Are they just not venturing out after the recent cold wet weather or what?
Went for a walk around the garden today and not a bee in sight. The runner
beans are smothered in blossom but no bees and no little beans. The flower
borders are full of blooms but no bees.

David.

On 14/7/07 12:34, in article ,
"David (Normandy)" wrote:

Are they just not venturing out after the recent cold wet weather or what?
Went for a walk around the garden today and not a bee in sight. The runner
beans are smothered in blossom but no bees and no little beans. The flower
borders are full of blooms but no bees.

There is a shortage of bees. Have you not read about it? It's very
worrying for gardeners and farmers. We saw masses on Tresco, so can only
assume they've packed their little furry suitcases and headed for a clean,
warm climate!

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

On Sat, 14 Jul 2007 13:34:45 +0200, "David \(Normandy\)"
wrote:

Are they just not venturing out after the recent cold wet weather or what?
Went for a walk around the garden today and not a bee in sight. The runner
beans are smothered in blossom but no bees and no little beans. The flower
borders are full of blooms but no bees.

David.

In the UK, and probably over the Channel as well, the varroa mite has
virtually wiped out colonies of wild honey bees.

But that still leaves bumbles and honey bees kept by beekeepers. Where
are they?


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

There is a shortage of bees. Have you not read about it? It's very
worrying for gardeners and farmers. We saw masses on Tresco, so can only
assume they've packed their little furry suitcases and headed for a clean,
warm climate!
Sacha

I'd heard some speculation that mobile phone masts may be killing them off
by confusing their sense of direction so they can't find their way back
home. I'd also heard about a mite attacking them too.

It just seems a bit sudden. Last year the flower borders were positively
buzzing. All I've noticed this year are a couple of very large "bees" with
some red on them - which presumably may be hornets? I avoided looking too
closely as they buzzed near me, choosing instead to put some distance
between them and me! They were bee/wasp shaped but about twice as long.

I've not seen any bumble bees either. The Mrs panics and runs a mile if they
go near her but I think they always look sort of 'cute' and are always much
more interested in flowers than people.

David.

On 14/7/07 13:45, in article , "David
(Normandy)" wrote:

There is a shortage of bees. Have you not read about it? It's very
worrying for gardeners and farmers. We saw masses on Tresco, so can only
assume they've packed their little furry suitcases and headed for a clean,
warm climate!
Sacha

I'd heard some speculation that mobile phone masts may be killing them off
by confusing their sense of direction so they can't find their way back
home. I'd also heard about a mite attacking them too.

Yes, that's one theory and the awful varroa mite is a fact, though it's been
around for years. If the mobile phone mast thing is right, it might explain
why we do get bees here and on Tresco - the phone signal is poor in both
places and on Dartmoor, it's practically non-existent.

It just seems a bit sudden. Last year the flower borders were positively
buzzing. All I've noticed this year are a couple of very large "bees" with
some red on them - which presumably may be hornets? I avoided looking too
closely as they buzzed near me, choosing instead to put some distance
between them and me! They were bee/wasp shaped but about twice as long.

This site has a lot of info on the various species:
http://www.brisc.org.uk/bbro.php

I've not seen any bumble bees either. The Mrs panics and runs a mile if they
go near her but I think they always look sort of 'cute' and are always much
more interested in flowers than people.

I'm very respectful of them because I'm seriously allergic to them but
they're intelligent creatures and are much more interested in foraging than
attacking people, unless of course, they perceive their colony as being
attacked.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

"David (Normandy)" wrote in message
...
Are they just not venturing out after the recent cold wet weather or what?
Went for a walk around the garden today and not a bee in sight. The runner
beans are smothered in blossom but no bees and no little beans. The flower
borders are full of blooms but no bees.

David.

There are plenty in my garden even during the rain - both bumble bees and
honey bees. There's many wasps.

Mary

"David (Normandy)" wrote in message
...

I'd heard some speculation that mobile phone masts may be killing them off
by confusing their sense of direction so they can't find their way back
home.

LOL!

I'd also heard about a mite attacking them too.

The varroa mite has been in this country for decades, beekeepers are
managing their bees appropriately. Well, they are in Britain - perhaps
French beekeepers are more blasé ...

It just seems a bit sudden. Last year the flower borders were positively
buzzing. All I've noticed this year are a couple of very large "bees" with
some red on them - which presumably may be hornets? I avoided looking too
closely as they buzzed near me, choosing instead to put some distance
between them and me! They were bee/wasp shaped but about twice as long.

I can't identify it from that description :-)

I've not seen any bumble bees either. The Mrs panics and runs a mile if
they go near her

WHY???

but I think they always look sort of 'cute' and are always much more
interested in flowers than people.

All bees are. But you really have to provoke a bumble bee to sting, if it
does you deserve it.

