Cunning bumblebees help plants produce flowers by nibbling away on their leaves in way that speeds up blooming, according to a new report. Bumblebees that wake up earlier in the year than normal due to climate change face a scarcity of pollen because flowers are yet to bloom, European researchers claim. They therefore bite the … Read more
Car makers jump-start their plants back to life as thousands of furloughed employees prepare to return to work By James Salmon for the Daily Mail Published: 21:50 BST, 13 May 2020 | Updated: 21:50 BST, 13 May 2020 Ford and Vauxhall are set to open their plants next week, with thousands of furloughed employees returning … Read more
Grasshoppers are gorging themselves on the equivalent of ‘junk food’ as rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere make plants less nutritious, a study has found. Experts studying a grassland preserve in Kansas discovered that its grasshopper numbers have fallen by more than 30 per cent over the last two decades. Increasing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide … Read more
The managing director of a plant wholesaler said his firm has lost more than £2.5million-worth of business in the last three months after garden centres were forced to close as part of the coronavirus lockdown. Adrian Marskell, who runs The Bransford Webbs Plant Company in Worcester, in the West Midlands, has had to begin throwing away … Read more
Garden centre boss is blasted as ‘wasteful’ for throwing away thousands of plants worth £125,000 when Covid-19 forced its closure Julian Winfield of Haskins Gardens Centres was slammed on social media The centre based near Southampton had to throw away flowers into the skip Social media users asked why they were not donated to care … Read more
Ministers are under growing pressure to allow garden centres to open immediately amid warnings the lockdown will force nurseries to dump 200 million unsold plants and hand rival European firms a major advantage. Former Tory Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers said it was illogical to allow supermarket chains to sell plants and flowers, but not garden centres … Read more
Tiny beetle that attacks ragweed plants and prevents them from flowering ‘could be the key to relieving millions of hay fever sufferers of their symptoms’ Pollen released from the invasive ragweed plant is a key cause of hay fever One plant can release a billion grains of pollen, causing sneezing and itchy eyes Experts found … Read more
Amazon warehouses ‘are prime sites for coronavirus’: Workers at two distribution plants fear the bug will thrive there because of a lack of hand sanitisers and non-enforcement of social distancing among staff Amazon’s business is booming as shop closures have seen orders surge online But a worker in Doncaster said lack of space means they … Read more
Climate change is causing trees and plants to take root in normally barren areas around the world – including the Arctic Circle, according to a new study. UK scientists found warmer and wetter weather makes more greenery grow on savannas and tundras, which collectively make up 40 per cent of the world’s land. Rapid warming … Read more
Having a bonsai tree or cactus on your desk to stare at while working can keep you calm and make your job less stressful, researchers say. Japanese experts studied whether a small plant could really improve mood at work, given nature is known to improve general wellbeing. Office workers were given an indoor plant, such … Read more