insect pollinators

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Insect Pollinators

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About 80% of British plants,

including many crops, useinsects to transfer pollenbetween flowers.

Pollen fertilizes the flowerenabling the plant to develop

seeds and fruits

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The main insect pollinators are

Honey bees Bumble bees Hoverflies

Butterfliesand

moths

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Busybees , dcJohn, 2005https://www.flickr.com/photos/dcjohn/23384053/

Why are they important to us?

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oilseed rape

orchardfruit beans

soft fruit

Insects are responsible for pollinatingsome important UK crops

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A colony of honey bees has aqueen, male drones and up to

35 000 female worker bees

Check Your Bees!! Don Hankins, 2008https://www.flickr.com/photos/23905174@N00/2465770923/

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Whilst a queen bee can livefor 5 years a worker will onlylive for about 40 days.

In that time each worker willproduce one teaspoonful of

honey.

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The UK has wild populations of

solitary bees and bumblebees butalso

Summer Farewell Blossom and Bee, Bob Peterson, 2011https://www.flickr.com/photos/pondapple/6260451786/

Running Bumblebee, William Warby, 2008https://www.flickr.com/photos/wwarby/2989235345/

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up to 50 000 colonies ofbumblebees are imported

into Britain each year.

Flower and Bumblebee, digital cat, 2008

https://www.flickr.com/photos/14646075@N03/2811990080/

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The imported bees are used topollinate greenhouse tomatoesand fruit such as strawberries

grown in polytunnels.

Polytunnel Tomatoes, Julie Gibbons, 2010https://www.flickr.com/photos/organikal/4909527843/

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Has there been a recentdecline in the number of

pollinators in the UK?

What do you think?

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Honeybees

The number of hives declined by 50% in England

between 1985 and 2005

Between 2010-2011 the 17.5% of colonies in

England and Wales were lost over winter

Between 2008-2011 beekeepers reported

improvements in the health and vigour of their

bee colonies

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50% of the areas which have beensurveyed have lost species since 1980.

10% of the areas have gained species

Bumblebees

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25% of species have declined since the

1980s

10% of species have increased in number

Hoverflies

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75% of UK butterflies show a 10

year decrease in their

distribution or population (2011)

66% of common moths species

have declined in number since

1970s.

37% of these species have

declined by more 50%

Butterflies and moths

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Honey Bee (Apis melliferaLinnaeus), Jim, the Photographer, 2011https://www.flickr.com/photos/jcapaldi/6151061542/

Bumble bee, Marilyn Peddle, 2007

https://www.flickr.com/photos/marilynjane/976578549/

Hoverfly lollypop, Aussiegall, 2007

https://www.flickr.com/photos/aussiegall/681204297/

Moth, Tess, 2013

https://www.flickr.com/photos/davenport/9386931968/

Oil Seed Rape, Amanda Slater, 2008

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pikerslanefarm/2480526989/

Apple Blo ssoms , Oak Glen, Don Graham, 2014

https://www.flickr.com/photos/23155134@N06/13969652002/

Soft Fruits, Andy Rogers, 2013

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cobaltfish/9339353151/

455. Runner beans , InAweofGodsCreation, 2007https://www.flickr.com/photos/nhoulihan/3844381387/

Image Credits

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This can be used as a stand alone resource or with the other Teachit Science

resourcesWind or insect pollinators (22853) and Insect pollinators and world food supply(22662).

This is useful as a starter and introduction to the topic and is ideal to generate

discussion.

Slide 3 ask students to name the insect pollinators before revealing their names.

Slide 4 the question gives students an opportunity to discuss why they think insectpollinators are important.

Slide 5 ask students to name the crops before revealing their names.

Slides 11-14 ask students to evaluate the facts given to say whether theyshow if insect pollinators have declined in number overall.What effect could this have on our food supply?

Teaching notes