Bees, ants and wasps

The yellow loosestrife bee collects oil which it uses to waterproof its wetland nests. 

It’s estimated that pollinators help produce one in every three bites of the food we eat. 

Narrow-headed ants ‘farm’ aphids, in a system that helps both insects survive.  

What we need to do and where
A heath potter wasp is in flight with an orange caterpillar in its mouth. The wasp is just reaching it's nest 'pot' that is attached to some woody vegetation against a blurred green background. The pot is shaped like a vase with the round circular base attached to the small branch before going into a narrow neck and widening slightly at the opening. The nest pots surface is light grey-brown and uneven. The heath potter wasp itself is all over black with yellow stripes across its body (from side to side not rear to front). It has a pointed teardrop abdomen, long slim body, getting wider towards the head, The head has large black mouthparts, black eyes and thick black antennae. The wings are only visible by a clear blur above teh wasp. Six yellow legs with black feet dangle below the body of the wasp.

Heath potter wasp, John Walters

Two narrow-headed ants can be seen on a forked birch branch against a blurred background. The ants have dark brown, large teardrop-shaped abdomens and long, slim orange-red bodies, legs and faces. The two ants face each other on the branch. The ants to the right is walking away from a partially visible leaf holding small black aphids that the ants farm.

Narrow-headed ants, John Walters

A long-horned bee peers over the top of a yellow flower petal against a blurred backdrop of green and pink vegetation. The bee faces the camera head on, clearly showing two very long black antennae. The bee has black eyes and a black bandit marking across both yes as well as black legs. The rest of the bee's head is honey yellow. The bee appears to be fluffy.

Long-horned bee, John Walters

1. About

Bees, ants and wasps are all discussed here as they are very closely related. They all have four wings (although a few ants are wingless), a narrow waist and a modified ovipositor that can sting as well as lay eggs.

Bees, ants and wasps are among the most beneficial insects to humans. Bees and some species of wasp are crucial pollinators. Wasps are important pest controllers as they feed on the larvae of other insects. Ants improve soil heath because they move organic matter as they forage and tunnel. 

Bees, ants and wasps are found in a wide range of habitats across Devon as different species have adapted to live in different conditions. However, all three groups generally need:

Nesting and hibernation sites: Bumblebees, honeybees, ants and some species of wasp live in colonies and exhibit complex social behaviour. Colonies contain queens that lay eggs, sterile female workers that look after the colony and male drones that mate with the queen. However, solitary bees and some wasps build individual nests and work alone. They all need a wide range of warm, sheltered places to nest in summer and hibernate in winter. Wasps usually make their nests from wood they’ve chewed, building the nests in trees, lofts, sheds and underground. Bumblebees nest underground or in dense vegetation. Solitary bees nest in holes in wood, hollow stems, walls or tunnels they dig into loose soil. Ants build their nests in soil. 

Food: Bees mainly eat nectar and pollen. Different flower shapes, scents and colours attract different species at different times of year, starting in spring when the queens emerge from hibernation and lasting until late autumn or early winter. Ants and wasps are scavengers and predators and feed on a wide range of plant material and other insects.    

Connected habitat mosaics: As bees, ants and wasps have different needs at different times of year, they depend on a network of diverse habitats that provide a variety of food sources.

There are 250 species of bee in the UK and xx in Devon. There are xxx species of ants in the UK and xxx in Devon. There are 9,000 species of wasp in the UK and xxx in Devon. Eight ants, 13 wasps and 31 bees are listed as Devon Species of Conservation Concern. Of these one ant, one wasp and eight bees are listed as Devon Focus Species as they need particular action or attention.

Sawflies, gall flies and parasitic wasps: Bees, ants and wasps are called aculeates and are in the scientific order of insects known as Hymenopera. This order also includes sawflies, gall wasps and parasitic wasps. These species are not discussed in the LNRS as there are no recording schemes for them (although a sawfly recording scheme is being developed). However, many are parasitic and so conserving their host species should also benefit them.

Key pressures and opportunities

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Habitat loss and lack of connectivity

Land uses such as intensive farming, forestry, urban development and infrastructure schemes have led to the loss and fragmentation of habitats across Devon. Lack of management of existing habitats, or changes to their management, can lead to the loss of food plants, nectar sources, breeding and overwintering sites. Many species are now living in isolated sites where populations cannot survive.   

