Bee watch

[TopCat]

I have seen bumble bees but not a single honey bee nor wasp. I’m concerned.
Any bee sightings where you are?

 

[Pickman's model]

I've seen a few but far fewer than I expected

 

[farmerbarleymow]

I have seen bumble bees but not a single honey bee nor wasp.

(((wasps)))

 

[mx wcfc]

Numbers have definately been down, but over the last few years, rather than just this year.

It's too late, isn't it?

 

[sojourner]

Loads here, but I've had tons of campanula flowering, then all the wildflowers.

 

[weepiper]

I've seen a few round here. Always more bumbles though.

 

[Spymaster]

Loads here, but I've had tons of campanula flowering, then all the wildflowers.

Cheers. I didn't know that a campanula was a flower and I hadn't got around to googling our poster's name.

 

[Spymaster]

Any bee sightings where you are?

I was woken up last week to what sounded like a chainsaw going off under my pillow. Scared the shit out of me. It turned out to be a huge bumble bee that had come in and got itself trapped.

 

[Epona]

I wouldn't worry about honey bees, not seeing any is like being concerned that there's a field with no cows in it - they aren't a wild species, they're effectively imported farm animals.
Just means there's no-one with a hive near you.
Which is good for the wild bees

 

[Elpenor]

I see quite a few bees in my garden, I have made a point of planting bee friendly plants though

That said, I couldn’t tell the difference between types of bee

 

[StoneRoad]

Numbers are quite well down this year, compared to normal [ditto butterflies] seen only a few bumbles [red admiral / misc white ones, which probably include orange tips].
Very concerning --- think the wet winter / late spring has had an affect. ditto pesticides.

I usually get a range of wild / bumble bees and a few honey bees - I've been contemplating extra planting / nest sites as part of my long-term garden restoration.
Some friends think I should keep bees as they seem to like me !

 

[Callie]

Lots of people with lavender commenting on the lack of bees.

Plenty of bumbles in my garden for the foxgloves, bramble flowers. There was even one on the hydrangea which I had never seen before.

Earlier in the year we had hairy footed flower bees (they like the flowering currant) and now I'm seeing wool carder bees (after the fluff from the rose campion)

 

[cesare]

In the nature reserves near us there have been lots of solitary bees, butterflies and bumble bees.

As far as our garden is concerned we don't use insecticides or weed killer and the number of insects has increased a lot since we moved here a couple of years ago. Just this morning Button saw a bumble bee emerge from one of the flowers on our fox glove.

And the birds catch beakfuls of insects, not seen them catch any bees though. They grab caterpillars and grubs a-plenty.

 

[Dystopiary]

I saw a bee on some agapanthus yesterday. I hadn't been out for a while so I'm like "it's a f***ing bee!" It was pretty windy, and the pictures aren't great I'm afraid.

The little bee was hanging on, these flowers were getting past their best too, but it did the rounds getting getting blown about with the swaying agapanthus.

Despite the blur, you can see its little bee proboscis. I don't know what kind of bee it was.

 

[danski]

Bee lovers, watch this

My Garden of a Thousand Bees

New PBS documentary following wildlife filmmaker Martin Dohrn as he films more than 60 species of bees in his urban garden in Bristol, England, during the COVID-19 2020 lockdown.

www.mygardenofathousandbees.com

I'm not sure of the best service to watch it from but make the effort, it is well worth it <3

 

[geminisnake]

Callie what is the pink/cerise flower called please, I have loads in my garden and I don't know it's name.

We are up on different bee species but numbers have been down here for the last 5 yrs or so due to the late starting summers, this year has been horrid for plants and insects. I rescued a bee last night, it was huddling in some grass so I lifted it onto a dandelion so it could get a feed May have been a white bummed queen

 

[Callie]

Callie what is the pink/cerise flower called please, I have loads in my garden and I don't know it's name.

We are up on different bee species but numbers have been down here for the last 5 yrs or so due to the late starting summers, this year has been horrid for plants and insects. I rescued a bee last night, it was huddling in some grass so I lifted it onto a dandelion so it could get a feed May have been a white bummed queen

rose campion. There is a very bright white version too and you can get a pink and white one.

 

[Rebecca Riot]

I've got leaf cutter bees in my garden and they're fascinating to watch. They take a little bite of leaf from a pot of violets growing nearby and fly into the greenhouse with it and burrow down into the soil of one of the flowerpots where I'm growing my sempervivums. Once they've made their nest they lay their eggs in there and cap the nest with another piece of leaf. They don't seem in the slightest bit bothered if I'm working in the greenhouse while they're doing their thing.

 

[Callie]

I have left cutters too but have never seen the chomping the leaves. Only the semicircular holes after. Also not sure where they are living.but I have seen the with their frantic wiggly bums on flowers!

 

[StoneRoad]

Last few years and especially the wet / cold spring this year seem to have been very poor for bees - of any sort.

 

[geminisnake]

rose campion. There is a very bright white version too and you can get a pink and white one.

Campion to me is the wild stuff in the verges, you live and learn, thanks I've seen the white, it's lovely but it probably wouldn't stay white with the amount of rose in my garden, I've had other flowers change to the main colour before My chequered snake's head lilies mostly turned white I'm guessing cross pollination.

 

[stethoscope]

Like butterflies and moths, as an indicator species they've been thinner on the ground this year which is a worry. Here's one that was obliging for a close-up the other week...