Bees and Heatwaves: Preparing For A Warming World

As heatwaves become more frequent and intense, it is essential to understand how pollinators respond to such extreme conditions. The Buzz Club’s Bees and Heatwaves project involves volunteers from all over the UK to help investigate whether bees, including bumblebees, honey bees, solitary bees, alter their activity patterns in response to heat events. Through the observation of their behaviour during heatwaves and the plant species they choose for foraging, the Buzz Club aim to develop effective strategies to support them in a warming world.

Yanet Sepúlveda is a Doctoral Researcher at the University of Sussex. Her research is focused on investigating the impact of climate change, particularly heatwaves, on crucial pollinators such as bumblebees.

Issy Sexton is a Research Assistant at the University of Sussex, specialising in pollinator-focused citizen science. She also has a background in community engagement and environmental policy.

Q&A with Yanet Sepúlveda and Isobel Sexton

  1. Are you able to use data from other studies to use in your research?
    Yanet: The Bees & Heatwaves project has been designed to specifically monitor the impact of these extreme weather events on bee populations. Other projects will have different aims and survey methodologies, meaning that their data is unlikely to be directly comparable. For example, the Bee Walk surveys by Bumblebee Conservation Trust involve walking a transect, recording the bee species and temperature. Their data is useful for monitoring many things (for example, population declines), but it wouldn’t be ideal for monitoring behavioural responses to heatwaves. For example, the Bees & Heatwaves project looks at whether bees can shift their activity patterns and foraging preferences in response to elevated temperatures. Participants in this project must remain at a fixed location, monitoring the same site and carefully observing bee behaviours. Other surveys/research may go out of their way to avoid collecting data during heatwaves as they may want to avoid the impact that these events could have on their results.
    Issy: We are very happy to discuss the possibility of linking up our projects with other initiatives through collaboration so we encourage anyone interested in exploring this to get in touch by email on buzzclub@sussex.ac.uk. For example, we are currently working in partnership with London Natural History Society on an additional step to The Big Bee Hotel Experiment: https://www.thebuzzclub.uk/thebigbeehotelexperiment. We are working together to use this experiment as a trap survey for solitary bees. We also have been featured in a Nature Recovery Strategy in Denmark! 
  2. Have the impacts of heatwaves on bees been studied in controlled environments?
    Yanet: Most of the relevant greenhouse studies that I’ve read have focused on bumblebees. Control greenhouses are maintained at normal temperatures and ‘heatwave’ greenhouses are exposed to higher temperatures. The bees can forage freely within these greenhouses. The bees tend to forage less in heatwave conditions and also visit plants grown under heatwave conditions less frequently.
  3. Will your project detect the impacts of post-heatwave factors like drought?
    Yanet: This is a very interesting question and very important because we are expected to have drier summers. We can’t necessarily see how heatwaves are affecting plants in this specific experiment. However, it can tell us which plants are visited less frequently during and/or after heatwaves, which can then guide the design and focus of laboratory experiments to investigate this further (for example, if we find that borage is visited less during and/or after heatwaves, we can then open the door to studies that investigate if the production of nectar and pollen is impacted by elevated temperatures).
  4. How do heatwaves impact bees and their colonies in the nest?
    Yanet: We don’t really know yet. The nesting habits of bees are really variable, with some species nesting underground and others above ground (for example in trees or vegetation). In one of our laboratory studies, we found that workers were not able to maintain the nest at an optimal temperature during heatwaves. Species that nest underground, such as Bombus terrestris, may have sufficient protection to avoid overheating whereas other species may be more at risk if their nest is exposed to direct sunlight. I wanted to investigate this during my PhD but we agreed that finding and studying multiple nests would be too difficult.
  5. Do you have any tips for people who want to help bees deal with future heatwaves in their garden?
    Yanet: Ensure that you have varied planting within your garden so that you have a high diversity of plant species. This will make your garden more resilient. It’s important to ensure that you plant native species where possible. Bees need both nectar and pollen, and some plants are better for pollen while others are better for nectar. We also expect certain plants to be more affected by high temperatures than others. Therefore, maintaining high plant diversity is crucial for a resilient and pollinator-friendly garden.

