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Urban bees eat better than country cousins
photo by sunnyUK (Flickr CC)
A study by the University of Worcester in England and Britain’s National Trust has found the bees that live in towns and cities eat a more varied diet than those living in rural locations.
Country bees rely mostly on monocrop farms, while urban and suburban bees have a wider range of flowers to feed on.
From a BBC News report:
Hives from Kensington Palace in London showed evidence of eucalyptus and elderberry, while suburban sites such as those around the University of Worcester – where the researchers who carried out the study work – showed a rich mix including lily, blackberry, rowan trees, and oilseed rape.
Rural hive samples, however, showed an overwhelming dominance of oilseed rape.
From an article in the Telegraph:
Matthew Oates, Nature Conservation Adviser at the National Trust, said there are “precious few” pollen sources for bees in the countryside because farmland is either taken over for “monoculture” like wheat or barley or grazed for livestock.
The study is part of the National Trust and BBC campaign Bee Part of It, which will next attempt to assess the effects of pesticides by examining beehives.
Additional resources:
National Trust – Bee Part of It
BBC breathing places – Bee Part of It
Tags: BBC, bee, Bee Part of It, Britain, country, flower, National Trust, oilseed rape, rural, suburban, University, urban, Worcester
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