Mary

"David (Normandy)" wrote in message
...
Are they just not venturing out after the recent cold wet weather or what?
Went for a walk around the garden today and not a bee in sight. The runner
beans are smothered in blossom but no bees and no little beans. The flower
borders are full of blooms but no bees.
David.

I seem to have a fair amount of bees buzzing around the garden.....

Found this which might be interesting:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_Collapse_Disorder

Jenny

In article ,
Chris Hogg writes:
|
| But that still leaves bumbles and honey bees kept by beekeepers. Where
| are they?

A long, wet winter (and we had an extreme one) causes major trouble to
wild bees. But I have a few of both honey and bumble bees.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

There are plenty in my garden even during the rain - both bumble bees and
honey bees. There's many wasps.

Mary


I've not seen many (any?) wasps this year either. Normally the Virginia
creeper smothering our house is full of them. I think it gives of some sort
of sweet sticky sap that they like. I don't know if it is nectar but the
small green "flowers" are sticky.

David.

"JennyC" wrote in message
...

"David (Normandy)" wrote in message
...
Are they just not venturing out after the recent cold wet weather or
what?
Went for a walk around the garden today and not a bee in sight. The
runner beans are smothered in blossom but no bees and no little beans.
The flower borders are full of blooms but no bees.
David.

I seem to have a fair amount of bees buzzing around the garden.....

Found this which might be interesting:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_Collapse_Disorder

Jenny


Interesting article. It doesn't mention if it is limited to bees or includes
bumbles and wasps too?

David.

It just seems a bit sudden. Last year the flower borders were positively
buzzing. All I've noticed this year are a couple of very large "bees"
with some red on them - which presumably may be hornets? I avoided
looking too closely as they buzzed near me, choosing instead to put some
distance between them and me! They were bee/wasp shaped but about twice
as long.

I can't identify it from that description :-)

They were flying solitary. The shape of a wasp but around 1" long, maybe
slightly longer. The thorax and abdomen did not appear to be seregated
though like a wasp. The yellow and black was less distinct. I seem to
remember the red was like a band around it but I didn't study it very
closely. The buzzing was lounder than that of a wasp or bee. It took a brief
interest in me circling around me a couple of times. Normally bees and wasps
ignore me.


I've not seen any bumble bees either. The Mrs panics and runs a mile if
they go near her

WHY???

Just one of those panic things... Oooh! A bumble bee... cup of tea goes
flying as does she... Oooh keep it away. Oooh it not in my hair is it...

Makes me smile anyway.

David.



but I think they always look sort of 'cute' and are always much more
interested in flowers than people.

All bees are. But you really have to provoke a bumble bee to sting, if it
does you deserve it.

Mary

In article ,
"David \(Normandy\)" wrote:

Are they just not venturing out after the recent cold wet weather or what?
Went for a walk around the garden today and not a bee in sight. The runner
beans are smothered in blossom but no bees and no little beans. The flower
borders are full of blooms but no bees.

David.

Plenty here, I disturbed one nest, but there's still another one in the
garden .. they don't venture out when it's cold or wet (most days this
month, and most of June), but when it's warm, the air's thick with them
...

And a very welcome sight they make. No beans setting yet, I put that
down to the bad weather stopping the bees.

PS. N.E. England

Dom

"David (Normandy)" wrote in message
...
Are they just not venturing out after the recent cold wet weather or what?
Went for a walk around the garden today and not a bee in sight. The runner
beans are smothered in blossom but no bees and no little beans. The flower
borders are full of blooms but no bees.

David.

Isn't it odd, because despite the miserable weather our bees have had a
great year so far, 3 swarms have left and been recovered by local bee
keepers, and they were looking as if they may swarm again soon, bees are
everywhere in the garden, but several visitors have reported no bees and
poor sets on their beans etc so you are not alone!

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collections of Clematis viticella (cvs) and
Lapageria rosea

As a beekeeper (brixton, london) can i just say that this year is bad
for some, not so bad for others. As someone said, the varroa mite has
been here for a while, and most beekeepers use a number of strategies
to manage it.

Possibly more troubling is that the recent run of hot, dry summers has
encouraged many beekeepers, (including me) to favour the yellowish
italian honeybee (apis mellifera ligustica) over the british black bee
(apis mellifera mellifera). the aml bees do fine when the weather's
good, but when you've had a june like the past one, the queens at least
just sit inside, unlike their amm counterparts ( now probably only
existing around the galtee mountains in ireland) who are used to
struggling out to gather nectar, pollinate, and make passionate love
even in irish weather.

Colony collapse disorder is generally held to be an american
phenomenon. there are reports of it here but a lot of people have
doubts. Bee colonies die, from time to time, and they always have done.
Americans move bees all over the country, all the time, which is asking
for stressed bees and sudden, violent, rampant infections.

So all in all , bees are like plants - some years good, some years bad,
some years VERY bad.... but in the end a stronger group will probably
pull through.

Lazarus