Public Places
Desire line paths in a newly sown hay meadow
Leeds University pointed out how the latest research into pollinating insects had serious implications for the way we should maintain public land. He explained how the
Government has invested in a research programme involving a number of UK universities to investigate the science behind pollination and the causes of decline in important pollinating insect species. This research has informed the National Pollinator Strategy 2014 (see boxed item). Preliminary findings from this research have produced some interesting and surprising facts. There are around 25 species of bee in the UK (of which the honey bee is just one), representing around 26% of pollinating insects. Flies - including 250+ species of hoverfly - represent 67% of pollinators. Butterflies and moths represent 2%, bugs and beetles the remainder. In general, flies seem to
prefer rural sites, country parks and nature reserves, whereas bees appear to favour urban sites, such as allotments, parks, gardens, cemeteries etc. (although as many as 85 hoverfly species have been recorded in one garden alone). Bees flourish in less-manicured sites and neighbourhoods, and it appears that our fixation on the cleaning and tidying of beds and borders and manicuring
lawns has contributed to the serious decline of many of these insects. Rough grassland areas have
three times more pollinator species than standard mown grass. Un-manicured and un- raked shrub-beds, flower borders and wildflower plantings encourage pollinators: honey bees, bumble bees, solitary bees, hoverflies, bugs, butterflies, beetles and flies. Key findings include that, in
general, single yellow flowers are the most visited by pollinators. In addition, early flowers such as dandelions, the mid-season ones like ragwort and wild carrot, and late ones such as autumn hawkbit and ivy are critical to their survival. These are currently often viewed as problem weeds rather than valuable food sources and nesting or hibernating sites which are vital to the survival of pollinating insects. Dr. Goddard believes there is
now a strong case for amending grounds maintenance regimes with a view to preventing the decline of pollinators, and the Britain in Bloom judges are now clear that neatness and tidiness is not preferable to good habitat management which some people still perceive as ‘an untidy mess’. For instance, differential mowing regimes which allow weeds such as dandelions to
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