Literature References

  1. Garnery et al (2019) We Are Losing the “Little Things that Run the World”: https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/27255/Foresight_Brief_No_011.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
  2. Sánchez-Bayo & Wyckhuys (2019) Worldwide decline of the entomofauna: A review of its drivers: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2019.01.020
  3. Wagner et al (2021) Insect decline in the Anthropocene: Death by a thousand cuts: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2023989118
  4. Soroye et al (2020) Climate change contributes to widespread declines among bumble bees across continents: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aax8591
  5. Sepúlveda & Goulson (2023) Feeling the heat: Bumblebee workers show no acclimation capacity of upper thermal tolerance to simulated heatwaves: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306456523002139
  6. Y. Sepúlveda et al. (2024) Heatwave-like events affect drone production and brood-care behaviour in bumblebees: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17135
  7. Melone et al (2024) Heatwaves increase larval mortality and delay development of a solitary bee: https://doi.org/10.1111/een.13317
  8. Gérard et al (2022) Short‐term exposure to heatwave‐like temperatures affects learning and memory in bumblebees: https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16196
  9. Descamps et al (2021) Warm temperatures reduce flower attractiveness and bumblebee foraging: https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12060493
  10. Vayena & Tasioulas (2015) “We the scientists”: A human right to citizen science: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13347-015-0204-0
  11. Potts et al (2016) Safeguarding pollinators and their values to human well-being: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature20588
  12. Atmowidjojo et al (1997) Temperature tolerance and water balance in feral and domestic honey bees, Apis mellifera L.: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0300-9629(97)00031-5

Further Info

entoLIVE

entoLIVE webinars feature guest invertebrate researchers delving into their own invertebrate research. All events are free to attend and are suitable for adults of all abilities – a passion for invertebrates is all that’s required!

entoLIVE is delivered by the Biological Recording Company in partnership with the British Entomological & Natural History Society, Royal Entomological Society and Amateur Entomologists’ Society, with support from Buglife, Field Studies Council and National Biodiversity Network Trust.

The entoLIVE programme is delivered by Biological Recording Company and receives sponsorship from the following organisations:

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Keeping the Spark Alive: Volunteer Retention in Citizen Science

Citizen science relies on the data returned by volunteers – thus, such projects need to maximise the chances of that happening. Clear communication, transparency about methods and objectives, and fostering a sense of ownership and community are all extremely important to keeping volunteers engaged, and invested in the success of a project. Dr Linda Birkin will delve into her experience of striking this balance, from her PhD ‘Bees & Beans’ and into the Buzz Club’s current roster of projects.

Dr Linda Birkin is a Citizen Science Specialist, with a particular interest in urban entomology and outreach. After completing her PhD at the University of Sussex, Linda has been working for the Buzz Club since 2019.

Q&A with Dr Linda Birkin

  1. Did the data gathered have a direct impact on the volunteers?
    The feedback that I received from volunteers as the project progressed (and I got better at retaining volunteers for it!) was that it helped them to ‘get their eye in’ for the insects that were visiting their garden. The project was teaching them about pollination and the bees that they were observing, and this led to them noticing other insect groups and they would look them up. So what they got from the project was less about their ability to grow beans and more about the organisms they were observing. This gave them a better understanding of aspects like insect ID and generally becoming more connected with the wildlife in their own garden environment. I don’t have any analysis that proves that this improved retention, but I think it is highly likely that it did!
  2. How do you balance communicating with volunteers versus bombarding them with too much content?
    When communicating about updates to a specific project, I think a monthly update is about right during the active period for the project (e.g. when bees are active for a project about pollinators). If it was once per week it is more likely that people will see the email and think “Another email from the Buzz Club, I’ll read that later” and then won’t. You can also put out more content more frequently through social media. I also make it clear when people sign up that they may get additional emails if there is an urgent or sudden update, for example, if we’ve learned that something wasn’t working and needs to be changed or there were some unforeseen circumstances. I’ve not had any complaints regarding the frequency of emails that I sent to volunteers, but it is definitely a balance to walk… you want people to remain engaged while not feeling bombarded.

Literature References

  1. Birkin (2018) Pollination ecosystem services and the urban environment: https://hdl.handle.net/10779/uos.23455604.v1
  2. Birkin & Goulson (2015) Using citizen science to monitor pollination services: https://resjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/een.12227
  3. Dickinson et al (2012) The current state of citizen science as a tool for ecological research and public engagement: https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1890/110236
  4. Cooper et al (2007) Citizen Science as a Tool for Conservation in Residential Ecosystems: https://www.jstor.org/stable/26267884
  5. Kleinke et al (2018) Identifying Barriers to Citizen Scientist Retention When Measuring Pollination Services: https://theoryandpractice.citizenscienceassociation.org/articles/10.5334/cstp.99
  6. Roos et al (2012) UK Hedgehog Datasets and their potential for long-term monitoring: https://www.bto.org/our-science/projects/gbw/publications/papers/monitoring/btorr598
  7. Pocock et al (2014) A Strategic Framework to Support the Implementation of Citizen Science for Environmental Monitoring: https://www.ceh.ac.uk/sites/default/files/Citizen%20Science%20-%20A%20Strategic%20Framework%20to%20support%20implementation%20for%20environment%20monitoring.pdf
  8. Eveleigh et al (2013) “I want to be a Captain! I want to be a Captain!”: Gamification in the Old Weather Citizen Science Project: https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/2583008.2583019
  9. Roy et al (2012) Understanding citizen science and environmental monitoring: final report on behalf of UK Environmental Observation Framework: https://www.brc.ac.uk/biblio/understanding-citizen-science-and-environmental-monitoring-final-report-behalf-uk
  10. Bell et al (2008) What counts? Volunteers and their organisations in the recording and monitoring of biodiversity: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10531-008-9357-9
  11. Wolcott et al (2008) Sustainability of a long-term volunteer-based bird monitoring program: recruitment, retention and attrition: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277857825_Sustainability_of_a_long-term_volunteer-based_bird_monitoring_program_recruitment_retention_and_attrition
  12. Cohn (2008) Citizen Science: Can Volunteers Do Real Research?: https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/58/3/192/230689
  13. Tweddle et al (2012) Guide to citizen science: developing, implementing and evaluating citizen science to study biodiversity and the environment in the UK: https://www.ceh.ac.uk/sites/default/files/citizenscienceguide.pdf
  14. Schmeller et al (2009) Advantages of Volunteer-Based Biodiversity Monitoring in Europe: https://www.jstor.org/stable/29738730#:~:text=Volunteer-Based%20Biodiversity%20Monitoring%20with%20state-of-the-art%20survey%20designs%20or,schemes%20rather%20than%20by%20volunteer%20involvement%20per%20se.
  15. Evans et al (2005) The Neighbourhood Nestwatch Program: Participant Outcomes of a Citizen-Science Ecological Research Project: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/229786182_The_Neighborhood_Nestwatch_Program_Participant_Outcomes_of_a_Citizen-Science_Ecological_Research_Project
  16. Oberhauser & Prysby (2008) Citizen Science: Creating a Research Army for Conservation: https://academic.oup.com/ae/article/54/2/103/2474890

