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<p>There are 25 species of bumblebee resident in the UK, including the short-haired
bumblebee which is currently being re-introduced under Natural England’s Species Recovery
Programme.</p><p> </p><p>In 2014 Defra published independent research on the status
of pollinators in the UK. The study identified an overall decline in wild bee diversity
over the last 50 years. This concluded that bumblebee species that have become less
widespread are associated with the loss of flower-rich habitat, driven by changes
in agricultural land use and urbanisation.</p><p> </p><p>Both Environmental Stewardship
and now the new Countryside Stewardship schemes fund the provision of food and habitat
for wild pollinators. The new scheme in particular incorporates a Wild Pollinator
and Farm Wildlife package which provides year-round food, winter shelter and nesting
places essential for pollinators.</p><p> </p><p>Although honeybees face many of these
environmental pressures their population is driven by the number of beekeepers willing
and able to keep bees. There is some evidence that the number of beekeepers, and therefore
the number of honey bees, may have increased since 2009 as more keepers are registered
on the National Bee Unit’s BeeBase and with beekeeping associations.</p>
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