Advice for Land Managers

The importance of bumblebees

Both domesticated honeybees and wild bumblebees are needed to provide good crop yields and pollinate wild flowers.

Insect pollination contributes ~€14.2 billion to Europe's economy, and bumblebees are one of our most important pollinators.

Many of our bumblebee species are now restricted to small nature reserves and habitat fragments, but sadly their future is very uncertain. Bumblebee nests are large (containing up to 400 sterile workers) but only have one breeding queen. Each nest needs several hectares of flower-rich habitat, so populations on nature reserves are not viable in the long term - bad weather or inbreeding can quickly wipe out small populations. The only way that we can boost bumblebee populations and prevent further extinctions is if large areas of the farmed countryside are managed sympathetically.

Thankfully there are now viable, cost-neutral ways in which farmers and land managers can help provide habitats for bumblebees.

The ruderal bumblebee (shown right) is one of many long-tongued species which are valuable and efficient pollinators of agricultural crops. Agri-environment schemes are helping it to make a comeback in farmland.

Although hugely important, bumblebees are relatively simple creatures, requiring two main things:

The options which provide these habitat types are outlined below.

Are you in England, Scotland or Wales?

• England

There are a number of options under Environmental Stewardship, which are of great benefit to bumblebees. The three levels of stewardship – (Entry Level, Organic Entry Level and Higher Level) all offer something different. For a basic background please see the DEFRA website (follow this link).

Entry Level Stewardship is the basic level of Environmental Stewardship and is open to all. It demands simple but effective environmental management and offers over fifty different options, covering all farming types, under five year agreements. 

Farmers whose land, or part of their land, is certified as organic can apply for Organic Environmental Stewardship. The options are the same as Entry Level Stewardship but payments are greater per hectare, in recognition of the inherent benefits of managing land organically.

The options available under ELS and OELS which benefit bumblebees are as follows:

EF4/ OEF4: Pollen and nectar flower mixture

This is one of the most beneficial options for bumblebees and the Trust is particularly interested in promoting its uptake. You create areas of pollen and nectar rich habitat, which provide valuable forage for bumblebees, you must:

EB1-2/ OEB1-2: Hedgerow management

Many bumblebee species nest above ground, often in hedgerows. This option requires that you:

In doing so, you will be creating and protecting fantastic bumblebee nesting sites. Ideally, why not choose the Enhanced Hedgerow Management option below, which offers further benefits to bumblebees and other wildlife.

EB3/ OEB3: Enhanced hedgerow management

This option offers the same benefits to bumblebees as options EB1-2/ OEB1-2 described above but goes one step further to offer even greater improvements to hedgerow management. This option stipulates that you must:

Because bumblebee nests usually persist until at least September, this option would afford the best protection for nesting sites.

In the case of any hedgerow management, why not try enriching your hedgerows with flower rich species? For example, early flowering sallow bushes can provide queens with a valuable food source when they emerge from hibernation in spring.

EE1-EE3/ OE1-OE3: 2,4 and 6m buffer strips on cultivated land

This option involves establishing & maintaining a grassy strip in the 1st 12 months, after which the strip must not be cut more than one year in five. Under some circumstances this may encourage the growth of wildflowers, which provide precious forage. It will also encourage thick vegetation which will provide the ideal nesting habitat for surface-nesting bumblebee species

There is the additional option of sowing part or all of the margin with a fine leaved grass and wildflower mix. The Trust can advise on which plant species would be most beneficial to bumblebees and hopes that, in the future, it may be able to provide low cost seed for this purpose.

EF1/ OEF1: Field corner management

The management is essentially the same as that for buffer strips, but involves creating a series of patches of no more than 1 ha, which can be placed anywhere on your land at a density in excess of one patch per 20 ha. Again, the patches can be established using a wildflower mix if so wished.

EF7/ OEF7: Beetle banks

Beetle banks are long, grass ridges, 2m wide, which are sown with a mixture of perennial grasses and allowed to grow thick and tussocky. These provide valuable habitat for a wide variety of invertebrates and can provide perfect habitat for surface-nesting bumblebees.

EF10/ OEF10: Conservation headlands in cereal fields

Conservation headlands are 6 to 24m wide strips, which run along the edge of cereal crops. The use of manure, fertilisers and pesticides are banned on these strips, allowing rare arable plants to flourish, which in turn provide forage for bumblebees and other insects.

EF11/OEF11: Uncropped, cultivated margins on arable land

This option encourages rare arable plants & insects. It will work best on sandy, shallow, chalky or stony soils. For this option you must:

EG1/ OEG1: Under sown spring cereals

By adding a grass/ legume mix as an under storey to a cereal crop, you would be providing a vital pollen source for bumblebees whilst allowing the nitrogen-fixing legumes to naturally fertilise your soils. To do this you must:

EK3/ OEK3: Permanent grassland with very low input

By reducing the amount of fertiliser applied to permanent grasslands, you would be encouraging the growth of wildflowers. This type of management limits you to only one application of manure a year. You may also graze or cut and remove one year’s growth but not between 1 April and 30 June

Higher Level Stewardship Options

Higher Level Stewardship aims to deliver significant environmental benefits in high priority situations and areas. A wide range of options are available, many of which would aid bumblebee conservation. Unlike ELS, HLS is discretionary and applications must go through an assessment process.

