LONDON — Calling all citizen scientists and nature photographers: now's your chance to be involved in revealing the secret lives of bees.

SEE ALSO: These bees decided to make their home on a busy street in London

Over the course of the next month, hundreds of bees will be released from the rooftops of Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) as part of the London Pollinator Project.

Biologists from QMUL's School of Biological and Chemical Sciences hope to engage the public through a photo contest and events as part of a wider initiative that encourages Londoners to plant bee-friendly gardens.

Plants rich in nectar and pollen such as English lavender, viper’s bugloss, or spiked speedwell, are ideal for bees. Image: Dr Joseph Woodgate

The bees will be fitted with individual coloured number tags, which project leader Professor Lars Chittka says will allow interested citizens to track the bees and even develop their own science projects.

“For example, citizen scientists might be intrigued to see the same bee return to their balcony and might record when during the day, how many times and which flowers they prefer. They may be curious about what these regular visits tell us about a bee’s memory for places and why certain bees prefer particular colour flowers,” said Chittka.



The team hopes that the project will create a buzz around the plight of urban bees and their significant role in food security.

“Once you view animals as individuals rather than anonymous entities, you develop a connection with them, and a deeper understanding of why it's important to assist with the conservation of threatened animals," said Chittka.

And where there's a contest, there's a prize: £100 ($147) Amazon gift vouchers are up for grabs for the best photo of a QMUL-tagged bee on a flower, the highest number of QMUL-tagged bees spotted and the best photo of a London bee-friendly garden.

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