Irish buff-tailed bumblebees are genetically distinct from their British counterparts

This news has important implications for conservation practices and may also inform the way imported commercial populations are managed

The buff-tailed bumblebee exists in the wild but has also been domesticated for commercial use

New research from pollinator experts shows that Irish populations of one of the most commonly sighted bumblebee species show genome-wide differences from those on the island of Britain.

The news that our native bees are cut from a different cloth to their British counterparts has important implications for conservation practices and may also inform the way imported commercial populations are managed.