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.'

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
...

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

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

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

It might have been a solitary wasp. There are hundres of different varieties
of vespa, apis and bombus!

Solitary wasps don't sting.

Mary

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

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.

"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

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.

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

It's called 'extra floral nectar' and can be collected by wasps which don't
have long tongues because it's on the surface (as you've observed). Some
plants, notably laurel, have two littld holes towards the base of the leaf
on the underside which exude this stuff.

Mary

The message
from "Mary Fisher" contains these words:


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

It's called 'extra floral nectar' and can be collected by wasps which don't
have long tongues because it's on the surface (as you've observed). Some
plants, notably laurel, have two littld holes towards the base of the leaf
on the underside which exude this stuff.

Does that apply to the spotted laurel please Mary? I have one of those
but am not aware of wasp activity around it - unless the birds keep them
away as they use it as a perch when raiding the feeders.
Beryl

"Beryl Harwood" wrote in message
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.

It's called 'extra floral nectar' and can be collected by wasps which
don't
have long tongues because it's on the surface (as you've observed). Some
plants, notably laurel, have two littld holes towards the base of the
leaf
on the underside which exude this stuff.

Does that apply to the spotted laurel please Mary? I have one of those
but am not aware of wasp activity around it - unless the birds keep them
away as they use it as a perch when raiding the feeders.
Beryl

It does - your local wasps might be finding easier sources at the moment -
or they might not even want sugar. It's complicated. Later in the year they
might go to your laurel when you don't notice them.

Have a look under one of your leaves, the little holes are plain to see -
there are just two and at slightly different levels at each side of the main
vein, towards the base of the leaf.

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