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Climate change

Rising temperatures, extreme weather events and seasonal changes disrupt life cycles, make food less available and alter habitats. More severe storms increase erosion of the cliffs some bee species nest in.

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Pesticides

Herbicides reduce sources of nectar and insecticides can cause significant harm to bee, ant and wasp populations. There are huge opportunities for all sectors to reduce their use of pesticides. For more information see Pesticides.

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Funding and projects

There are opportunities to use funding such as agri-environment schemes to restore and manage habitats and to connect them through grassy field margins, hedgerows and stream corridors. There are a number of conservation projects across Devon that are focused on bees. See Inspiration below for more information.  

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Community action

Because of the enormous interest in pollinators, community groups and individuals across Devon are taking action for bees. There is less interest in ants and wasps, but they’ll also benefit from actions taken for bees.

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Research

Invertebrates are often under-researched and misunderstood, leading to a lack of conservation action. Not knowing what a species needs can lead to its decline or even extinction. See Find out more below to see a collection of bees, ants and wasps that are in particular need of further survey and research.

2. What we need to do and where

Priority

Increase the abundance and distribution of bees, ants and wasps across Devon, particularly those identified as Focus Species.

See Find out more below for relevant national and local targets.

Focus species

Crumbling cliff bees

Read more

To read more please go to the Sidmouth to Dorset coastal wildbelt group page. 

A six banded nomad sits on a grey rock facing the bottom right corner of the photo. It has orangey-yellow legs, oragey brown antennae, a black and yellow striped abdomen and a fuxxy black body and head. The dark, clear wings lay on top of one another against the abdomen, the large dark eyes are just below the antennae on on the head, and a lighter, yellowey mouthpart is just visible below those.

Start Point to Bolt Tail invertebrates 

Read more file_open
A carder bumblee sp. collecting pollen from a cluster of small pink flowers. The bee has a striped furry brown, shiny black abdomen. It's wings are a clear brown protudingfrom a very furry body which has a reddy brown centre and paler brown outer. The face and forelegs are shiny black. The back legs are shiny brown-black at the tops and bottoms but brown and furry in the centre with pollen visibly stuck to them. There are also clearly segmented black antennae protruding from the head.

Rare carder bumblebees

Read more

Two species, the brown-banded carder bumblebee and the moss carder bumblebee, are listed as Focus Species. They’ve undergone a serious national decline since the 1970s and the Devon populations are nationally important.   

Carder bumblebees need a range of flowering plants, in particular those with long tubular flowers (they have long tongues) but also clovers, peas, mint, figwort and the daisy family. Both species nest on or just below the ground among long grass or mossy vegetation. They have a clear preference for extensive, well-connected flowery habitats with rough grasslands.  

Brown-banded carder bumblebee

Bombus (Thoracobombus) humilis.

There is a healthy population of the brown-banded carder bumblebee in Devon at Braunton Burrows. There are also signs that it’s recovering on the surrounding north Devon coast and towards the Hartland peninsula. A population of the bee was known to be on the south coast, around Prawle Point, and it was re-recorded there in 2022.  

Moss carder bumblebee

Bombus (Thoracobombus) muscorum

In Devon, this species is currently only found on the north coast near Braunton. It can be found in damper habitats than the brown-banded carder bumblebee and in the past was known to be on the moors and wetlands of Dartmoor. There is a larger and more established population in Cornwall which the Devon population needs to be linked to. However, the Devon population is thought to be declining. 

Actions

Create a continuous network of flower-rich habitat along the coast for rare carder bumblebees 

  • Manage (through light grazing and scrub control) and expand a connected mosaic of sunny, flower-rich grasslands, preferably in or close to areas of wet habitat. Grasslands created along watercourses, hedges, field margins and road verges will provide connectivity and stepping stones to help the bees disperse.    
  • Avoid using pesticides. 

Where to focus action

High Opportunity Areas: Cornwall to Morte Point Coastal Wildbelt. See Mapping.

A heath potter wasp is in flight with an orange caterpillar in its mouth. The wasp is just reaching it's nest 'pot' that is attached to some woody vegetation against a blurred green background. The pot is shaped like a vase with the round circular base attached to the small branch before going into a narrow neck and widening slightly at the opening. The nest pots surface is light grey-brown and uneven. The heath potter wasp itself is all over black with yellow stripes across its body (from side to side not rear to front). It has a pointed teardrop abdomen, long slim body, getting wider towards the head, The head has large black mouthparts, black eyes and thick black antennae. The wings are only visible by a clear blur above teh wasp. Six yellow legs with black feet dangle below the body of the wasp.

Heath potter wasp

Eumenes coarctatus
Read more

This wasp is restricted to heathland sites across southern England, from Devon to Sussex. In Devon it’s only known to be in the Pebblebed and Bovey Basin heaths.   What do we need to do to expand the population to other heaths with suitable habitat?  How well do they disperse?  

Heath potter wasps are known for (and named after) the unique vase-like structures the females build to lay their eggs in. To build the 10-25 pots she will make in her short lifetime (just two to three months), the female needs a site that has water and clay, with heather, gorse and grass nearby. Females lay an egg inside each pot and add up to 38 moth caterpillars, creating a larder for the wasp larva when it hatches. Moth species the wasps prefer are the double-striped pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata) and the narrow-winged pug (Eupithecia nanata), which feed on gorse, heather and holly. 

Actions

Provide a mosaic of habitat with heath, bare soil and water for heath potter wasps. 

Where to focus action

High Opportunity Areas: Pebblebed heaths mosaic and Bovey Basin heaths mosaic. See Mapping.   

Two narrow-headed ants can be seen on a forked birch branch against a blurred background. The ants have dark brown, large teardrop-shaped abdomens and long, slim orange-red bodies, legs and faces. The two ants face each other on the branch. The ants to the right is walking away from a partially visible leaf holding small black aphids that the ants farm.

Narrow-headed ant

Formica exsecta
Read more

The narrow-headed ant is endangered. In the UK it’s only found in Devon at Chudleigh Knighton Heath SSSI and the adjacent road verges, and at a few sites in the Scottish Highlands. 

The ants build south-facing domed nests, typically in tussocks of grass on the edge of heathland. Their nests are often close to trees, on which they ‘farm’ aphids. The ants herd the aphids towards food and protect them from predators. In turn, the aphids allow the ants to feed on the sugar-rich honeydew they secrete.  

The species lives in small colonies, which means the ants can quickly dismantle their nests and move to a sunnier spot, or set up temporary satellite nests to take advantage of seasonal resources. This makes it hard to monitor where the ants are.  

Habitat loss and fragmentation mean the species cannot naturally disperse in Devon. Threats include scrub encroaching onto nesting areas and nests being destroyed when verges are cut. A potential future threat comes from mineral extraction rights at Chudleigh Knighton Heaths.  

Actions

Manage Care for and expand heaths in the Bovey Basin for narrow-headed ants 

  • Use rotational management to create mosaics of heathland with open areas for nesting ants, taking care not to destroy nests.   
  • Do not damage nests when managing roadside verges.  
  • Continue to experiment with re-introductions. 
  • Consider the species in mineral planning. 

Surveys and monitoring 

  • Monitor the effects of habitat management methods to better understand which heathland conditions best support the species. 
  • Monitor nests annually.   

Where to focus action

High Opportunity Areas: Bovey Basin heaths mosaic. See Mapping.

Bilberry bumblebee

Bombus monticola
Read more

This bumblebee is also known as the mountain bumblebee as it’s found in uplands among habitat mosaics of flower-rich grassland and heathland with bilberry.  

Bilberries are particularly important in spring when the queens first fly. However, other key plants for the species include willow, bell heather, bird’s-foot trefoil, clovers and bramble. Bilberry bumblebees nest in old mammal burrows in fairly small colonies of around 50 workers. 

Once widespread, the bee is now facing serious declines. This is thought to be due to habitat loss and its vulnerability to climate change, as the bee is dependent on high altitude habitats and has a low heat tolerance. The bilberry bumblebee is a great indicator of a healthy, wildlife-rich upland landscape.  

Devon has two of the few upland moorland areas in the south of England making it of national importance for the species. Little is known about the bilberry bee in Devon other than ad hoc records from the edge of Exmoor and around Castle Drogo, Hembury and Parke on Dartmoor.  

