Factsheet 10 Land management series

Managing moorland... for bumblebees

Bumblebees are key to maintaining Britain’s biodiversity as so many wildflowers depend upon them for pollination. Moorlands and their associated habitats such as mountains, forests, heaths and bogs are valuable wildlife habitats which make up 46,000 square kilometres of the British uplands and cover approximately 43% of Scotland, 14% of Wales, 8% of Northern Ireland and around 5% of England. All of these moorlands support bumblebee habitats which, in turn, provide bumblebee populations with an important refuge.

Why maintain a moorland?

High quality heather moorland in full bloom at Moorlands are fantastic areas for Gairnshiel, Aberdeenshire. Adam Smith (GWCT). wildlife, including bumblebees. Indeed, the Bilberry bumblebee (Bombus monticola, also known as Mountain bumblebee or Blaeberry bumblebee) is found only in bilberry-rich moorlands. The Heath bumblebee (Bombus jonellus) is also found in moorlands. The heavy abundance of heather on most moorland provides a nectar source for bumblebees late into the summer months and dense patches of heather provide an excellent shelter for bumblebees if the weather takes a turn for the worst. Most moors are semi-native habitats, maintained in their open, sunny form by management and land-use. Grazing, burning and cutting for sporting and farming reasons over hundreds of years has resulted in a grouping of plants which thrive under this management. bumblebeeconservation.org Sensitive moorland management to help conserve bumblebees.

Management When Why Rotational heather burning Restricted by law to between If heather is left to grow, it (muirburn) – between 5-25 the 1st October and 10th April in grows dense and woody with a years, depending on the rate of England and Wales and 1 Octo- reduced flowering. Controlled heather growth and other man- ber to 15th April in Scotland. burning removes the dead agement aims e.g. grouse. heather and encourages new growth. Graze with livestock April to October Grazing keeps the heather growth under control. However, grazing by sheep, cattle, deer and hares must be balanced in order to avoid over-grazing and over-trampling of fragile soils. Spray bracken with safe herbi- Mid-July to the end of August Bracken kills other vegetation cides and can be poisonous to sheep and cattle as well as producing potentially carcinogenic spores. Mow (or burn, with permission) August-September A license must be obtained to areas of heather affected by burn the heather out of season heather beetles as the potential for damage to other biodiversity at this time of the year must be balanced against heather recovery.

Bee-friendly moorland plants Birds-foot trefoil (Lotus moorlands and is also a useful corniculatus /L. pendunculatus) is plant for bumblebees. Bell Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus, also another moorland favourite of heather (Erica cinerea) and cross- known as blaeberry, winberry or bumblebees as it provides leaved heather (Erica tetralix) are whortleberry) is an excellent excellent forage for the workers. both fantastic plants for evergreen shrub for the Bilberry It flowers throughout May to bumblebees, especially the Heath bumblebee. It is widespread in August and is a hardy plant bumblebee. The queen Heath upland sites and grows best in largely due to its deep, branched bumblebee uses the pollen to sunny spots, typically open areas root system. establish nests and rear workers. following muirburn and grazing If heather is not in abundance, and in forestry sites in light Heather (Calluna vulgaris) is the the queen may use wild thyme shade. dominant plant in the majority of (Thymus polytrichus) as a substitute. Buff-tailed bumblebees quality is very poor it is possible to bracken may be poisonous for and Red-tailed bumblebees are get a license to burn moorland out cattle and sheep (but this is rare also known to heavily use heather of season from the appropriate and usually down the animal not as a nectar source. governmental organisation (NRW the plant), and the spores are in Wales, SNH in Scotland, NE in considered carcinogenic. More Pests England). information from Heather beetles can become a www.brackencontrol.co.uk. significant pest where heather is Bracken can swamp and suppress stressed by drought, over-grazing many of the flowering plants that Phytopthora ramorum is a fungus- and flooding. Heather beetle benefit bumblebees. It is like pathogen recently recorded in erupt in large numbers after mild important to keep the levels of bilberry, resulting in severe winters and warm springs. The bracken in check on your dieback. This notifiable disease heather beetle eggs hatch into moorland. Where it is necessary can be transferred to other grubs in late May and feed on to eradicate bracken, use a safe species such as larch, and full young heather shoots and stems herbicide or use machinery to cut/ biosecurity measures are causing them to desiccate and die. roll over the stands. Targeted necessary surrounding affected One of the most effective grazing by cattle or horses in early sites. No cure or chemical methods managing the impact of spring using licks to concentrate treatment has been found to heather beetles is by controlled grazing, when the fronds are date. See guidance from the rotational heather burning emerging can also be very Forestry Commission for more (muirburn) of the moor, including effective, the aim being to information affected areas. Follow burning trample the young fronds. Limited (www.forestry.gov.uk/ advice in the Heather Burning poaching in the autumn will pramorum). Code or Muirburn Code for your expose rhizomes to frost, further country. If moorland habitat weakening the plant. However,

Heath bumblebee in flight, showing the white tail and two Bilberry bumblebee in flight, showing the characteristic yellow stripes extending across the thorax and abdomen. orange tailed and two yellow stripes . Livestock grazing Grazing is a very effective means of managing moorland areas. However, it is crucial to have a correct density of livestock and, where present mountain hares, red and roe deer. Too few grazers and the moorland will become old and tired, producing fewer flowers unless burning or cutting is used. Too many grazers will lead to overgrazing and suppression of nectar and pollen rich flowers (see picture, left). Minimising grazing pressure during the winter is especially valuable at protecting the flowering heather tips.

Funding

Heather moorland at Langholm demonstrating how significantly grazing can Funding to support the affect the habitat. The moorland to the top left is fenced, excluding sheep, and management of moorland on the right the sheep have access. The heather and other flowering shots have habitats is available through the been grazed off, leaving only grasses (Adam Smith, GWCT). UK’s regional agri-environment schemes. Heather Moorland also be used. Specialist advice is Other Links Where heather has been lost to necessary to make sure the right The Heather Trust grass through overgrazing or bare conditions are present and seeds (www.heathertrust.co.uk) peat has formed, bee-friendly germinate and survive The Game and Wildlife heather moorland can be re- (www.moorlandassociation.org). Conservation Trust instated by re-seeding heather; in (www.gwct.org.uk) very small areas plug-planting can

Key facts Upkeep – Balanced summer grazing with heather burning every 5 to 25 years (depending on rate of growth). Suitable for – Moorland/Heather Moorland Sustainability – Long-term option Bumblebee rating- **** bumblebeeconservation.org