More action urged to stop bee decline

Intensive farming and urban development are among the causes of falling bee numbers in the UK, according to a report by the University of Reading.

The European Commission decided last week to outlaw certain pesticides known as "neonicotinoids" which have been linked to declines in bee numbers.

Fifteen of the 27 EU states backed the ban, which was opposed by the UK.

Reading University's new findings back claims by experts at Shropshire's Harper Adams University who fear a ban will have "serious implications" for British farmers.

Dr Tom Pope, research entomologist at Harper Adams, near Newport, said that the move would be harder for farmers to effectively control pests, some of which were becoming resistant to other pesticides.

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson, the MP for North Shropshire, said the European ban was not supported by science and added that it would make British farming less productive.

Bees highlighted in the latest report include the potter flower bee, which has been reduced to a handful of sites on the south coast as a result of habitat loss from intensive agriculture and urban development.

And the UK's rarest solitary bee, the large mason bee, is facing extinction in Wales, according to the report commissioned by Friends of the Earth.

The University of Reading report said that a range of factors was responsible for declines in bee species over the past 60 years, including more intense grazing of pasture, increased use of pesticides, loss of wildflower-rich field edges and hedges, development and urban sprawl.

The report recommended ministers take steps including supporting wildlife-friendly farming, set targets to reduce pesticide use, encourage developers to include bee-friendly habitat in designs and ensure that more monitoring takes place to establish accurate data on bee populations.

It also said that local authorities should also grow more bee-friendly plants in parks and open spaces and that they should encourage gardeners and communities to do the same.

Meanwhile, bee lovers are being urged to lend their support to help protect one of the country's rarest species which can still be found in the West Midlands.

New research shows that the Long-Horned Bee is just managing to hold on to its Staffordshire stronghold.

Britain has more than 250 bee species, but numbers have fallen dramatically in recent years, affected by disease, chemicals and habitat loss.

The West Midlands is home to the most northerly members of this rare species – but the research, by the University of Reading, shows that it is only just clinging on in a few areas.

Now, Friends of the Earth's Bee Cause campaign is calling on bee-lovers in the area to help reverse the fortunes of the iconic bee.

Research indicates that the decline of this large distinctive bee is due to conversion of flower-rich grassland to more intense farming use.

But the Long-Horned Bee is normally found on pH neutral grasslands that support an abundance of flowers.

The best places to see it are around disused train lines and quarries in South Staffordshire, Warwickshire and North Worcestershire.

Leading bee expert from the University of Reading, Professor Simon Potts, said: "The way we farm and use land across the UK has pushed many rare bees into serious decline.

"I'm calling on the government to act swiftly to save these iconic creatures which are essential to a thriving environment and our food supply."

The plight of the Long-Horned Bee is part of a national decline in UK bee populations. The UK has lost 20 species of bee since 1900.

The Bee Cause is calling for a national Bee Action Plan to help all bees species.

They say that a Bee Plan would help the Long-Horned Bee and other species by helping farmers, gardeners and park keepers to reduce chemicals that harm bees and ensure towns and countryside provide bees with enough flowers to feed on and places to nest.