Grow your own permalink
Bees ?
This discussion has been closed.
-
Message 1.Â
Posted by martingodliman (U13761957) on Friday, 28th May 2010
Not many about I wonder if it's going to matter for pollinating to our courgettes, tomatoes, beans etc ?
-
Message 2
Posted by greenyellie (U14484942) on Friday, 28th May 2010
I suspect you'll be fine but if you have space you could try planting some bee-friendly flowers to encourage them in. Wild flowers and heather are a good start
-
Message 3
Posted by martingodliman (U13761957) on Friday, 28th May 2010
I don't normally need to especially attract them there are usually plenty enough around in my garden.
Perhaps when the flowers appear on the tomatoes and courgettes they will turn up more.
There are a few alums in my front garden and they normally get a lot of attention, not so many this year so far. -
Message 4
Posted by Summerchild (U14187397) on Friday, 28th May 2010
Mmm makes you think. Granddaughter asked where do the bees come from? I assume that local hives are responsible for many of them and I haven't seen any colonies on buildings or trees, but we have plenty of bees in the garden. My son (five miles away) had a swarm near his gatepost.
I wonder if it is true that bee numbers have declined? I believe that there is a project, "Support a hive." Must look it up.
S -
Message 5
Posted by dahliadelight (U3132899) on Friday, 28th May 2010
our cotoneaster, today was alive with bee's again, alittle later then in recent years, probrably due to the cold winter time, but they are back
dd -
Message 6
Posted by poshHebeJeebie (U9319867) on Friday, 28th May 2010
We have had lots of bumble bees - white and red bottomed! But not many honey bees
Far too many wasps for comfort, though.
PHJ -
Message 7
Posted by andy2728 (U14260904) on Friday, 28th May 2010
Not only as mantioned the lack of honey bees (due apparently to a worldwide bug) but the huge size of the bumblers and wasps,and early too.
makinh hay id guess. -
Message 8
Posted by koala_girl (U12702629) on Friday, 28th May 2010
I've had quite a lot of bees in my garden. The rosemary is covered in flowers and was humming with bees this afternoon. Same with my ceanothus, which is currently a mass of blue flowers. I often wonder where they all come from.
-
Message 9
Posted by poshHebeJeebie (U9319867) on Friday, 28th May 2010
I'm waiting for my cotoneaster to burst into flower - the bees usually love that, and the whole plant just buzzes! It will be a bit of a check to see if the same thing happens this year.
PHJ
My Ceanothus didn't attract many this year, though -
Message 10
Posted by cellarina (U3441540) on Saturday, 29th May 2010
We have plenty of bumble bees, mostly the smaller ones, and quite a lot of black ones which I have never noticed before this year and which I can't identify. Very few honey bees, though.
-
Message 11
Posted by PenylanSue (U13901201) on Saturday, 29th May 2010
Posh, my cotoneaster does exactly the same. It hums so much you have to stand and watch it. It has such tiny flowers too and yet the bees seem to prefer it to lots of other things.
It seems to be late flowering this year. -
Message 12
Posted by LeCreusetFiend (U14355898) on Saturday, 29th May 2010
but the huge size of the bumblers and wasps,and early too.Â
I've noticed exactly the same thing! I think I've seen one honey bee in the last week, but a whole load of HUGE bumblebees! One obese monster flew into the conservatory yesterday, and it actually intimidated me! It looked like something out of Jurassic Park! -
Message 13
Posted by honeysuckle (U8412568) on Saturday, 29th May 2010
Very few bees in my apple orchard of 6 bossoming trees and sunny weather. However, I felt more cheerful after hearing a familiar hum on that hot weekend, a swarm flying over! I kept them in the 70's and was always called out on the first hot weekend in May to collect swarms. Latest reports indicate that it is farming methods which are destroying them, rather than varroa which was around back in the 70's.
-
Message 14
Posted by John Moodie (U14353581) on Saturday, 29th May 2010
Yes the bee pop. is suffering for sure. A few years ago I grew some mint in a pot on my deck. Once it started blooming it was a real magnet for honey bees. I spent hours on my deck watching the bees working. Now I place pots of mint here and there in the yard and I like to think the bees appreciate this.
-
Message 15
Posted by martingodliman (U13761957) on Sunday, 30th May 2010
Definitely fewer honey bees about at the moment they usually wander into my workshop when I've got the windows and door open. Bees can usually find their way out again, wasps never can. Be nice if it's just they are bit late cos of the harsh winter and not the alternative.
