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Lina Herbertsson. Photo.

Lina Herbertsson

Researcher

Lina Herbertsson. Photo.

Simple and farmer-friendly bumblebee conservation : Straw bales as nest sites in agricultural landscapes

Author

  • Sandra A.M. Lindström
  • Maj Rundlöf
  • Lina Herbertsson

Summary, in English

Many bumblebee species are declining due to a loss of semi-natural habitats in agricultural landscapes resulting in diminished forage and nest sites. Anecdotal experience indicates that bumblebees nest in straw bales, but scientific evidence is lacking. We spent 250 h screening for bumblebee nests in 1255 straw bales and ten straw stacks belonging to 58 farms in two intensively farmed Swedish regions and recorded nests, nest traffic, and straw characteristics. We supplemented the straw screening with screening of control areas, without straw, that were selected in similar environments as the areas with straw. We observed 45 bumblebee nests (including potential nests where a single bumblebee flew in or out of the straw) of eight species/species groups, including one red-listed, in or directly adjacent to the straw at 26 of the farms. Nests were mainly found in partly decayed straw and bales placed together. We found no nests in control areas. Based on our results, we suggest that straw can be used as an easy, cheap and efficient intervention to increase the availability of bumblebee nest sites in agricultural landscapes. Considering the costs and benefits of the alternatives, we conclude that straw addition has advantages over commercial bumblebee colonies for crop pollination purposes and over artificial nest boxes for conservation purposes.

Department/s

  • Centre for Environmental and Climate Science (CEC)
  • Biodiversity
  • BECC: Biodiversity and Ecosystem services in a Changing Climate
  • Functional zoology

Publishing year

2022

Language

English

Pages

196-205

Publication/Series

Basic and Applied Ecology

Volume

63

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Elsevier

Topic

  • Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use
  • Ecology

Keywords

  • Biodiversity conservation
  • Bombus
  • Ecological intensification
  • Farming practices
  • Nest activity
  • Pollination

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1439-1791