Almost half of native wild bees are endangered
Published: Friday, May 17th 2024, 10:01
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45 percent of native wild bees are endangered. The reason for this is the lack of flowers to collect pollen and nectar as well as a lack of nesting sites. However, several species that were considered extinct 30 years ago are back in Switzerland.
As a result of climate change, some warmth-loving wild bee species are returning to Switzerland for the first time or after a long time, as the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) announced on Friday.
The situation of bees in Switzerland is similar to that of countries such as Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, the report continued. Richly structured and widely used areas in the Jura and the Alps are home to a wealth of species that is exceptional even at European level. The restoration and maintenance of national biotopes such as dry meadows also contribute to this.
The updated Red List of Bees is the second of its kind and replaces the one from 1994. 615 bee species were assessed in total, of which 279 (45.4 percent) were placed on the Red List, 59 (9.6 percent) of which are extinct in Switzerland. Of the species on the Red List, a further 40 percent are vulnerable, 30 percent critically endangered and just under ten percent critically endangered.
The figures are in line with the results of the first Red List, wrote the FOEN. A direct comparison between the studies is not possible due to the broader data basis of the updated list.
©Keystone/SDA
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