News

Local MP Backs "BEES' NEEDS Week" and Action for Pollinators

Gordon MP Richard Thomson has highlighted “Bees’ Needs Week”, which takes place this week and makes a call on the public to take five simple actions to help pollinators. 

Thousands of pollinators – bumblebees, butterflies, moths, flies and honeybees – are essential for food production and biodiversity.  But they are under threat, facing growing challenges from climate change, pests and diseases, invasive species and habitat loss. 

The five simple actions are easy to do, and it doesn’t matter how much space is available – every action, big or small, counts.  To sustain bee populations, everyone can: 

1. Grow more flowers, shrubs and trees 
2. Let an area of your garden grow wild 
3. Cut your grass less often 
4. Don’t disturb insect nest and hibernation spots 
5. Think carefully about whether to use pesticides 
   
   Commenting, Richard Thomson MP said: 

“I am pleased to highlight this initiative which coincides with new research published which found that crops visited by pollinators had more stable yields, with 32% less variation than those crops grown in the absence of pollinators. 

“Improving pollinator populations could therefore help stabilise the production of important crops like oilseeds and fruit, both very important to us here in the North-east. 

“Pollinators therefore play an important role in upholding biodiversity and food production and we can all play our part to support them.”

• Press Release