Scientists are now trying to re-introduce the short-haired bumble bee, last seen in this country in 1988. In 1885, the species was exported to New Zealand where it has thankfully been thriving, although it may be about to come under threat.The bee relies on another import to New Zealand - the viper's bugloss for its survival. Recently the government in New Zealand has announced a plan to eradicate this plant from the islands completely.
Previous attempts to bring back the short-haired bumblebee to its native land have failed. It is very difficult for the bees to adapt to life in a new hemisphere and they seem to contract fatal jet-lag following the mammoth journey. There has also been much difficulty breeding them in captivity.
A captive breeding breakthrough may have been made thanks to Czech bumblebee enthusiast Jaromír Čížek. His secret is to only feed the queen bees on bumblebee pollen, instead of the standard honeybee pollen previously used.
In combination with techniques to reduce the jet-lag, such as keeping the bees very cold during the journey to induce hibernation, the breeding programme means that it may not be long now before the countryside is buzzing once more with the sounds of the short-haired bumblebee. The bees will have to pass a critical health check to ensure the safety of their reintroduction. Then from April 2010, they will start to be released back into their natural habitat, beginning at Dungeness, the location of the last known sighting of the bee.
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