Several species of bumblebee are already listed as target species for HLS by Natural England. The Trust is also trying to encourage the inclusion of several other rare species, such as the highly threatened Shrill Carder Bumblebee. There are several options that are offered under HLS which would be highly beneficial to these rare species.

HB12: Maintenance of hedgerows of very high environmental value

Using similar management techniques to those used under ELS, this option maintains hedgerows that support target species. It also allows management to be tailored to meet the requirements of the target species.

HE10: Floristically enhanced grass margin

Field margins that contain a mixture of grass and wildflowers are maintained for target species. The margins can be established by natural regeneration or by sowing seed mix recommended by an RDS adviser. A cutting/ grazing regime will also be agreed with the RDS adviser.

HF16: Cultivated fallow plots or margins for arable flora as enhanced set-aside

This option encourages the growth of rare arable plants & associated insects on in-field plots or field margins.

HF19: Unharvested, fertiliser-free conservation headlands

Like the conservation headlands created under ELS, this option promotes the creation of 6-24m wide strips that run along the edge of a crop. The growth of rare arable plants and wildflowers are encouraged by a restricted herbicide and insecticide programme and a complete lack of fertilisers.

HF20: Cultivated fallow plots or margins for arable flora

This is another option that creates opportunities for rare arable plants (for example narrow-leaved hemp nettle) to germinate, flower and seed, providing forage for bumblebees and other insects, plus seed for farmland birds.

Species rich, semi-natural grassland options:

There are three options that promote the growth of semi-natural grasslands, which are rich in floral diversity and provide wonderful areas for bumblebees to forage in. They are as follows:

HK6 – Maintenance of semi-natural grassland - Maintains grasslands that are already species rich and in good condition.

HK7 – Restoration of semi-natural grassland -Restores grasslands that have been species rich in the past.

HK8 – Creation of semi-natural grassland - Creates species grassland on former arable land. This is very demanding and only possible in a few situations.

In all cases, the Trust could advise on suitable seed mixes and hopes to be able to provide low cost seed in some cases.

HE11: Enhanced buffer strips on intensive grassland

These buffer strips are managed in a very similar way to those promoted under ELS. They are created by sowing a tailor made mix of wildflowers and grasses, protected from grazing and managed using a strict cutting and fertiliser regime, in order to provide nesting habitat, shelter and food for birds, bats and insects.

• Wales

We apologise that we have not yet finished working through the Welsh schemes, but we aim to provide up-to-date advice on this page in the near future. In the mean time, you may find the guidance in the english section useful, as it outlines the types of habitats which may be of benefit. The south of Wales contains important populations of the rare Shrill Carder Bumblebee (right) which is a UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority species. If you'd like to know whether your farm could help protect this beautiful little species then please drop us an email Our recently funded Esmee Fairbairn project is targeted in part at the Shrill Carder, and it's possible therefore that we might be able to offer you free seed.

• Scotland

Sadly, none of the RDC/SRDP measures currently on offer are designed specifically to help bumblebees However, within the laid down prescriptions, it is possible to increase benefits to bumblebees and add value to a scheme when devising specialist management plans. The following recommendations were drawn up through collaboration between BBCT and the RSPB (notably Bridget England), with advice from Scotia Seeds. Within the UK, the Great Yellow Bumblebee is only found in Scotland, and is something to cherish and protect. It is one of SNH's Species Action Framework priority species. Our Esmee Fairbairn project targets this species for priority action (along with the Shrill Carder in England and Wales). If you farm or croft in a Great Yellow area and would like to be involved then please get in touch.

Creation and Management of Species Rich Grassland.

Under this measure it is possible to either create or restore a species-rich grassland (see measure for details). In both cases, a low productivity grass and herb mix agreed with Scottish ministers must be sown on the plot. Local seed should be used wherever possible.

A suggested seed mix is given below for those wishing to benefit the Great Yellow Bumblebee (SAF and UKBAP species) and the Moss Carder Bee (UKBAP species). Variations on this mix could be used. Flowers that benefit the Great Yellow Bumblebee are marked *

Grazing recommendations
It is recommended that the specialist grazing plan drawn up for the measure includes a commitment to removing stock from site from the 15 April to the 1 September. Additionally, where possible, stands of knapweed, burdock or thistle still flowering should be protected from grazing stock to provide a food source until the queens go into hibernation.

Management of Species Rich Grassland