Invertebrates FAQs

Solitary bees need pollen, nectar, and warm, bare areas of earth or sandy substrate to burrow into. Some solitary bees will use artificial homes, such as bee hotels, however any tubes that remain empty and not sealed up by the bees inside, will need to be cleaned out or replaced at the end of each year, as parasites can quickly build up and harm the bees using them. Ensure you have a range of plants in flower from early spring to autumn and some sunny, bare areas of ground in your garden to best support your solitary bees.

On warm sunny days you may observe the bees coming and going, but when nests have been built you will see the ends of the bamboos sealed with mud (red mason bees) or small pieces of green leaves (leaf cutter bees). It is important that any empty tubes that remain at the end of the year are replaced or cleaned out with hot water and pipe cleaners, as parasites can quickly build up and harm the bees using them.

The bees that use your bee home may not emerge until the first warm spring days of the following year. There is an excellent chance these bees will then use more of the canes in your bee home to build their own nests.

Bumblebees are charismatic and important pollinators, but they have undergone rapid declines in their range and population in recent years. There are 25 bumblebee species native to the UK – of those, three are now extinct and six have declined by over 80%. 

The reasons for their decline are complex, but have been attributed to a loss of habitat, nesting sites and wildflowers; intensive agricultural farming practices; pesticide damage; development on important brown fields sites; and climate change. Gardens are important habitats for bumblebees, and providing plants with nectar early in the season, such as primroses and willows, and wilder areas for them to nest, such as the base of a hedge or tall grassy corner, can go a long way in supporting bumblebees in your patch. 

For more information on supporting bumblebees in your local area, head to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, or the BugLife website, who run B-Lines – a nationwide project working to increase bee and other invertebrate populations through wildflower highways and habitat networks running through towns and countryside. 

Pollen and nectar are needed to feed adult bumblebees and their larvae. It is important to ensure that there are flowers in your garden from early spring through to late summer, covering the whole of the bumblebee season. 

Bumblebees like to build nests in redundant mice and shrew holes. These may be found at the base of a hedge or in an area of rough grass, so leaving an area uncut in your garden can help bumblebees. To make an artificial underground nest site, dig a hole, place a ball of moss or dry grass in the bottom, and then cover it with a slab, leaving a small entrance hole. 

For more information on supporting bumblebees in your local area, head to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, or the BugLife website, who run B-Lines – a nationwide project working to increase bee and other invertebrate populations through wildflower highways and habitat networks running through towns and countryside. 

Bumblebees do not die when they sting. Unlike hive bees which leave their sting in their victims, bumblebees withdraw their sting. Bumblebees are unlikely to sting unless they are severely provoked.

The large, fearsome-looking hornet may not be a well-loved insect, but they are actually much less aggressive than the common wasp. It is also an important pollinator and predator of invertebrates that feeds on plants and crops, so it can be an excellent helper in the garden. Depending on where the nest is, leave it alone if possible. Unless disturbed or threatened, a hornet will not sting.

Telling a butterfly from a moth is not always easy, as the two are closely related. The easiest way to recognise a butterfly is to look at the antennae: those of the butterfly have clubbed ends, whilst moths have fine and often feathery antennae, without the clubbed end. In addition, a butterfly rests with its wings closed tightly, held vertically above the body. In contrast, a moth usually rests with its wings folded horizontally flat over the body with the forewing largely obscuring the hindwing. Butterflies rarely fly at night, and many will only fly in bright sunshine. Moths fly mainly at night and the few day-flying species can be recognised by their antennae and resting posture. 

There are many pollinator plants and garden flowers which provide nectar attractive to both butterflies and bees. If you want to attract butterflies, try to have some nectar producing plants in flower from late winter and early spring all the way through until late summer and autumn. There is a huge range of plants that butterflies will feed from but among the best are: mint, catmint, marjoram, oregano, buddleia, iceplant, red valerian, honesty, sweet rocket, lavender, wallflowers, and honeysuckle. 

The nectar from ivy flowers in autumn is very attractive to red admiral butterflies. Fallen fruit in autumn will be fed upon by red admirals, commas, and peacock butterflies. 