Further info and links

  1. Buzz Club webpage: https://www.thebuzzclub.uk/
Go to the Buzz Club: Citizen Science Virtual Symposium page

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Bee-hind the Bees and Heatwaves Project: Lessons Learnt from PhD Research with the Buzz Club

The Buzz Club’s Bees and Heatwaves project is part of a PhD study aimed at using citizen science to investigate how bees respond to heatwave events. This presentation explores the project’s objectives, discussing the advantages, challenges, and future prospects of working alongside citizens to support pollinators in a warming world.

Yanet Sepulveda is a Doctoral Researcher at the University of Sussex. Her research is focused on investigating the impact of climate change, particularly heatwaves, on crucial pollinators such as bumblebees.

Q&A with Yanet Sepulveda

  1. Do you think that time commitment was a consideration for volunteers signing up?
    Yes, definitely. The project required people to be in the area for most of the day and not everyone works remotely or from home. We want to make it more flexible for the next season as we understand it may be challenging for some people to take part.
  2. Do you need to be able to identify bumblebees in order to take part?
    Not necessarily, but it is definitely advantageous. Last year we provided a previously-recorded free webinar, and this year we are providing free ID guides. We do want to see if different species have different preferences. Also, check out Dave’s guide to common bumblebees on YouTube.
  3. What’s different this year compared to last year?
    This year is going to be more flexible. We are planning to start in June and go through to around August. We are asking people to record once per week during that time, rather than waiting for a heatwave to occur. Ideally, we’d ask volunteers to record on the day of a heatwave (when they occur), but the weekly monitoring allows us to mitigate for those who can’t commit to this. We also understand that there may be some weeks when people are away or unavailable, so it’s ok if the occasional week needs to be skipped. You can find out more and sign up via the Bees and Heatwaves webpage on the Buzz Club website.
  4. Have you thought about doing controlled experiments to see if there is a pattern in bee foraging behaviour during heatwaves?
    As we monitor before heatwaves, this acts as a control and enables us to establish how bees are behaving when no heatwave has occurred. I go into the bee research aspect in more detail in my Bees and Heatwaves entoLIVE blog article.

Literature References

  1. Sepúlveda & Goulson (2023) Feeling the heat: Bumblebee workers show no acclimation capacity of upper thermal tolerance to simulated heatwaves: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306456523002139  
  2. Hager et al (2022) Citizen science in environmental and ecological sciences: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43586-022-00144-4  
  3. Sepúlveda et al (2024) Heatwave-like events affect drone production and brood-care behaviour in bumblebees: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17135
  4. Domroese & Johnson (2017) Why watch bees? Motivations of citizen science volunteers in the Great Pollinator Project: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2016.08.020  
  5. Cooper et al (2014) The invisible prevalence of citizen science in global research: migratory birds and climate change: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0106508
  6. Hulbert & Liang. (2012) Spatiotemporal variation in avian migration phenology: citizen science reveals effects of climate change: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0031662  
  7. Groulx et al (2019) Citizen science and the public nature of climate action: https://doi.org/10.1080/1088937X.2019.1597396
  8. Miller-Rushing et al (2019) Creative citizen science illuminates complex ecological responses to climate change: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1820266116
  9. de Sherbinin et al (2021) The critical importance of citizen science data: https://doi.org/10.3389/fclim.2021.650760