-
Message 16
Posted by poshHebeJeebie (U9319867) on Sunday, 30th May 2010
I wonder if the cold weather has had a lot to do with it? A lot of flowers are late this year, and just when it was getting very warm, we've had a few days (and especially nights) when the temperature has dropped significantly.
btw there is a farm fairly near me where there are about seven or eight hives that have been lined up in row, and netting has been staked across the front of them, just a couple of feet away from the hive entrances. I've assumed it's to stop the bees from flying for some reason - they need a straight approach to the hive, I believe. But I've not seen that done before.
PHJ -
Message 17
Posted by DunDiggin (U7739784) on Sunday, 30th May 2010
The netting will be there for 1 or 2 reasons
1) The hives face the prevailing wind so the net acts as a wind brake
2) The hives face a human walkway so the net is there to discourage the bees from flying in that direction
4ft (various books on the subject) is the recommended minimum distance from the front of a hive to an obstruction. -
Message 18
Posted by poshHebeJeebie (U9319867) on Sunday, 30th May 2010
Thanks for the explanations DunDiggin. My guesstimate of the distance of the netting is taken from across the field - not a close-up inspection! There isn't a pathway there, but it is a bit exposed to the wind.
PHJ -
Message 19
Posted by Toadspawn (U2334298) on Sunday, 30th May 2010
It is common practice to site a hive about 3-4' from a fence/wall/hedge etc especially where people may be near because this causes the bees to fly up above the heads of people who may be walking past. This way bees and people do not come into contact and people do not get stung and the bees do not die.
If a bee bumps into a person whilst flying then it will investigate the obstruction. The natural instinct for people is to 'flap' at the bee. This gives the bee the impression that it is being attacked and so it will defend itself and sting. Unfortunately a bee will die after stinging a person (a wasp will not) because it has a barbed sting which remains in the person and to escape the gut of the bee is pulled out resulting in its death.
The hive in my garden is about 3-4' from a hedge and the bees have to fly up thus avoiding me and my neighbours. -
Message 20
Posted by Amazing (U7102651) on Sunday, 30th May 2010
I have just had a thought. A brain indeed that I have. I have eight toms growing on my stair window sills, 3 plus one tumbler on two sills. The sills are inside but when outside door is left open, outside as well. I live in a tenement building. Do I have to pollinate the toms?
-
Message 21
Posted by Amazing (U7102651) on Sunday, 30th May 2010
Should have said that don't often get bees flying up the stairs. I do have a beehole/nest in one of the walls down in the garden. Lots of bees fly in and out.
-
Message 22
Posted by poshHebeJeebie (U9319867) on Sunday, 30th May 2010
This is fascinating - it could almost make me want to become an apiarist!
Did anyone see the Halcyon River tonight? Very interesting about the hives! And the way that the expert could tell which plants had provided the nectar etc from the colour and taste of the honey was very impressive.
So that's how they do it! When we have local heather honey I've wondered how they could be so sure!
PHJ -
Message 23
Posted by mummyduckegg (U8437139) on Sunday, 30th May 2010
A bit of manual pollination might be an idea, and certainly won't do any harm. Cotton buds at the ready!
-
Message 24
Posted by Bluedoyenne (U2341157) on Monday, 31st May 2010
Like others here, yesterday (Sunday) in spite of the wet weather, my cotoneaster was alive with bees - unfortunately they were 99% bumble bees and, like Cellarina, mainly the smaller ones, with lots of small black bumblers which I too had never noticed before. Sadly, amongst all the bees there were only two honey bees.
-
Message 25
Posted by cellarina (U3441540) on Monday, 31st May 2010
I have looked up these black bees and it seems they are probably female Hairy-footed Flower Bees (what a name!). The males are brown - I don't know why there are so many females.
-
Message 26
Posted by Lorea (U14415784) on Monday, 31st May 2010
The bushes in my garden, which most attract honey bees are lonicera nitida. I usually wait until after flowering (very small white ones which you can hardly see but bees love!) to prune them and the buzzing noise is almost deafening when the bees are at work. There are quite a few local bee keepers around here (northern Spain,) but the bees seemed to be affected by the two weeks of very cold weather we had in May. Now the cotoneaster is full of bumble bees.
-
Message 27
Posted by DunDiggin (U7739784) on Monday, 31st May 2010
99% of bees are female. The drones(males) only have one purpose in life and in a honey bee hive, come september they find themselves homeless (and then dead).
-
Message 28
Posted by cellarina (U3441540) on Monday, 31st May 2010
Thanks, Dundiggin - I didn't know whether it also applied to bumble bees - do they also have a queen, as honey bees do?
-
Message 29
Posted by koala_girl (U12702629) on Monday, 31st May 2010
Hairy-footed Flower Bees - I just love that name! More insects should have cute names.
-
Message 30
Posted by DunDiggin (U7739784) on Monday, 31st May 2010
Yes - in the bee world all social bees (as opposed to the solitary varieties) have a queen plus female workers, and a few drones as a necessity.
