bad bee year?

[tom00_uk]

i have been back in the uk for just over two weeks and have seen only a single bee and also two wasps. is it a bad year for them?

[jezlee]

Originally Posted by tom00_uk

i have been back in the uk for just over two weeks and have seen only a single bee and also two wasps. is it a bad year for them?

I couldn't say for the rest of the country, Tom, but here in my Wolverhampton garden I have had plenty of both. On the bees side, I have had an endless supply of Red-Tailed, Buff-Tailed and Common Carders visiting my flowers, plus the odd special visitor like Bombus rupestris (and various solitary bees of course). I always put out apples cut into two onto my lawn for the birds and this year especially, I have noticed common wasps feeding on them. I have just been out in the garden and even though the weather is a little chilly and there wasn't much in the way of insects about, I counted 15 wasps feeding on the current apple halves on the lawn!

[Beekeeper]

Tom,

Although the bee parasite has devastated the countries bee population, the majority of beekeepers are elderly and in my village where once there was probably around 15 beekeepers, now there is just myself and a pal.

Coupled with the fact that the varroa bug caused many beekeepers to just give up as to see your bees die is not very pleasant.

Ian

[Africa]

I agree with jezlee, I think it's been a fantastic year here in Hull. At the moment, my lavenders are buzzing with 4-5 different bumblebee species, and I think I have honeybees from two different hives, as they have put a new hive in a nearby wildlife garden and the bees are quite orange, compared to the brown ones of one of my neighbours. I had many species in the spring or solitary bees pollinating my apples, plums and cherries. I have also seen many cuckoo bees, which cannot do well unless their specific hosts are thriving. All in all I think it has been a good bee year.

[Dogghound]

Been good in my part of north yorkshire, especially for wasps. Even has a hornet last week which is extremely rare in N. Yorkshire.

[Deb London]

It's been brilliant here. Everywhere we go we seem to be spotting them. Saw the mother of all Buff-tailed Bumblebees today, next to a canal in Watford, twenty or thirty on a lavender at Pinner station, and the usual number in my garden. Any suitable plant does seem to be covered in them.

[Kayleigh]

The hardheads (knapweed) are covered in bumble bees in the fields here.

[Adam Cheeseman]

Best year for ages in West Molesey.

Cheers,

Adam

[tom00_uk]

only ask as over the last week or so i have been in north devon, london, bristol and near york and only in york did i come across a bee as well as a was and devon was the other wasp.

one of these days ill get round to a hive in the garden and at least then there will be a few more about.

though on the other hand it seems to be a bumper hoverfly year, tonnes outside on the dill heads