"Chris Hogg" wrote

"BobHobden" wrote:

When the sun is shining there are lots of tiny little bees that look like
miniature honey bees buzzing around in our front garden (S facing) I've
never seen such small bees before. Three weeks ago when weeding there I
got
stung 4 times on the knuckle, all swelled up over the next few days and it
still isn't right and still hurts, coincidence? What are these tiny
little
bees? I would get a picture but they never stop wizzing about.


There are a large number of bee species in the UK. People are familiar
with honey bees and bumble bees, although there are several species of
the latter, but there are all sorts of solitary bees such as mining
bees, mason bees, leafcutter bees etc. Most of them are smaller than
honey or bumble bees. Whether they carry stings, whether they are
likely to sting people, and whether your stings were by bees or
another insect, I don't know, but I've always thought the solitary
bees to be pretty harmless. http://tinyurl.com/lztj7w8 and
http://tinyurl.com/zffwyao

There are all sorts of other insects that sting and bite. In our
garden we often get Flowerbugs, Anthocoris nemorum, which are
bloodsuckers. I know from painful experience that they can give a
nasty bite that will swell up and itch for several days, having caught
one or two in the act! http://tinyurl.com/hdb877k and
http://tinyurl.com/gsxq9jh.


On a Facebook group a couple of people have suggested they are Hoverflies.
Now I've never seen Hoverflies on mass, never seen them fly like a bee (not
hovering, no jerky flight) but what do you think. They simply look and act
like small bees.

As you suggest, the fact that I thought they were the culprits for the
stings may be a red herring, it may have been
something else as I didn't see what did it. Can't see it being bloodsuckers
as the sting was instantly painful such that I thought at first I had jammed
my knuckle against rose thorns but the marks were not consistent with that,
no tears no blood, and then the swelling and pain over the next few days
(still tender now) .

--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK