Home Planet - Bluetongue, Butterflies and Bees

Bluetongue is a devastating disease of lifestock, spread by a tiny midge. It only arrived in the UK three years ago, carried on a tide of climate change. However, will a cold winter kill the midges and slow down the spread of disease? Does the molasses some councils are mixing with road grit pose a threat to roadside vegetation? Will disturbing a hibernating butterfly cause it harm? And we sift fact from fiction as we discuss the mating flight of the queen honey bee. Making up the panel this week are ecologist Dr Lynn Dicks of Cambridge University; entomologist Richard Jones and Dr Chris Collins, a soil scientist from Reading University. Contact: Home Planet BBC Radio 4 PO Box 3096 Brighton BN1 1PL Or email [email protected] Presenter: Richard Daniel Producer: Toby Murcott A Pier Production for BBC Radio 4.