Wildlife gardens should also include the food plants for butterfly caterpillars. A small patch of nettles in a sunny location may attract red admirals, commas, peacocks, and small tortoiseshells to lay eggs. Holly blues lay their eggs on holly (first generation) and ivy (second generation), orange-tips on garlic mustard, and painted ladies on thistles. So, try to ensure both nectar for the adult butterflies and food plants for their caterpillars are available.  

The swallowtail butterfly is now limited to the Norfolk Broads, choosing sites with a vigorous growth of milk parsley, where it lays its eggs on the tallest plants. They usually emerge from late-May to mid-July, and if they have a second brood, then a second emergence from mid-August through to September. Although a rare British insect, if you go to the right place, such as NWT Hickling Broad and Marshes, NWT Ranworth Broad or RSPB Strumpshaw Fen, early in the morning on a windless day, you may be lucky enough to see one. 

In Norfolk, the swallowtail butterfly lays its eggs on milk parsley as this is the sole food plant of the caterpillar in Norfolk. 

The swallowtail’s breeding sites are restricted to the Norfolk Broads. The swallowtail requires sites which have a vigorous growth of milk parsley – its favoured food plant - where it will lay its eggs on the tallest plants. They can usually be found at NWT Hickling Broad and RSPB Strumpshaw Fen. 

Any rise in water levels or increase in salinity will affect the growth of the milk parsley. However, milk parsley has the potential to grow in other areas and will move if there is suitable habitat. Active management of fenland, where sedge is cut to allow other plants to grow, plays an important part in the survival of the swallowtail in Norfolk. 

Occasionally migrant swallowtails from the continent can be found in Southern Britain but these are a different sub-species (gorganus) to those found in Norfolk (britannicus). 

The white admiral butterfly has increased its range within the UK over the past 20 years and seems to be expanding its Norfolk range where it inhabits several separate sites. In fact, the UK site with the largest recent increases is the Bure Marshes area of Broadland. The butterfly does also inhabit a few sites along the North Norfolk coast. Despite the expansion in range, the species seems to be in a general and long-term decline with some sites in central southern England experiencing significant decreases in numbers. 

The butterfly inhabits areas of open woodland which support the common honeysuckle – the sole food plant for the larva of the species. Adults come frequently to bramble blossom. 

The main flight time is from mid-June through to the end of August with a marked peak in July. However, there have been occasional sightings recorded in late September. Sometimes unusual weather patterns, with prolonged periods of cold and wet during the summer months, could upset the usual cycle for some individuals resulting in late emergence. 

The species is quite large and has a distinctive gliding flight. It is unlikely to be confused with any other species except perhaps its close relative – the red admiral, which is often abundant in the autumn months. 

Buxton Heath (northern side) is a prime spot for the silver studded blue butterfly. It is ‘on the wing’ (flying) during July and August.

The Norfolk hawker dragonfly is a resident of the Norfolk Broads and north-east Suffolk. In Britain, it tends to favour slow-flowing dykes and ditches where water soldier plants grow. The Norfolk hawker may be seen soaring above reed-fringed dykes hunting other insects or sitting perched on vegetation at NWT Hickling Broad and Marshes, NWT Upton Broad and Marshes, and RSPB Strumpshaw Fen, from late May until mid-July. 

The main difference is that dragonflies hold their wings open at 90 degrees to their body when resting whereas damselflies hold their wings parallel to their body. Overall, damselflies are much smaller than dragonflies. Dragonflies have huge eyes which occupy most of their globular head, whilst damselflies have much smaller eyes positioned at each end of their oblong head. The flight of a damselfly is a relatively weak fluttering compared to dragonflies. 

If you think you have found a harlequin ladybird, please send a record of your sighting to the Ladybird Survey. Details of how to do this, and a form to download, can be found on their website. 

The harlequin is a non-native species originally from Asia. It has rapidly become one of the most common ladybirds in the UK, taking less than a decade to spread to most parts of the UK since its arrival in 2004. Harlequin ladybirds have ferocious appetites and are thought to be causing a decline in some native ladybird species, as it out-competes its smaller rivals for aphids, and preys on their eggs and larvae. Monitoring its spread across the country is essential. The important information you need to send them should include your name, what you found (adult, larvae, pupae etc), where you found it (a grid reference or What3Words), the date when you found it, and how many you found.