An injured queen bumblebee named Phoebee, rescued by Gilly McArthur 52 days ago, has become an internet sensation. McArthur found Phoebee with a broken wing by a roadside in July and brought her home, initially expecting her to die.
Phoebee, a buff-tailed bumblebee, accompanied McArthur on a sailing trip, where posts about her on Instagram led to global attention. McArthur received messages from people worldwide sharing their own stories of helping insects.
Andy Benson of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust noted that while McArthur's rescue is heartwarming, the general advice for lost bees is to place them on a flower. He highlighted that a third of British wild bees and hoverflies are in decline, with a quarter of European species at risk of extinction due to habitat loss, climate change, and pesticides. Pollinators like bees are crucial, as one in three mouthfuls of food depends on them.
McArthur hopes Phoebee's story encourages people to plant more flowers for pollinators and observe nature more closely.