Author Topic: Where are the bees? (Read 2628 times)

andyoxon · « **on:** 02 June, 2013, 09:59:10 am »

If you're in the garden /a garden have you seen any honey or bumble bees?

Sunny, early June, and we have a fair few flowers out now, but... no bees.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #1 on:** 02 June, 2013, 10:08:33 am »

What sort of flowers? Not all flowers are attractive to bees.

Do you have any cotoneaster? That is usually covered in honey bees when it is in flower.

Pancho · « **Reply #2 on:** 02 June, 2013, 10:15:19 am »

A few bumbles bumbling around yesterday.

I'll keep an eye out today and update.

pcolbeck · « **Reply #3 on:** 02 June, 2013, 10:18:28 am »

Its been a bad couple of years for bees. My friend who is a bee keeper has lost six out of his ten hives this winter. Last summer they were having to feed the bees with sugar solution as due to he bad weather there weren't enough flowers.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #4 on:** 02 June, 2013, 11:57:02 am »

The honey bees that have taken up residence in the wall of a bungalow-style building in our local park were quite active this morning.

Pancho · « **Reply #5 on:** 02 June, 2013, 01:58:47 pm »

Walked over to a bit of flower strewn wilderness at the edge of the garden and there were half a dozen honey bees doing their thing. So all seems well here. I'll ask our local bee keeper when I see him next.

Tail End Charlie · « **Reply #6 on:** 02 June, 2013, 08:25:14 pm »

The bumble bees I've seen have all been a bit moribund. And fewer honey bees than I'd expect. Hope they can recover.

andygates · « **Reply #7 on:** 02 June, 2013, 08:38:39 pm »

The long cold spring will do that. Most of my apple-tree visitors are hoverflies this year. A few bees around but not the thrummim we get some years.

They're insects, they'll breed up again.

Biggsy · « **Reply #8 on:** 02 June, 2013, 08:50:25 pm »

To bee or not to bee? You can help. Grow flowers that bees like. Friends of the Earth send packs of seeds and info when you make a donation to their bee fund.

I wouldn't care if it wasn't for their honey. Yellow and black stripes give me the willies.

Speshact · « **Reply #9 on:** 02 June, 2013, 08:59:57 pm »

A couple today. Fingers crossed for more soon.

andyoxon · « **Reply #10 on:** 02 June, 2013, 09:00:19 pm »

Noticed very few today.
Flowering atm:
Geums
Poppies
Some geraniums
Phlox
Campion
Aquilegia
Peony

In 2011 our large Cotoneaster waterii had masses of flowers and the whole thing was buzzing with bees. Managed to get stung when my sandals scooped up a bee.

ferret · « **Reply #11 on:** 02 June, 2013, 09:14:26 pm »

not seen that many, but they are about, even in the colder weather from a few days ago. I was weeding a border on Thursday and there were quite a few going about their duties.

Regulator · « **Reply #12 on:** 03 June, 2013, 09:14:35 am »

Lots of bees at home (Cambridge) and on the allotment. We put bee hotels in last year and they seem to have paid off. We've also planted quite a few bee/insect attracting plants.

Meegat · « **Reply #13 on:** 03 June, 2013, 10:35:56 am »

Our Big Blue Bee Bush* is noisily buzzing with bees all day long.

Mostly honeybees and some bumbles.

* I think it's 'California Lilac'

Biggsy · « **Reply #14 on:** 03 June, 2013, 09:33:33 pm »

Bee problems in America as well.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=honeybee-food-may-contribute-to-us

JohnP · « **Reply #15 on:** 03 June, 2013, 10:01:41 pm »

as wowbagger - our cotoneaster was swarming with bees this afternoon.

Crumbling Nick · « **Reply #16 on:** 17 June, 2013, 02:47:06 am »

Was browsing around the gardens of Coughton Court yesterday and saw lots of little bumble bees. They were feeding on the maroon flowers of a sort of spear-thistle, though there were also a lot on other garden flowers. I've not noticed these bees before. Size was only marginally longer than a honey bee, though noticeably fatter, rounder and furry.

bumper · « **Reply #17 on:** 17 June, 2013, 07:43:47 am »

My garden is full of bees. I have made an effort to attract them with the right flowers and flowering trees though, so I can take macros of them and hover flies etc..

I have discovered a nest under my shed. The bees just pop out buzz around the garden then back under the shed!

CAMRAMan · « **Reply #18 on:** 17 June, 2013, 07:57:41 am »

Quote from: JohnP on 03 June, 2013, 10:01:41 pm

as wowbagger - our cotoneaster was swarming with bees this afternoon.

Our cotoneaster bush was so busy with bees a couple of weeks ago that you could literally hear it humming from yards away. Mainly honey bees, but there are now some bumblers swotting up the last few florets.

My foxgloves and an unknown succulent with tall stems and thin, pointy leaflets and purple florets is providing for the bumblers now.

loadsabikes · « **Reply #19 on:** 25 June, 2013, 11:40:38 pm »

Collected a swarm on Monday and have hived them at my apiary. Attempted to get a swarm today from halfway up a gabled roof, Mrs Miggins climbed out the Velux window. Would have made a good youtube clip, two nutters in beesuits climbing around on a roof three floors up on a school. Then they all cleared off anyway.

Fab Foodie · « **Reply #20 on:** 25 June, 2013, 11:59:24 pm »

Got a few bumbling around Foodie towers where the shrubby bits are flowering.

contango · « **Reply #21 on:** 26 June, 2013, 12:05:38 am »

Quote from: andyoxon on 02 June, 2013, 09:59:10 am

If you're in the garden /a garden have you seen any honey or bumble bees?

Sunny, early June, and we have a fair few flowers out now, but... no bees.

Loads of bees on the flowers in London, both honeybees and bumblebees. Saw a fair few bees in Somerset over the weekend as well.

jogler · « **Reply #22 on:** 26 June, 2013, 06:53:53 am »

In our bloody loft,that's where the bees are.

sg37409 · « **Reply #23 on:** 29 June, 2013, 09:40:15 pm »

My wife has seen a couple of these in my garden

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-23062663

Regulator · « **Reply #24 on:** 01 July, 2013, 05:13:33 pm »

Quote from: sg37409 on 29 June, 2013, 09:40:15 pm

My wife has seen a couple of these in my garden

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-23062663

We saw several yesterday at the Redgrave Nature Reserve.

They're very distinctive.

Author Topic: Where are the bees? (Read 2628 times)

Tail End Charlie