It may be hard to tell, what with April's snowy surprises, but officially it's Spring. Which is when all sorts of plants and animals (and humans) rouse themselves and get on with stuff - like writing a new quiz for example.

If you get all the answers right then you go into the rain hat for winning a radio clock with built in weatherperson to help you decide how many spring layers you need to put on in the morning.!

Ready? Steady? Spring!

1. About a quarter of people with hay fever are affected in spring. What plants' pollen is to blame in springtime?
   • Hay
   • Trees
   • Mushrooms
   • Reveal Answer
     
   
   
2. The British bluebell - in flower in May - is under threat from the Spanish bluebell, because they cross pollinate and produce plants with all the characteristics of the Spanish and not the British bluebell. Why is this?
   • The Spanish bluebell has dominant        genes.
   • The British bluebell does not produce        seeds.
   • The Spanish bluebell produces far        more pollen.
   • Reveal Answer
     
     
3. In spring you will find 2cm long queen bumblebees flying about, looking for food and a nest site. Why don't bumblebees produce much honey?
   • They are far too greedy to leave any        honey uneaten.
   • Colonies are started each year by a        queen bumblebee, so they don't store        food over winter.
   • They are too furry to keep honey;        they'd become sticky and unable to        fly.
   • Reveal Answer
   
   
4. Why does the weather change from cold to warm during spring?
   • The Earth is moving closer to the Sun        from March to August.
   • The Earth moves so the northern        hemisphere stops pointing away from        the Sun.
   • The Earth starts to spin more slowly        so the days are longer and can warm        up more.
   • Reveal Answer
   
   
5. In the United States tornadoes are most common in spring, when cold arctic air meets warm air and huge storms are produced. When are tornadoes most common in the UK?
   • Late autumn and winter
   • Only in February
   • There are no tornadoes in the UK
   • Reveal Answer
   
   
6. Which of these animals hibernate through nearly the whole of spring?
   • Cat
   • Dormouse
   • Fox
   • Reveal Answer
   
   
7. Which of these foods, rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, is in season in the UK in March?
   • Purple sprouting broccoli
   • Blackberries
   • Apples
   • Reveal Answer
   
   
8. In spring, aphids start feeding on plant sap. At this time of year female aphids produce genetically identical daughter aphids without mating. What is this process known as?
   • Parthenogenesis
   • Myxomatosis
   • Mitosis
   • Reveal Answer
   
   
9. In April, small birds called sooty shearwaters begin their epic flight from New Zealand to Alaska. Their round trip can be as much as 39,000 miles. What is this kind of journey called?
   • Migration
   • Exfoliation
   • Desertification
   • Reveal Answer
   
   
10. British summer time starts in March and ends in October. Changing the clocks means we have light mornings in winter and light evenings in summer, but which cycle in the human body is upset by the move?
    • Circadian rhythm
    • Krebs cycle
    • Unicycle
    • Reveal Answer
      

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