top of page

A Day in the Life of the UK’s Rarest Bee: the Shrill Carder Bee

By Julia Kohut


Introduction


Hello there.


I was once a familiar sight across much of Southern Britain, but these days spotting one of us is rather special. My name is Sophie and I’m a Shrill Carder Bee (Bombus sylvarum), and I am now one of the UK's rarest bumblebees. But hardly anyone has heard of me.


That doesn't make me a celebrity, unfortunately. I've yet to receive any autograph requests. But, it does mean I am legally recognised as a Priority Species of Conservation Concern in England and Wales. [1]


My story is connected to wildflowers, farming, conservation, and even the food on your plate. Let me tell you a little about my life.


Why We Matter 


Like all bees, I spend much of my life visiting flowers.  


Shrill Carder bees are renowned for their long tongues.  Our queen’s tongue is around 10.6mm long.  I’m a worker bee and my tongue is 8.8mm long.  Great for sipping nectar from bell shaped or tubular flowers. [1]


You might think I am simply searching for nectar to satisfy my sweet tooth, but every flower helps with pollination.  This in turn literally keeps the world alive.


It’s been calculated that bees and other insects contribute £600 million to UK crop production. [2]


We have even been given the rather funny title of ‘pollination service providers.’  Although, I've never received a salary for this work, but the flowers seem grateful.

  

Many wild plants depend on pollinators like me. In turn, those plants provide food and shelter for countless other animals, helping support healthy ecosystems and biodiversity.  It’s amazing how interconnected the whole world is and the part we have to play in it.


Not bad for a Shrill Carder Bee that weighs less than a paperclip, don't you think?


Image 1 - Shrill Carder Bee (Bombus sylvarum) on knapweed by Andreas Trepte
Image 1 - Shrill Carder Bee (Bombus sylvarum) on knapweed by Andreas Trepte

Why am I Called a Carder Bee?


Humans can be wonderfully creative when naming new species.


The "shrill" part of my name comes from the high-pitched buzz I produce while flying. 


The "carder" part refers to the way my relatives and I use plant fibres and dried grasses when building our nests. Early naturalists thought this behaviour resembled the process of carding wool, where fibres are combed and prepared before spinning.


A surprisingly historical name if you ask me.


Life in a Shrill Carder Bee Colony 


Unlike most of Britain's bee species, I am not a solitary insect.  I live in a small colony with about 40-70 workers. [1]


Every spring, a queen emerges from hibernation after spending the winter hidden away. She is alone and must do everything herself. She searches for food, finds a suitable nesting site and begins raising the first generation of workers. 


Our nests are often built on or just below the ground, tucked among grasses and plants. We card together dried vegetation and fibres to create a cosy home, which explains part of our unusual name.


When the first workers emerge, life becomes much easier for the queen. We take over many of the foraging duties while she focuses on laying eggs.


Here's something many humans don't realise: bumblebees can warm themselves up before flight. On cooler mornings,


I can vibrate my flight muscles to generate heat.


This allows many bumblebees to fly in temperatures that would keep other insects grounded, helping us forage earlier in the day and in less than perfect British weather. [3]


As summer progresses, our colony grows busier. Some workers gather nectar. Others collect pollen. Together we help support the flowering plants that depend on insect pollination.


Life inside a colony is more sophisticated than many people realise. We can learn efficient foraging routes between flowers, almost like creating a mental map of the area. Some scientists even compare these routes to delivery networks, helping us collect the most nectar while using the least amount of energy. [4]


Workers can also learn from experience. If a particular patch of flowers proves especially rewarding, we are more likely to return to it. This helps colonies like ours respond to changing conditions throughout the seasons. [5]


By late summer, the colony begins producing males and new queens. After mating, the young queens prepare for winter hibernation, while the rest of the colony gradually dies off. It may sound sad, but for us it is simply the natural rhythm of life.


Then next spring, the cycle begins again.


Habitat Loss and the Decline in our Numbers


A healthy shrill carder bee colony requires a steady supply of nectar and pollen throughout the season. That means we need many different flowering plants blooming at different times of the year. 


When wildflower meadows are connected, travelling between feeding sites is relatively easy. However, when habitats become isolated, life becomes much more difficult for us. [6]


Imagine if every supermarket in your town disappeared except one located several miles away. You could still reach it, but doing so would require far more time and energy and we can visit thousands of flowers in our lifetime. 


Unfortunately, unlike humans, we cannot order nectar online.


This challenge is part of a much larger issue facing many UK rare bees.


What Happened to my Home?


A century ago, my shrill carder relatives could be found across much larger areas of Britain.  Today we can only be found in five places in England and Wales.  These include Gwent Levels, Thames Estuary, Somerset, Pembrokeshire and Port Talbot to Kenfig. [1]


Over many decades, flower-rich grasslands have disappeared as landscapes have changed. Some habitats have been developed for things like agriculture, while others have become less diverse in the plants they support due to factors like climate change. 