Further info and links

  1. Bees and Heatwaves entoLIVE : https://biologicalrecording.co.uk/2024/06/05/bees-and-heatwaves/
  2. Bees and Heatwaves: https://www.thebuzzclub.uk/bees-heatwaves
  3. Bumblebees of the UK online course: https://courses.biologicalrecording.co.uk/courses/bumblebees
Go to the Buzz Club: Citizen Science Virtual Symposium page

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Spreading the Word Using Citizen Science: Hoverfly Lagoons Project Case Study

The Hoverfly Lagoons project was invented in 2016, to develop an easy, cheap wildlife gardening technique. Since then the idea of creating a Lagoon for hoverflies has captured the imagination of people around the globe. This presentation will describe the reach and application of this citizen science project, as a method for raising awareness and engaging with people.

Dr Ellen Rotheray is a senior lecturer in Ecology and Conservation, primarily interested in needs-led research and evidence-based practice with a focus on insect conservation management. Ellie has led the Hoverfly Lagoons project since 2016, and also the Buzz Club’s Buzzing Balconies project in 2018. Ellie is an advisor on the Pine Hoverfly Biodiversity Action Plan steering group and a member of the IUCN Hoverfly Specialist Group.

Q&A with Dr Ellen Rotheray

  1. What is the participation level for the Hoverfly Lagoons project?
    This is super variable. Annually, the sites that are retained for the season are between 20 and 30, with over 200 registering their interest for each season. We don’t know how many of these never start or start but don’t finish.
  2. What is this year’s Hoverfly Lagoon project and how do you sign up?
    For this year we are exploring the effect of ponds on the recruitment to Hoverfly Lagoons, with questions such as “Do ponds and lagoons cater for the same or different species?” and “How does the presence of a pond impact the uptake of hoverfly lagoons?”. We need participants both with and without ponds so everyone is welcome to participate. You can sign up to the project via the Hoverfly Lagoons project webpage on the Buzz Club website.
  3. Where should hoverfly lagoons be located?
    You want to put it in a sheltered space and avoid exposing it to direct sunlight. Location is really important, even more so outside of gardens. If you own a woodland, it’s great to set some up there so that we can investigate what species are found in woodland versus gardens. Putting them at height (rather than on the ground) can limit the number of larvae predators.
  4. Are hoverflies good pollinators?
    Yes, they are! In some cases, flies may visit more plants than bees and their importance as pollinators is often overlooked.
  5. Do the milk cartons used degrade over time in the water?
    We strongly encourage that the milk carton is replaced each month as part of the recommended methodology. This should mean that people can still recycle it, though if it has degraded, you’d need to check this with the recycling scheme you are using. We’re not aware of any specific impact that degradation has on the hoverflies, and I personally don’t suspect there is any but we now recommend not leaving your single-use plastic in the field for longer than one month.

Literature References

  1. Rotheray and Rotheray (2021) The puparium and development site of Rhingia rostrata (Linnaeus) and comparison with R. campestris Meigen (Diptera, Syrphidae): https://nms.iro.bl.uk/concern/articles/b1f42219-fdf3-451c-aadc-58062edae0f7
  2. IUCN SSC HSG/CPSG (2022) European Hoverflies: Moving from Assessment to Conservation Planning: https://cbsg.org/sites/cbsg.org/files/documents/European%20Hoverflies%20Moving%20from%20Assessment%20to%20Conservation%20Planning.pdf
  3. Vujić et al (2022). Pollinators on the edge: our European hoverflies. The European Red List of Hoverflies: https://wikis.ec.europa.eu/display/EUPKH/European+Red+List+of+Hoverflies?preview=/23462140/102630586/ERL%20Hoverflies.pdf

Further info and links

  1. Hoverfly Lagoons entoLIVE: https://biologicalrecording.co.uk/2024/07/17/hoverfly-lagoons/
  2. Hoverfly Lagoons website: https://hoverflylagoons.co.uk/
Go to the Buzz Club: Citizen Science Virtual Symposium page

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When Is Citizen Science A Useful Approach? 

Using examples from the Buzz Club and beyond, this presentation will outline some of the key things to consider before embarking on a citizen science project, such as budget, motivations of participants and the potential for engagement and behaviour change.

Dr Beth Nicholls is a senior research fellow at the University of Sussex. She has led citizen science projects on monitoring solitary bee populations and urban food production and provided advice to the National Trust and Buglife on incorporating citizen science into their community outreach and conservation programmes.

