Bumblebees found to be making nests during Scottish winter a 'worrying' response to climate

Bumblebees have been found to be starting nests in the depths of winter in Scotland in what conservationists have said is a worrying sign.

Experts believe the changes in behaviour are due to the country’s changing climate and could further bumblebee decline.

The charity Buglife said active worker bumblebees were spotted in Aberdeen during mild weather over the Christmas break - a time when they should be hibernating.

A previous survey led by the charity found bumblebees to be working in winter months across the UK, from the south of England up to Thurso, in the north Highlands.

A great yellow bumblebee, one of the rarest bumblebees in the UK

Buglife said the nests were at risk at this time of year because of the cold snaps that can hit in between spells of increasingly mild weather. The bees will also struggle to find food given the shortage of flowers providing nectar and pollen in the colder months.

Paul Hetherington, of Buglife, described the increase in sightings of bees at this time of year as “a worrying situation”.

He said while there was no national scheme to count them, the charity was receiving more pictures of this change in activity from members of the public.

“It looks like it’s something that is happening more and more,” Mr Hetherington said. “It’s certainly a worrying situation.

"If this is happening, it means there will be no new queens produced, which means there will be fewer in the spring, which just furthers the decline in bumblebees.”

Mr Hetherington said there were 25 species of bumblebee in the UK, of which many, including some of the rarest ones, were in Scotland. These include the great yellow bumblebee and the blaeberry bumblebee.

He said for those wanting to help the muddled bumblebees at this time of year, planting certain species of flower could help.

“The only slight solution to what’s happening is if people think about planting plants that are going to flower in the winter time and have accessible pollen,” he said.

“Viburnum tinus is a good one as it’s got a similar flower to something like an elderflower, so it’s very accessible to lots of different types of bees.

“Snowdrops could now become quite an important source of food for bees, even though we don’t normally see them on them at this time of year, as well as crocuses.”

Mr Hetherington said spring bulbs took on far more importance given the reports of bumblebee activity in the colder months.

But he warned all but two species of daffodil - a typical spring time plant - were sterile for bees because of the way they had been bred.

“Most daffodils have been hybradised to the point they no longer provide pollen and nectar,” he said.

The milder weather has encouraged other species not usually seen at this time of year to keep emerging - ticks.

The parasitic invertebrates are usually active from early spring to late autumn, but people have reported seeing them in December in the Highlands. They are usually found in grassy and wooded areas and can spread viral and bacterial infections, including Lyme disease.

A recent study by the University of Stirling predicted an increase in tick densities and a spread of tick distribution over Scotland due to the changing climate. The report said the tick population could almost double if temperatures rise by 4C.