable source of nourishment.

Of course, fruit trees and other domesticated plants provide stocks of food for short periods for Bumblebees; it is the Wildflowers that provide rich sources of nectar and pollen. Thus enabling all pollinating insects to thrive and survive throughout the spring and summer.

You Can Make a Difference

In the 1940’s there was 15 million acres of flower rich meadows in Britain. Today it is estimated that no more than 250,000 acres remain. Fertilisers and the early cutting of silage, along with aggressive hybrid grass varieties have been largely responsible to this dramatic decline.

Of the 25 indigenous species of British Bumblebee, three are extinct, with many more in serious danger of joining them.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. In fact, there is something that we can all do to help replace these essential pollen and nectar rich resources. Some of you may have acres of land at your disposal, while others may only have a small garden, or a single flower pot on the patio. Either way, by cultivating some Wildflower Seeds we can encourage the growth of our Bumble Bee’s environments’ - thus helping to preserve the integrity of the natural world around us.

At South West Seeds we stock a vast amount of Wildflower Seed varieties and can advise on management techniques to enable a pollen rich sward to flourish, whilst enabling the continued production for sheep and cattle.

Browse our collection today.