Q&A with Dr Beth Robinason

  1. Did you provide advice or feedback to Team PollinATE participants that were using chemical controls in their allotment plots?
    No, we didn’t give specific advice. To be honest, it was a very low number of participants and I flagged that most participants were engaging in pro-environmental practices. This is probably not too surprising, as recruitment is most likely biased towards people who are interested in pollination (particularly considering the name of the project) and may not be truly representative of allotment plot holders across the UK.
  2. Have you published the researcher versus citizen science work?
    The manuscript is still in progress and I’m hoping to get it submitted soon. It can take a little while for this to become available as it needs to go through the journal’s review process before it is published. The paper will go into more detail regarding the discrepancies between researcher and citizen scientist result, the drivers that may be causing these discrepancies and the feedback from participants. I go into more detail about this project in the Team PollinATE entoLIVE blog.
  3. How can we reach out to recruit citizen scientists?
    I think this really depends on the project. This project was very localised and had a specific audience in mind: allotment plot holders in Brighton! Therefore, I opted for the old-school method of visiting the relevant sites and putting up posters as well as speaking at the Brighton Allotment Association AGM to reach their members. It is always very useful to reach out to other groups or organisations that are already embedded within the community that you are trying to reach. I also posted in relevant Facebook groups.

Further info and links

  1. Team PollinATE entoLIVE blog: https://biologicalrecording.co.uk/2023/10/05/team-pollinate/
  2. Cornell Lab: Engagement in Science and Nature: https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/engagement-in-science-and-nature.
  3. Zooniverse webpage: https://www.zooniverse.org/
  4. The Noise Project: https://noiseproject.org
  5. UK CEH Citizen Science Best Practice Guide: https://www.ceh.ac.uk/our-science/citizen-science/citizen-science-best-practice-guide
  6. European Citizen Science Association: https://www.ecsa.ngo/ 
Go to the Buzz Club: Citizen Science Virtual Symposium page

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The Buzz Club: Citizen Science Virtual Symposium

Gardening is a popular pastime, but not one that we do alone. Whether hidden beneath the soil, buzzing in the borders or singing on the fence, thousands of wild animals share our spaces. They provide vital support to our own horticultural successes – yet we know very little about most of them!

The Buzz Club intends to change that. It is a citizen science club, run by scientists at the University of Sussex. Citizen Science is a way of conducting research in collaboration with the general public. The Buzz Club creates experiments that help us understand the wildlife we share our gardens with, and what we can do to conserve it. Volunteers all over the UK help the Buzz Club to answer these important questions.

‘The Buzz Club: Citizen Science Virtual Symposium’ showcased the successes and lessons learnt by the Buzz Club, using their large portfolio of citizen science projects as case studies. We’ll delve into examples that have formed part of PhD studies and how various studies are linked or have fed into one another.

The event was hosted by Professor Dave Goulson and featured presentations from the Buzz Club team that focus on the origins, engagement, scientific outputs and lessons learned of this citizen science programme.

  1. Introduction to the Buzz Club with Prof Dave Goulson
  2. When Is Citizen Science A Useful Approach? with Dr Beth Nicholls
  3. Spreading the Word Using Citizen Science: Hoverfly Lagoons Project Case Study with Dr Ellen Rotheray
  4. Bee-hind the Bees and Heatwaves Project: Lessons Learnt from PhD Research with the Buzz Club with Yanet Sepulveda
  5. Keeping the Spark Alive: Volunteer Retention in Citizen Science with Dr Linda Birkin

Introduction to the Buzz Club

with Prof Dave Goulson

Prof Dave Goulson will explain why insects are important, and describe the many threats they face in the modern world. He will explain how gardens and gardeners can help in providing a home for thousands of species, and the role that Buzz Club is playing in trying to inform how best to encourage insect life in gardens through conducting nationwide “citizen science” experiments.

Dave Goulson is a Professor of Biology at the University of Sussex (UK). He has published more than 350 scientific articles on the ecology of insects. He is the author of Bumblebees (OUP 2010), and of several bestselling popular books including A Sting in the Tale (2013), A Buzz in the Meadow ( 2014), The Garden Jungle (2019) and Silent Earth (2021), collectively translated in 20 languages. Goulson founded the Bumblebee Conservation Trust in 2006, a charity that has grown to 12,000 members.

Literature References
  1. Hallman et al (2017) More than 75 percent decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0185809
  2. Goulson et al (2002) Colony growth of the bumblebee, Bombus Terrestris, in improved and conventional agricultural and suburban habitats: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28547150/
  3. Rollings & Goulson (2019) Quantifying the attractiveness of garden flowers for pollinators: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10841-019-00177-3
  4. Balfour & Ratnieks (2022) The disproportionate value of ‘weeds’ to pollinate and biodiversity: https://appliedecologistsblog.com/2022/03/17/the-disproportionate-value-of-weeds-to-pollinators-and-biodiversity/
  5. Tassin de Montaigu & Goulson (2024) Factors influencing butterfly and bumblebee richness and abundance in gardens:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969723066226
  6. Lentola et al (2017) Ornamental plants on sale to the public are a significant source of pesticide residues with implications for the health of pollinating insects:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0269749117305158
  7. Blackmore and Goulson (2014) Evaluating the effectiveness of wildflower seed mixes for boosting floral diversity and bumblebee and hoverfly abundance in urban areas: https://resjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/icad.12071
Useful Links

When Is Citizen Science A Useful Approach?