If you're interested in bumblebees try this site
-
Message 31
Posted by cellarina (U3441540) on Tuesday, 1st June 2010
Thank you again, DunDiggin. The site you gave me led to me to another and I found this about the Hair-footed flower bee:
" These bees are fairly commonly reported falling down chimneys in early spring. They are newly emerged bees from nest burrows that were excavated in the chimney stack the previous year." My neighbour had told me these bees were coming down her chimney about a month ago, even though she had lit the fire occasionally.
I shall certainly be looking more closely at the bees in our garden from now on. -
Message 32
Posted by poshHebeJeebie (U9319867) on Wednesday, 2nd June 2010
Just a quick up-date: my raspberry canes are now in bloom - and the buzzing was almost deafening!
OK - so I exaggerate a bit - but there were lots of bumble bees this morning - by the afternoon it was smothered in honey bees.
PHJ -
Message 33
Posted by koala_girl (U12702629) on Thursday, 3rd June 2010
I found some bee killer wasps in my garden today. They were sitting on a branch of one of my roses and really stood out with their bright yellow bodies. I had never seen anything like them before so I looked them up in my insect book. Found that they prey on honey bees
so I squashed them. -
Message 34
Posted by martingodliman (U13761957) on Sunday, 20th June 2010
Is it my imagination or are there more bumble bees about ?
-
Message 35
Posted by Summerchild (U14187397) on Sunday, 20th June 2010
I am so confused by all these varieties of bees. When I go out into the garden I see and hear many bees but as I don't usually have my glasses on, only the bumblebees are definitely identifiable. The smaller bees could be any type.
I do provide as many bee-friendly plants as I can but from then on I just have to trust to the balance of nature.
Very best wishes to all bee-keepers,
Summer -
Message 36
Posted by poshHebeJeebie (U9319867) on Sunday, 20th June 2010
We have vuvu-whatsits (plastic trumpets) outside the back door. Well, not literally, of course, but the cotoneaster is in full bloom and it is just humming with bees all day.
Wonderful.
PHJ -
Message 37
Posted by GL (U14505089) on Sunday, 20th June 2010
There definitely seems to be a problem. We had lots of bumble bees early in the year. Today, despite a field of rape across the road that has just finished flowering, a wild flower meadow, a lawn that's mostly clover and is covered in flowers at the moment, and a long expanse of lavender hedge, not to mention other flowers like foxgloves that usually attract them, not a bee - honey bee or bumble bee - to be seen. It used to be impossible to sit out in the evening because of the insect life - not now. Swarms of midges, moths and all sorts could be seen attracted to the outside light - not now. During the days, our windows used to be full of insects - not now.
-
Message 38
Posted by officerdibber (U13913369) on Monday, 21st June 2010
I have seen very few bees in the last few weeks. There seem to be three kinds in the garden; ones with bright orange bottoms, bright yellow bottoms, and the massive dive bombing bees. The smaller ones seem to be quite happy pootling around my chives and honeysuckle but that's about it. The bigger ones just seem to be passing through.
As with other contributors my cottoneaster is just about to burst into flower so hopefully a few more will be about. -
Message 39
Posted by koala_girl (U12702629) on Monday, 21st June 2010
I've had lots of bees in my garden. I have some thyme and sage in full flower at present and both are growing out over the path. Every time I go down the path I have to gather up my skirts to avoid brushing a bee off a flower. I was watching a bee on my broad beans climbing into each flower in turn. I can't claim to be a bee expert, but I have noticed about an even number of big fat bees and little black ones.
-
Message 40
Posted by Summerchild (U14187397) on Tuesday, 22nd June 2010
Became a hero (heroine?) to granddaughter this afternoon by rescuing a bumblebee that had flown into the kitchen. It did not manage to find a way out through any of the windows we opened so it was the old glass jar and piece of card trick. We took it to a large leaf to recover from its exertions and she told it to fly away home. I am still trying to find an answer to the question about where its home might be.
S -
Message 41
Posted by koala_girl (U12702629) on Tuesday, 22nd June 2010
Well done. I keep a "bee catching kit" on hand in the conservatory so that I can quickly get them back out again before they fly up into the roof. It is so frustrating to have a bee buzzing around in the conservatory roof where you can't reach it.
About this Board
Welcome to the new Gardening Board. If this is your first time, then make sure you check out the
or  to take part in a discussion.
The message board is currently closed for posting.
Weekdays 09:00-00:00
Weekends 10:00-00:00
This messageboard is .
Find out more about this board's
Search this Board
Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú iD
Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú navigation
Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú links
Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú © 2014 The Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.
This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.