Pollinating the pear-blossom

There has been a great deal of press coverage recently about the threats that beset many of our pollinating insects, including loss of flower-rich habitats, use of neonicotinoid pesticides, disease and climate-change. All these factors are likely to have played a part in the dramatic declines seen in some species, including the domesticated honeybee, which was once assumed to be the most economically important species.

However researchers from the University of Reading have shown that wild bees are the unsung heroes for our food security and not honeybees as previously thought. The study, led by Professor Simon Potts from the Department of Agriculture, examined how important insect-pollinated crops are to UK agriculture and how much of this work is done by honeybees. Professor Potts said: "In the early 1980s honeybees provided most of our pollination services, however, following severe declines in hive numbers over the last 30 years, there are no longer enough honeybees to do the job and it is now our wild insects, such as bumblebees and hoverflies, that have filled the void to ensure that our crops are pollinated and our food production is secure."

Many of the UK's most valuable crops, including apples, strawberries, runner beans, and, increasingly oilseed rape, are pollinated by other insects. Tom Breeze, who conducted analysis for the study, said: "The total monetary value of pollinators to crop production in the UK is estimated at £430 million per year. This research suggests that the majority of this value is derived from wild pollinators and not honeybees."

The bee that's busy pollinating our pear blossom is Andrena nitida, a large mining-bee with, when fresh, bright, foxy-brown hair on the thorax and a polished black abdomen. It has a predominantly southern distribution and Peterborough is towards the northern end of its range. We have a very insect-friendly garden, and are rewarded by a wide diversity of both solitary bees and social bumble-bees, all of which help to ensure plentiful crops of fruit. Everyone can encourage pollinators in the garden - Buglife have produced a series of action points that will help make your garden more bee-friendly:

1. Plant pollinator-friendly flowers in your garden. Choose native wildflowers or their close relatives. Many cottage garden plants and herbs also provide a great source of nectar and pollen.

2. Make a bee box. Drill holes in a log or bundle up lengths of bamboo, to provide nesting sites for solitary bees.

3. Put away the pesticides. They can harm bees and other beneficial invertebrates.

4. Leave your mower in the shed. Leaving some or all of your lawn to grow long can encourage wildflowers and provide areas where bumblebees can nest.