The South West is losing its pollinators
Habitat loss, pesticides and a shifting climate have eroded the UK's pollinator populations for decades. The data below outlines the scale of the loss, with the South West among the regions feeling it most.
Wildflower meadows, 1950–2024
Indexed to 1950 = 100. The single biggest driver of the UK's pollinator decline.
South West — species by county
Share of regional bee species assessed as declining (vs stable/increasing).
What's driving the decline
Relative contribution of each pressure.
Reported winter colony losses
% of honeybee colonies lost over winter (South West associations).
Figures are aggregated and illustrative, drawn from UK pollinator status summaries, State of Nature reports, and regional beekeeping association winter-loss surveys. The South West is consistently among the most-affected English regions.
The good news: habitat heals faster than it falls
Even small plots of connected land help. Here's what everyone can do.
How to encourage bees