The Government has drawn up a National Plan “Pollinators” (2021-2026), animated at national level, among others, by the Office for the Insectes and their Environment(Opie). In coherence, the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region committed itself in June 2017 to the implementation of a Regional Plan for pollinators.
In this context, the five Regional Natural Parks (PNR) of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, accompanied by the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region, have decided to reflect together on an inter-Pnr action plan to limit this decline and allow the maintenance of the pollination service on their territories.
🗓️ Friday, July 11, 2025 – 🌿 Municipality of Labarde (33) As part of the Biodiversity and Territories Encounters (RBT), organized by the French Office for Biodiversity, a friendly and informative day took place in Labarde (33), within the Médoc Regional Nature Park....
The Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regional Biodiversity Agency, in partnership with the region’s five Regional Nature Parks, organizes an annual series of “Biodiversity Encounters” focused on pollinators and best practices to support them. The theme chosen for this first edition...
The official launch of LIFE Wild Bees was held today at the Médoc Regional Nature Park, in the company of our financial and technical partners! In the presence of Alain Rousset President of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region, Henri Sabarot, President of the Médoc Regional...
Project coodination :
Périgord-Limousin Regional Natural Park
Associated beneficiaries :
Regional Natural Park of Marais-Poitevin, Médoc, Millevaches in Limousin and Landes de Gascogne.
A research laboratory, INRAE, as well as 2 associative partners, the Office for Insects and their Environment
and the Regional Agency for Biodiversity of Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
The wild bees are so called as opposed to the honey bee (Apis mellifera). Unlike the latter, wild bees constitute a vast taxonomic group, extremely rich in terms of biology and ecology, which includes nearly 990 species in France and more than 2000 species throughout Europe. Worldwide, it is estimated that there are more than 20,000 species.
Wild bees constitute a vast taxonomic group, extremely rich in terms of biology and ecology, which includes nearly 990 species in France and more than 2000 species throughout Europe. Worldwide, it is estimated that there are more than 20,000 species.
Adult bees as well as larvae feed exclusively on resources collected from flowers, nectar and pollen :
Pollen provides them with proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins and mineral elements.
Nectar is a source of water and sugar
Unlike the organization in large colonies of several thousand individuals of the honeybee (Apis mellifera), wild bees generally live alone even if some individuals form small villages. We can find, mainly, bees :
Terricolated bees, they can be found in lawns, under grass, or on trails continuously used by walkers, bicycles, ….
Squatting bees, some bees have a great ability to adapt and can settle in various types of natural or artificial crevices
Carpenter bees, these bees will come to dig their nests in the soft wood wormed or in the process of decomposition
Curular bees, these species do not dig their own nest but take advantage of stems already evided, such as those used in insect hotels (reeds, cane of Provence, …).
How can we encourage the presence of wild bees in our gardens?
For a population of a species of wild bee to be maintained over the long term, the habitat must offer the following three elements :
food resources, i.e. a sufficient supply of flowers,
favorable micro-habitats (bare soil, dead wood or even hollow stems),
for some species, some specific materials for the construction of the nest.
Several simple arrangements are possible:
