Practise wildlife gardening

Overall effectiveness category Awaiting assessment
Number of studies: 1
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Calculating overall effectiveness category

Study locations

Key messages

A site comparison study in one city in the UK found more species of bumblebee in domestic city gardens with lower intensity of management, a measure reflecting the tidiness of the garden and the use of garden pesticides. Solitary bees were not affected by this measure.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

A site comparison study of 61 domestic gardens in the city of Sheffield, UK, recorded the abundance and species richness of invertebrates, including bees, along with aspects of garden management, based on questionnaires issued to householders (Smith et al. 2006a,b). Bees were sampled in flight using a 'Malaise trap' set for two weeks between June and September in each garden. 'Management intensity' was calculated from scores for weeding, pruning, watering, dead-heading flowers, collecting autumn leaves, and the use of fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides. An index of 'wildlife management' was based on whether householders fed birds, provided bird nest boxes or used other (unspecified) methods to attract wildlife. Results showed that the number of bumblebee species (but not their abundance) was related to management intensity, with more species in gardens managed less intensively. Solitary bee species richness was related to the number of plant species in the garden (both native and alien), but not directly to the interventions relevant to wildlife gardening. The abundance of solitary bees was related to the number of native plant species, but was lower in gardens with a higher index of 'wildlife gardening' (mostly focussed on encouraging birds).
Additional reference
Smith R.M., Gaston K.J., Warren P.H. & Thompson K. (2006b) Urban domestic gardens (VIII): environmental correlates of invertebrate abundance. Biodiversity and Conservation, 15, 2515â€ 2545
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Smith R.M., Warren P.H., Thompson K. & Gaston K.J. (2006) Urban domestic gardens (VI): environmental correlates of invertebrate species richness. Biodiversity and Conservation, 15, 2415-2438.

Please cite as:

Dicks, L.V., Showler, D.A. & Sutherland, W.J. (2010) Bee conservation: evidence for the effects of interventions. Pelagic Publishing, Exeter, UK

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

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This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Bee Conservation

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Protect brownfield sites Action Link	Awaiting assessment	0	Synopsis Link
Practise wildlife gardening Action Link	Awaiting assessment	1	Synopsis Link
Conserve old buildings or structures as nesting sites for bees Action Link	Awaiting assessment	0	Synopsis Link