A RARE bumblebee has been spotted for the first time in a town after rangers cut down on pesticides.
A long-horned nomad bee was found in Lewes Cemetery for the first time in the town’s history last week.
Cemetery staff also spotted a brown-banded carder bee on the site, the first sighting in more than 50 years.
Lewes District Council parks chief Councillor Julie Carr said insects were thriving at the site because the cemetery is now a pesticide-free zone.
“No chemicals are used to control weeds and unwanted plants, giving the insect and wildlife population a much better chance to thrive,” she said.
“This complements our work to plant wildflowers elsewhere in the district.
“Recently we have seen an alarming decline in the number of bees in the UK.”
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