Bees, Moths & Butterflies (Uk)

Information for the identification, conservation & promotion of bees, moths & butterflies in the UK

To provide a general source of information to help promote public knowledge and interest in pollinators & healthy pollinator environments in the UK.

For many years now, UK Pollinators have been in decline in the UK, with several species becoming extinct, and others struggling. This is due to various reasons, which may include weather conditions, pesticides, herbicides, and loss of /changes to habitat through development of, or poor custodianship of land.
98% of Britain’s flower-rich grasslands, such as hay meadows and chalk downlands, have been lost in the last 60 years, and many modern gardens and farms have lost the "weeds" that pollinators such as moths and butterflies need for larval food sources.

As well as assisting honey and bumblebees by planting bee friendly flowers, fruit trees & herbs, we can also help butterflies and some moth species, which in turn provide food for birds & bats. This can be achieved by planting grasses and food plants for moth and butterfly larva, and by creating nesting habitats for solitary & bumblebees in the garden.

Pollinator friendly ecosystems are complex with different Bee, Moth, and Butterfly species often requiring different food sources. However, despite this, the habitats of Bees, Moths, and Butterflies, remain inter-connected, so bee friendly environments are helpful for moths and butterflies too : )

Conservationists are working hard to help save our pollinators, and to promote healthy and sustainable environments and populations, by promoting reductions in the use of chemicals in farms and gardens, and providing information and resources for better public engagement in the promotion of pollinator friendly habitats.

As nature enthusiasts we can play a major role by providing suitable habitat in our gardens and parks, by respecting the wider environment, and shopping for local grown and organic produce, wherever possible.

Below are some useful information sources : )

Some useful weblinks:
http://bumblebeeconservation.org/
http://bumblebeeconservation.org/about-bees /identification /
http://bumblebeeconservation.org/get-involved /gardening-for-bees /
http://www. buglife.org. uk /
http://www. plantlife.org. uk /
http://www. rhs.org. uk /Science /Conservation-biodiversity /Wildlife
http://www. rhs.org. uk /science /gardening-in-a-changing-world /urban-planting
http://www. beehappyplants. co. uk /
http://www. gardenorganic.org. uk /
http://www. naturescape. co. uk
http://www. wildflowers. co. uk /
https://www. seedball. co. uk

For Beekeepers:
http://gaiabees.com : )
http://www. naturalbeekeepingtrust.org/
http://www. naturalbeekeepingtrust.org/sun-hive-biodynamic-initiative-0
https://mapsengine. google.com/map /viewer?mid=zrlXzuiLqFUc. kxXo4tkL0KG0
http://www. biobees.com/
http://www. ibra.org. uk /
https://secure. fera. defra. gov. uk /beebase /index. cfm
http://www. bbka.org. uk /

Solitary Bees:
http://www. bwars.com/
http://www. bwars.com/index. php?q=species_gallery
https://www. flickr.com/photos /63075200@N07 /collections /72157631518508520 /

Moths:
http://ukmoths.org. uk /
http://www. mothscount.org/
http://www. ukleps.org/CommNamesAlphabetical. html
Larval foodplants: http://www. northumberlandmoths.org. uk /foodsearch. php
County Moth Recorders:
http://www. mothscount.org/uploads /CMR_List_County_Format_10_01_2013. pdf
For Moths recorded in Ireland: http://www. mothsireland.com/gallery3 /index. php

Butterflies:
http://butterfly-conservation.org/
http://www. ukbutterflies. co. uk /foodplants. php

Eco Issues: www. Twitter.com/SymbioticEarth

Campaigns:
http://www. foe. co. uk /what_we_do /the_bee_cause_35033. html
http://www. savehoneybees. info /action
http://www. soilassociation.org/wildlife /bees /householdpesticides
March against Monsanto:
http://www. march-against-monsanto.com/