bee identification guide?

[paddy]

Has anyone come across a usable bee identification field guide? I've been really pleased with the books on butterflies and dragonflies available, but have had no luck with naming all the furry mates currently at work in the garden....

[aeshna5]

The only fieldguides are really aimed at Bumblebees.

I can recommend Fieldguide to Bumblebees of GB + Ireland by Mike Edwards/Martin Jenner. Quite cheap too.

I can also recommend the Bees of Surrey by David Baldock- not a fieldguide, but many excellent photos of many species of bee, so useful well beyond the boundaries of Surrey.

Not an easy group but we have the expertise of Eucera on here + a few others such as Janet are pretty good at IDing them from photos.

[paddy]

thanks - i've got to get to grips with this uploading photos thing. i was actually woken up by the extent of the buzzing in the garden a couple of days ago, and the web-based colour guides are difficult unless you've got really good details in the first place...
I'll check out the two sources you mentioned.

[Kayleigh]

This is very useful.....

Bumblebee identification page - learn how to identify the UK's bumblebees

[nightshade]

I think I used the print out version from the Natural History Museum
BUMBLE BEES

[Jayemsee]

I like this one:

Solitary Bees & Things Home

[eekoh]

The FSC series of guides are quite good - obviously not as comprehensive as a guide book but handy for common species and light enough you carry a few different ones out and about without being weighed down by books.
FSC Publications : Guide to bees of Britain

[Jayemsee]

Just found a brilliant one - "BBC Wildlife Pocket Guide - Number 11 - Bumble Bees, other bees and wasps" - I got it from my local beekeeping association