Wild bees and the climate

Climate change is also having an impact on the world of wild bees, shifting the boundaries of their occurrence. Warmth-loving species from the south can move into our latitudes and become established, while native species that prefer a cooler climate look for new habitats in higher or more northerly regions.

The great banded furrow-bee was found in Germany only in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg a few years ago.It is now one of the most common wild bees in summer in Dresden.

It benefits from higher temperatures as well as from the more severe drought of the last few years: knapweed (Centaurea), which survives water shortages comparatively well thanks to long taproots and reproduces successfully, is one of its preferred forage plants.

Image captions:
Plants from the aster family such as knapweeds provide food for the parents and their offspring.
An annoying root weed in the garden - but an alternative food source for the yellow-legged furrowing bee: hedge bindweed [Calystegia sepium (L.) R.Br.].
The female bee digs her brood chambers up to 30 cm deep into the soil.
Male (left) and female (right) of the great banded furrow-bee (Halictus scabiosae).

English translation of the information panel in the Botanical Garden. Original German text: Dr. Barbara Ditsch