Dr Beth Nicholls

Using examples from the Buzz Club and beyond, this presentation will outline some of the key things to consider before embarking on a citizen science project, such as budget, motivations of participants and the potential for engagement and behaviour change.

Check out the full blog here

Spreading the Word Using Citizen Science: Hoverfly Lagoons Project Case Study

Dr Ellen Rotheray

The Hoverfly Lagoons project was invented in 2016, to develop an easy, cheap wildlife gardening technique. Since then the idea of creating a Lagoon for hoverflies has captured the imagination of people around the globe. This presentation will describe the reach and application of this citizen science project, as a method for raising awareness and engaging with people.

Check out the full blog here

Bee-hind the Bees and Heatwaves Project: Lessons Learnt from PhD Research with the Buzz Club

Yanet Sepulveda

The Buzz Club’s Bees and Heatwaves project is part of a PhD study aimed at using citizen science to investigate how bees respond to heatwave events. This presentation explores the project’s objectives, discussing the advantages, challenges, and future prospects of working alongside citizens to support pollinators in a warming world.

Check out the full blog here

Keeping the Spark Alive: Volunteer Retention in Citizen Science

Dr Linda Birkin

Citizen science relies on the data returned by volunteers – thus, such projects need to maximise the chances of that happening. Clear communication, transparency about methods and objectives, and fostering a sense of ownership and community are all extremely important to keeping volunteers engaged, and invested in the success of a project. Dr Linda Birkin will delve into her experience of striking this balance, from her PhD ‘Bees & Beans’ and into the Buzz Club’s current roster of projects.

Check out the full blog here

Citizen Science Panel Discussion

Transcription of the Panel Discussion coming soon…

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This event was delivered by the Biological Recording Company and the Buzz Club.

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Butterflies Through Time: Climate Change, Conservation & Historic Specimens

Combining historical specimens and modern-day research allows wildlife of the past to inform conservation of the future. In this talk, Matt Hayes will discuss research currently being carried out on Wildlife Trust reserves in the UK, monitoring the impact of climate change, and investigating if artificial butterfly banks can help protect species from extreme weather events. He will then discuss another area of his research, looking at historical butterfly specimens from the University Museum of Zoology in Cambridge, which can extend records of change 200 years back in time.

Matt Hayes is a Zoology PhD student interested in how we can manage nature reserves to protect invertebrates from climate change. His PhD project is made possible by a longstanding partnership between the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire, and the Insect Ecology Group at the University of Cambridge.

Q&A with Matt Hayes

  1. What were the butterfly banks made of?
    For this site, we brought a digger in to scrape off the top layer of vegetation, dig about a foot down and put that earth on the banks themself. In the presentation you will see a square area – this was sunk with the soil used to build the banks.
  2. How did you decide how high the banks would be?
    We wanted them to be significant structures and aimed to get them to two metres tall. However, we found that the chalk wouldn’t settle above a certain height and we couldn’t build them physically taller than they were. This was a consequence of the material that we used, so it would be possible to make the banks bigger if the material used allowed it.
  3. What type of vegetation colonised the banks?
    We found that it was different from what was present in the field that the banks were located in. We didn’t plant anything, so the seeds must have been present and there was a huge amount of successional species, such as thistles and poppies. Our focus for this part of the experiment was the structure of the banks, and it would be really interesting to look at the vegetation and seeding the banks next – or even keep some of the bank surface as bare earth.
  4. Was there any specific bank feature that provided the biggest benefit to butterflies?
    I think it is most likely the combination and variation of features. Anecdotally, I have seen butterflies using the south banks in the morning to heat up and the north-facing banks in extreme heat to cool down.
  5. Where would you advise conservationists to site butterfly banks on their reserves?
    We specifically targeted sites that had a low baseline in terms of topographic variation (essentially flat parts of the study sites). We were investigating how to improve sites so we needed sites where you would be able to detect improvements! However, I believe that most sites would benefit from these structures due to the fact that they add in variation. You don’t need to create structures as big as we did and what you build should be appropriate to the size of the site. You can find more guidance from the Creating a Butterfly Bank factsheet by Butterfly Conservation.
  6. Are you planning on sending your data to biological recording organisations?
    The first step is for me to process all for the data and get it ready for use within my PhD. this includes getting the specimen collection digitised and made available through the museum website. Following that, I’m keen to get the data used by as many sources as possible and will be looking at how it can be shared with data holders such as Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Environmental Records Centre, Butterflies for the New Millenium and/or the NBN Atlas.
  7. How many cataloguing hours do you think that you’ve put in?
    I started working on the cataloguing of the UK butterflies around 2019 and I’ve put in many hours since then – probably thousands. I haven’t actually kept a record of this.
  8. What is the next part of your research?
    I’m hoping to look at general heterogeneity of nature reserves and how that impacts butterflies’ ability to regulate their body temperature. My research group has been working with the Wildlife Trust since 2006 and we have thousands of butterfly data points where we have both temperature and GPS data so we can figure out on nature reserves what habitat is around them, and see how that impacts their temperature. The question is “If we have more varied nature reserves as a whole, does that help species maintain optimum body temperature?”.

