A Gardener's Friend

A Gardener's Friend

Ladybirds - here are 47 species of ladybird species that can be found in the UK and each one varies in size and colouring. Their bright colours are used to warn predators of their foul taste however, some species of ladybird lack this foul taste and instead rely on predators associating all ladybirds as being bad to eat. Ladybirds are often viewed as a pleasant visitor to gardens this is because they not only help pollinate plants, but they also help maintain aphid populations at bay helping to protect gardeners' plants. 

Jersey Toad- the toad species found in Jersey is the Western Common Toad making it a distinct species not found in the rest of Britain. Additionally these toads cannot be found anywhere else in the Channel Islands, aside from Jersey, making them an even more unique species in need of protecting. These toads feed on earthworms, insects and woodlice and tend to breed at an earlier time to the toads found in England. A must be garden's friend to help much on those snails.

Buff-tailed bumblebees- these bees are the largest bumblebees found in Britain and they tend to favour larger open flowers as they can reach the nectar easily. Their underground nests can reach numbers of around 600 individuals, and they tend to use old abandoned small mammal burrows as nests. As buff tailed bumblebees have noticeably short tongues, they have adapted to using nectar robbing to obtain nectar from flowers that are too deep. This is when a bumblebee chews a hole through the side of a flower to access the pollen with less difficulty. Additionally, while these bees usually search for food alone studies have suggested that young bees learn which flowers are more useful and provide more pollen faster when there are older individuals also foraging around them.

 

 

Jersey toad
7 spot ladybird
buff-tailed bumblebee
Author
Rafael Fernandes