Actions

Protect Safeguard, manage maintain and restore a mosaic of species-rich heaths and meadows on Exmoor and Dartmoor with abundant bilberry for the bilberry bumblebee. 

  • Restore and manage maintain upland heath with bilberries, heathers and scattered willow. 
  • Restore and manage maintain upland flower rich grasslands. 
  • Provide networks of flower-rich corridors (hedgerows, field margins and along watercourses) to increase connectivity and help the species disperse.  

Where to focus action

High Opportunity Areas: Heathland and meadows on Dartmoor and Exmoor. See Mapping.

Actions for all bees, wasps and ants

Habitat management and creation

Bees, ants and wasps will benefit from actions to manage, create and connect a mosaic of habitats across Devon. For more information see the Habitats pages. Habitats of particular importance for all bees, ants and wasps are linked below.

Anyone who manages habitat with rare species or who wants to create new habitat for them should be aware of their needs. For more information see the list of Devon Species of Conservation Concern and Find out more below.   

Discuss whether to include a general infographic or headline actions for bees, ants, wasps – flowers (including scrub and trees), uncut grass, reduce pesticides, dead wood, bare ground etc. 

Survey, monitor and engagement

  • Survey and monitor species (especially Focus Species) and share records with DBRC and the Devon County Recorder. For more information see Find out more below. 
  • Support organisations and projects working to help Devon’s bees, ants and wasps. 
  • Raise the profile of bees, ants and wasps (especially ants and wasps) and their needs across Devon. 

3. Inspiration

Case studies

There’s lots of great work going on across Devon for bees, ants and wasps. For example:

Narrow-headed ant projects

From 2017 to 2020, Buglife worked in partnership with Devon Wildlife Trust on the Back from the Brink project. The project vastly increased what we know of the narrow-headed ant’s complicated lifecycle and translocated nests to triple the number of English sites.  With the help of volunteers, Buglife is continuing this work.

Two narrow-headed ants can be seen on a forked birch branch against a blurred background. The ants have dark brown, large teardrop-shaped abdomens and long, slim orange-red bodies, legs and faces. The two ants face each other on the branch. The ants to the right is walking away from a partially visible leaf holding small black aphids that the ants farm.

Westcountry Buzz project

The Bumblebee Conservation Trust’s Westcountry Buzz project focussed on bumblebees along the north Devon coast, including the brown-banded carder bumblebee. The project trained volunteer ‘BeeWalkers’ to identify and monitor bumblebees and advised landowners on how to support bumblebees.  What happened to this project?

Where to visit

Always follow the Countryside Code and stick to footpaths and sites which are managed for public access. 

Sites which are accessible to the public and are good places to see lots of bees, ants and wasps include:

Killerton

Killerton is a National Trust property near Exeter. The estate has a traditional orchard, broadleaf woodlands and wildflower meadows and is a great place to see many invertebrates, including bees, ants and wasps. The best time to spot them is on sunny days.

Braunton Burrows

Braunton Burrows is an extensive dune system on the north Devon coast. The area is a designated UNESCO Biosphere Reserve as it supports rare species of plants and invertebrates, including the brown-banded carder bumblebee and the moss carder bumblebee. 

For more information on these and other sites which are open to the public please see the Explore Devon website.  

4. Find out more

Ask for useful links during the Consultation 

Surveying

Add information on Devon recording schemes – Devonshire Association? 

The Bees Wasps and Ants Recording Society website has information on all species.

The UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme has information on how to help monitor the UK’s pollinator species – add link

List of species which need to be ‘found’ to be added.

General

The AntWiki website has a wealth of information on the world’s ants.

Buglife has information on how people can help bees, ants and wasps in their local area, including their garden.

Carder bumblebees

The Bumblebee Conservation Trust website has lots of information about bumblebees, including carder bumblebees.

The National Trust’s North Devon Grasslands project is creating new species-rich grasslands, which will help support the county’s rare bumblebees.

Narrow-headed ant

Buglife have published a worksheet on the narrow-headed ant.

The Wildlife Trusts website has information on the narrow-headed ant.

Buglife’s Bug Directory has a page on the narrow-headed ant.

Bilberry bumblebee

Bilberry bumblebee- Bumblebee conservation

Key delivery partners   discuss whether to add during consultation

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