We watch them with pleasure, hope that they work hard for us to be effective pollinators – but can you tell which is which? There are more than 27 varieties of bumblebee!

The RHS is collecting data about bumblebees feeding habits early in the year through their ‘Bumbles on Blooms’ project. If you have a plant that is a constant food supply for bees do try to let them know through this survey. They are asking us to submit photos of a bee on the flower – and identify the bee!

Recognising our wild bees is easy to begin with – just 8 main types to choose from – so – try this starter video from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust to begin.

There’s more good information from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, who provide free charts and lots of information. For instance, can you tell the difference between a bumblebee and a honey bee? This video will help. – and it’s something your family might like to know!

The RHS say:

Information gathered by the RHS Bumbles on Blooms project will help us better understand which garden plants are most visited by bumblebees in spring, helping us improve our RHS Plants for Pollinator lists and give the best advice to gardeners planting for bumblebees. We’re also interested to discover if factors such as flower colour and how urban or rural the site is influence bumblebee plant choice.

If you can help with this project find out more at https://uk.inaturalist.org/projects/bumbles-on-blooms/