It's a Bumblebee for sure - but which species?

Common carder bee - Bombus pascourum - I think!  

If you are like me, you may well struggle to correctly identify what species of bumblebee you are looking at!
 

Well, help is at hand, because The Bumblebee Conservation Trust (BBCT) has launched a new ID feature today as part of their “BeeWatch” programme, to allow users to help identify each other's photos. But don’t panic – all photos will be verified by one of their experts!
 

Bumble Conservation Trust also has a great website for helping sort out those more troublesome beasties and also hints for what you can do on your own land, whether it is a window box you are planting up or a large estate!
 

I have worked with Jo Chesworth the BBCT advisor for the south west and she has helped me run joint GWCT & BBCT events for farmers, demonstrating how we can all help to supply more flower rich habitats, which are so important for a whole host of species – not just bumblebees.
 

It was great to see these farmers really becoming engaged with what they could do on their particular farms to help – spurred on greatly by the fact that Jo certainly knows her bees and is great at conveying her knowledge and enthusiasm to others – a gift that not all advisors have!!

So why not see what you can do to help and at the same time brush up on those ID skills by going to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust website. 

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