Planting bare root trees in the foothills of the Rhinog mountains
Sian writes: “I came late to bee obsession, but when it hit, it hit hard. After an epiphany watching a bee feed during the first lockdown, I’ve spent the majority of my time and energy trying to make the four acres of land my husband and I own in the foothills of the Rhinog mountains, in North Wales, into as much of a wild bee paradise as I can. We’re in a fortunate position here, located close to riparian corridors, temperate rain forest and two Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs).
Creating a clover meadow on the four acre land
What this has meant in practice has been being covered in mud daily, my arthritis screaming at me to stop, trying to make bee habitat and provide fodder. The soil is thin and acidic, the winds frequent and strong. We’ve planted native hedging, established two stumperies, dug two ponds, increased the plant diversity onsite, and withdrawn some of the land from grazing. It’s often felt frustratingly slow to me, and I am humbled daily by just how much I don’t know, and just how resilient and determined the bees are. This years, it’s been a joy to watch a variety of bee species feeding on our plants from early spring to the the end of October.
Common carder bee on Viper’s bugloss Three carder bees on a flower
I came to understand the critical importance of accurate bee identification over the last year, because without it, I can’t know which bees the land is supporting or what is successful in what we’re doing. To gain ID skills, and also to know what to provide, I’ve needed to immerse myself in sources of information I trust. Chief among them has been Professor Dave Goulson’s work, the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Bee, Wasp and Ant Recording Society (BWARS) and of the Urban Bees newsletter and calendar. The newsletter has been hugely helpful, especially for a newbie in the throes of coming to understand how to use larger reference books for identification. It’s much easier to assimilate succinct, clearly presented information that is seasonally relevant. Alison and Brian ’s books have also given wonderful focus and context. “