Breaking news – Bee killed by micro plastic fibre
A beautiful buff tailed bumble bee was found dead at the side of the path. Thinking this was a bit early in the spring for this to be natural I took it home. To my horror it was entangled in microplastic fibre and looked like it had tried to get rid of this by stinging it.
Is this another reason for the reduction in numbers of bees along with habitat loss and pesticides? Maybe microplastic fibre tangled in the legs reduces the amount of pollen it can carry, or in the eye stops it navigating, or in the wing stops it flying. It would be like us carrying around a garden hose pipe.
Last autumn I looked at the dead bees and wasps found naturally out doors. Seventy percent of them had microplastic on the bodies. Of the two found so far this year, it is two out of two. Another reason to reduce the tide of fast fashion?
SBM May 2020
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