Farmers to create 3,000-mile 'bee motorways' around Britain?

AOL Travel
Farmers to set up 3,000-mile &#39;bee motorways&#39; around Britain?
Farmers to set up 3,000-mile 'bee motorways' around Britain?

Britain's grassland could be turned into "bee motorways" in a bid to stop the decline in insects and encourage them to migrate around the country.

The scheme would see farmers either volunteer or receive cash to create a 3,000-mile network of 'green' corridors rich in wild flowers to attract the bees, the Sunday Times reports.

Other insects like butterflies, hover flies and moths would also be able to migrate around Britain without being restricted to isolated areas of countryside between towns and farmed fields.

According to the Daily Mail, landowners in Yorkshire have already been recruited, where 60,000 acres are needed for pollinating bees to thrive.

There is believed to be only half the number of nectar producing insects in Britain, compared to 25 years ago.

Matt Shardlow, chief executive of Buglife told the Sunday Times: "If we lose a lot of our pollinator species, we lose a lot of the options for feeding ourselves. The more we lose, the less likely we are to be able to feed ourselves in an efficient way."

Related articles

Downpours almost 'apocalyptic' for UK wildlife

The most amazing British wildlife photos ever captured?