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Bee spotting

Hi all, as most of you will already be aware, bees of all types are generally down in numbers so I thought I'd start a bee-spotting thread for 2013.  Have you seen any yet and if so, whereabouts, on what flowers and could you identify the species?

I'll kick-off by saying I saw my first bumble bee of the year yesterday, but couldn't get close enough to check what type it was.  I'm really glad as my "Lizzie" early fruiting plum tree is absolutely covered in flower buds which are just starting to open.  Last year it flowered in the early warm spell we had but there were no bees about and I got a total of 3 plums - the year before it had literally hundreds!

A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
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Posts

  • I will soon as they nest in my front hedge I am sure they are honey bees as they swarm over mine and neabours porch ive asked before for someone to take them away but nobody is interested

  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,277
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  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,023

    I saw quite a few bees in my garden a couple of days ago, bumblebees and a few honey bees, but I live in SW France. The plum and cherry trees are covered in flower buds and the peach tree is flowering so I hope there will be enough bees. Last year we had a huge frost followed by about 3 weeks of rain and there was hardly any fruit.

    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • On some warm days a couple of weeks ago my heather and willow catkins were covered in honey bees. Today i rescued a bumble in my greenhouse. Otherwise none at present in south of england. A bee keeper told me recently that the queens aren't laying in this cold weather. In normal years the numbers in a hive increase to maximum at end June/early July, then reduce over the rest of the summer.

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,384
    joyce mannell wrote (see)

    I will soon as they nest in my front hedge I am sure they are honey bees as they swarm over mine and neabours porch ive asked before for someone to take them away but nobody is interested

    If that happens joyce, try here:
    http://www.bbka.org.uk/help/find_a_swarm_coordinator.php

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • A swarm in May is worth a load of Hay

    A swarm in June is worth a silver spoon

    A swarm in July is not worth a fly.

    Guessing that this year, if queens aren't laying yet, the swarms won't be worth very much!

  • clogherheadclogherhead Posts: 506

    Good morning all. Some friends have bee hives down avery long country lane and two fields in from it , last week end some "Yobbos"with nothing better to do decided to wreck the six hives , my friends even tied rope over the roofs of the hive to prevent the winds from moving them all to no avail .but back to the queastion yes I have seen a couple of bees on the fly .

    Derek

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,138

    I saw a very big bumble a couple of days ago image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • ElusiveElusive Posts: 992

    I saw a bee on a Pansy flower at work 2 days ago. Was lovely to see image

  • sterelitzasterelitza Posts: 109

    I saw a few  bees on the heather in the patio planter, good to see them and I hope they work hard to pollinate the bramley apple tree flowers this year as I had only a few apples ast year and they were awful.  Never been so glad to see honey bees before.

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