Since the 1930s, Britain has lost around 97% of its wildflower meadows, removing vital feeding and nesting areas for pollinators like me. [7] We rely on species-rich grasslands filled with flowers such as red clover, knapweed and black horehound, as well as undisturbed vegetation where our colonies can nest.


Even when suitable habitats survive, they are often fragmented into isolated patches. These barriers make it harder for bees like me to travel between feeding areas and nesting sites. 


Another challenge is that smaller populations of bees can struggle to maintain healthy genetic diversity, making long-term recovery more difficult. [6]


Image 2 - Shrill Carder Bee (Bombus sylvarum) on downy burdock by Ivar Leidus
Image 2 - Shrill Carder Bee (Bombus sylvarum) on downy burdock by Ivar Leidus

Humans are Helping


Fortunately, this is not a story without hope.


Across Britain, conservation organisations, volunteers and researchers are working hard to support bumblebee conservation efforts. 


Flower-rich grasslands are being restored and habitat restoration projects are reconnecting fragmented landscapes. These initiatives help pollinators like me move more freely between feeding and nesting areas. [6]


Surveys also help scientists monitor populations and understand where conservation efforts are having the greatest impact making it easier for them to know where to help us the most. If you'd like to contribute to insect conservation yourself, you can take part in the Bugs Matter Insect Survey on our website, helping researchers track insect abundance across the UK. 


This growing focus on compassionate conservation recognises that protecting species like the Shrill Carder Bee also protects entire ecosystems.


How to Make a Difference


Even non-researchers can make a difference.


Simple actions can help support pollinator-friendly gardens and healthier habitats:

  • Plant native wildflowers that bloom throughout the year.

  • Reduce unnecessary mowing to allow flowers to flourish.

  • Create wildlife-friendly spaces with diverse native plants.

  • Support local habitat restoration projects.

  • Avoid removing flowering plants that provide food for pollinators.


Creating a wildlife-friendly garden doesn't require a large outdoor space. Small changes can make a meaningful difference for pollinators and other species. For tips, explore our article, Compassionate Gardening: A Small Change, A Big Impact. Every patch of flowers can provide a lifeline for us and for other wildlife.


A Final Buzz


If there is one thing I would like you to remember, it is this:


Rare species are not just statistics on a conservation report.


I am a Shrill Carder Bee, a living part of Britain's natural heritage. My colony, my flowers and my future are all connected to the landscapes around us.


The good news is that conservation works. By planting native wildflowers, supporting habitat restoration and creating pollinator-friendly gardens, you can help protect pollinators like me which strengthens biodiversity and supports the future of Shrill Carder Bees. 


If you'd like to take your support a step further, consider exploring our volunteer opportunities and becoming directly involved in our journey to help protect wildlife and habitats. 


Maybe the next time you see a bumblebee drifting between wildflowers on a warm summer day, take a moment to watch.


And if you happen to hear a slightly shrill buzz among the blossoms, perhaps it's me.




References

[1] Bumblebee Conservation Trust (May 2024) Species Knowledge Review: Shrill Carder Bee in England and Wales. https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/shrill-carder-bee-species-knowledge-review-05.24.pdf


[2] House of Commons Library (2017) The UK Bee Population 


[3] Oyen KJ et al. Thermal Limits of Bumblebees and Honeybees Are Modulated by Different Functional Traits. PLOS ONE. 2025.


[4] Evans LJ, Raine NE. Changes in Learning and Foraging Behaviour within Developing Bumble Bee Colonies. PLOS ONE. 2014.


[5] Wild B, Sixt L, Landgraf T. Long-term Tracking and Quantification of Individual Behaviour in Bumble Bee Colonies. Artificial Life and Robotics. 2022.


[6] Goulson D et al. Forest Fragmentation Modifies the Composition of Bumblebee Communities and modulates their trophic and competitive interactions for pollination. Scientific Reports. 2020.


[7] Defra - Publishing the Environmental Improvement Plan - turning ambition into action for nature





Internal links 

Link 1 -  Verify Humanity. Bugs Matter citizen science survey. Available at:


Link 2 - Verify Humanity. Compassionate Gardening: A Small Change, A Big Impact. Available at:


Link 3 - Verify Humanity. Volunteer opportunities. Available at:




Images

Image 1 -  Shrill Carder Bee (Bombus sylvarum) on knapweed by Andreas Trepte - Wikimedia Commons, 2nd August 2022


Image 2 -  Shrill Carder Bee (Bombus sylvarum) on downy burdock by Ivar Leidus - Wikimedia Commons, 27th August 2015



 
 
 

Comments

bottom of page