Literature References

  1. Fox et al (2023) State of the UK’s Butterflies Report 2022: https://butterfly-conservation.org/sites/default/files/2023-01/State%20of%20UK%20Butterflies%202022%20Report.pdf
  2. Hayes et al (2024) Heatwave predicts a shady future for insects: impacts of an extreme weather event on a chalk grassland in Bedfordshire, UK: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-024-00556-5

Further Info

entoLIVE

entoLIVE webinars feature guest invertebrate researchers delving into their own invertebrate research. All events are free to attend and are suitable for adults of all abilities – a passion for invertebrates is all that’s required!

entoLIVE is delivered by the Biological Recording Company in partnership with the British Entomological & Natural History Society, Royal Entomological Society and Amateur Entomologists’ Society, with support from Buglife, Field Studies Council and National Biodiversity Network Trust.

The entoLIVE programme is delivered by Biological Recording Company and receives sponsorship from the following organisations:

More on invertebrates

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Spiders, Earthworms and Beetles: The Impacts of Cover Crop Frost Tolerance

Cover crops are used in arable rotations to protect the soil between cash crops (e.g. wheat, barley). Cover crops need to be removed before cash crops can be planted, and this is commonly done by spraying environmentally-harmful herbicides. Here, we conducted a large-scale field trial to test whether using cover crops that die naturally in the frost is better for earthworms, spiders, and beetles, and associated ecosystem functions (e.g. soil compaction). The aim is to design and test the ecological benefits of cover crop mixes that can be removed with minimal herbicide use. This experiment was co-designed with 15 farmers, LEAF, and Oakbank.

Dr Amelia (Millie) Hood is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Reading. She’s interested in co-designing sustainable farming solutions with farmers in the UK, and using large ecological experiments to test them.

Q&A Dr Amelia Hood

  1. Did you use existing survey methods for the groups that you monitored?
    The methods used were not new, scientists have previously used quadrants to study plants, vortices to study beetles and spiders and soil monoliths to study earthworms. The Showcase project designed protocols using these sampling methods that were used to ensure that the way the sampling was done was consistent across all of the sampling within the Showcase project. For example, with vortice sampling this means standardising factors such as number of seconds the vortice is used, the size of the area sampled and the distance between sample points.
  2. Do you know what percentage of farms are already using cover crops?
    This is information that would be really valuable but, unfortunately, I don’t have access to this information. This would be a great project. A possible way of doing this would be to collaborate with the major cover crop suppliers and see which are their most popular mixes. You’d also need to consider the motivations behind the use of cover crops, as farmers have different motivations (including for pollination, reducing nitrate leaching or improving soil structure) and this would impact which mixes they would look to use.
  3. Are there alternatives to using chemicals to remove the cover crop?
    There are two main ways to kill off the cover rop. The first is use of herbicides. The amount of spraying can be reduced by grazing, rolling off or planting winter sensitive species. The second option is manual removal, which would be the method used by organic farms. There are disadvantages to both of these methods. Herbicides result in chemical run-off and contamination. Manual removal through tilling will lead to increased soil compaction. There is a lot of debate in the scientific and farming communities about which methods are less destructive for the environment and there is no easy answer. I’ve noticed that farmers that I’ve worked with seem to be getting more responsive, and are thinking more about interventions, for example tilling only when they feel it is needed rather than tilling at a set frequency each year.
  4. Did the farmers get paid for taking part in this research?
    No, participation in this research was voluntary and we are extremely grateful for the farmers that allowed us to undertake this research on their land!
  5. What is the next step in this research?
    Continuity is a really big issue in the world of research. Research grants are usually 3-5 years and arable rotations can be as long as 8 years. Some funding bodies do support long-term experiments, particularly as the value of these is recognised with long-term experiments contributing disproportionately to policy and practice. It can sometimes be tricky to get repeat funding for continuing or extending a project, as there can be an emphasis on supporting new and snazzy projects. I will be continuing working on co-design with farmers and will be looking at agroforestry where you plant rows of trees in arable fields.

