Tag: Plymouth University

The pollination service provided by bumblebees on the field-side boundaries of hedgerows may be limited because farming methods are having a negative impact on their sources of food, a study has found. Research by ecologists at Plymouth University has shown some of the most common species of bumblebees are more than twice as likely to visit flowers on the road-facing side of hedgerows compared to crop-facing boundaries. Writing in the Journal of Insect Conservation, they say this can be attributed to the pesticides and fertilisers used on crops, and they are dramatically reducing the bees’ potential habitats. Full story: Read more