Literature References

  1. Brennan (2014) A Comparison of Drill and Broadcast Methods for Establishing Cover Crops on Beds: https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/49/4/article-p441.xml
  2. Klebl et al (2024) How values and perceptions shape farmers’ biodiversity management: Insights from ten European countries: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320724000570?via%3Dihub
  3. Michalko et al (2018) Habitat niches suggest that non-crop habitat types differ in quality as source habitats for Central European agrobiont spiders: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167880920304345
  4. Nivelle et al (2016) Functional response of soil microbial communities to tillage, cover crops and nitrogen fertilisation: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0929139316302190?via%3Dihub
  5. Shackelford et al (2019) Effects of cover crops on multiple ecosystem services: Ten meta-analyses of data from arable farmland in California and the Mediterranean: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264837718312584
  6. The Royal Society (2020) Soil structure and its benefits: An evidence synthesis: https://royalsociety.org/-/media/policy/projects/soil-structures/soil-structure-evidence-synthesis-report.pdf

Further Info

entoLIVE

entoLIVE webinars feature guest invertebrate researchers delving into their own invertebrate research. All events are free to attend and are suitable for adults of all abilities – a passion for invertebrates is all that’s required!

entoLIVE is delivered by the Biological Recording Company in partnership with the British Entomological & Natural History Society, Royal Entomological Society and Amateur Entomologists’ Society, with support from Buglife, Field Studies Council and National Biodiversity Network Trust.

The entoLIVE programme is delivered by Biological Recording Company and receives sponsorship from the following organisations:

More on earthworms

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Signal Crayfish Virtual Symposium

Invasive crayfish are one of the biggest threats to aquatic ecosystems worldwide. They can cause major adverse effects on native crayfish, invertebrates, fish and plant communities as well as bank erosion and sedimentation. The American Signal Crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) has been responsible for a massive decline in the UK’s native White-clawed Crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes) due to competition and the transmission of a deadly disease, crayfish plague. It continues to expand across Great Britain and Europe, causing major negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems.

A variety of signal crayfish control methods have been attempted with varying degrees of success. This Signal Crayfish Virtual Symposium will bring together conservationists, ecologists, freshwater biologists and more to discuss the latest in Signal Crayfish control in Europe and what more can be done.

This event featured four presentations:

  1. American Signal Crayfish: England Case Study with Dr Eleri Pritchard (Environment Agency)
  2. Can Fish Help Us Control Signal Crayfish? with Dr Nicky Green (Nicky Green Associates)
  3. Barriers to Stop the Spread of Invasive Crayfish with Armin Zenker and Raphael Krieg (University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland)
  4. Genetic ‘Immunisation’ of Invasive Species with Prof Bruce Whitelaw (University of Edinburgh)

American Signal Crayfish: England Case Study

Dr Eleri Pritchard (Environment Agency)

The American Signal Crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) is classed as an invasive species in the UK, where it is known to erode riverbanks and be driving the native White-clawed Crayfish (an) towards extinction through the spread of crayfish plague and competition for resources (refuges in particular). This presentation will provide an England case study in terms of invasion history, current status, impacts, legislation and current efforts to control.

Dr Eleri Pritchard is a freshwater ecologist with a particular interest in aquatic invasive species. Eleri works as an Environmental Monitoring Officer in the Cumbria and Lancashire Area of the Environment Agency. Eleri completed her NERC-funded PhD on invasion biology and ecological impacts of signal crayfish in headwater streams.

Check out the full blog here

Can Fish Help Us Control Signal Crayfish?

Dr Nicky Green (Nicky Green Associates)

Some species of fish have been shown to be valuable tools in the fight against signal crayfish. This presentation discusses how fish can influence crayfish survival and presents case studies where fish have been used as part of integrated crayfish control projects.

Dr. Nicky Green has been working with both native and non-native crayfish in the UK since 2003. Her main focus is the development of simple, cost effective ways of reducing the impacts of American signal crayfish.

Check out the full blog

Barriers to Stop the Spread of Invasive Crayfish

Armin Zenker and Raphael Krieg (University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland)

Crayfish barriers are the only way to stop the non-anthropogenic spread of non-native crayfish species. Various barriers have been installed in Switzerland in recent years. In addition, field trials have been carried out to check their effectiveness and fish passability.

Armin Zenker and Raphael Krieg, are founders of the “Swiss Coordination Office for Crayfish” on behalf of the Federal Office for the Environment in Switzerland, which campaigns for the protection of native crayfish species. As part of their activities, they have carried out various scientific projects on crayfish barriers, population genetic studies and work closely with local fisheries authorities.

Check out the full blog here

Genetic ‘Immunisation’ of Invasive Species

Prof Bruce Whitelaw (University of Edinburgh)

Engineering biology technology can provide humane approaches to control invasive non-native animal populations. Within the developing toolbox, gene drive strategies offer much potential for species-specific applications, but have yet to be deployed. To become a practical option to control signal crayfish populations will require establishing embryology capability in this species, with subsequent testing of gene drive strategies.

Professor Bruce Whitelaw is an academic who develops genetic engineering applications in livestock species, aiming to mitigate the impact of disease and produce more productive animals. Recognising this technology could be applied to wild animals, he is exploring strategies to assist in maintaining biodiversity in the face of invasive, non-native species.

Check out the full blog here

Event Partners

This event is delivered by the Biological Recording Company and Nicky Green Associates.

More on freshwater biology

Check out the Freshwater Invertebrates collection on Eventbrite