There is a 'Citizen Science Project' being undertaken by the University of
Sussex.
It came to my attention via the Waitrose mag.


If you have a gadget that feeds on apps you can take part. The app is called
Bee Friendly. I've just got it and is easy to use.
The idea is to understand the main pollinating insects and what flowers
they prefer (something like that!)
It ties in with Phil Gurr's post and we will find out if bumble bees are
doing all the work and honey bees are lazy gits.

I've been doing my bit and have only seen bumble bees, one hover fly and no
honey bees in my initial survey.

http://www.earthwatch.org/europe/new...arden-app.html


mark

On 2013-06-25 09:53:06 +0100, mark said:

There is a 'Citizen Science Project' being undertaken by the
University of Sussex.
It came to my attention via the Waitrose mag.


If you have a gadget that feeds on apps you can take part. The app is
called Bee Friendly. I've just got it and is easy to use.
The idea is to understand the main pollinating insects and what
flowers they prefer (something like that!)
It ties in with Phil Gurr's post and we will find out if bumble bees
are doing all the work and honey bees are lazy gits.

I've been doing my bit and have only seen bumble bees, one hover fly
and no honey bees in my initial survey.

http://www.earthwatch.org/europe/new...arden-app.html



mark

Lots of bumblebees here. I've seen two honey bees and several hover
flies. As we live close to Buckfast Abbey, we're puzzled as to the lack
of honeybees, so I looked at its web site. They still keep bees and
what's more, they run courses in bee keeping. This page gives the
history and at the bottom, there's a link to the courses.
http://www.buckfast.org.uk/bee-keeping_150.html
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

On 25/06/2013 09:53, mark wrote:
There is a 'Citizen Science Project' being undertaken by the University of
Sussex.
It came to my attention via the Waitrose mag.


If you have a gadget that feeds on apps you can take part. The app is called
Bee Friendly. I've just got it and is easy to use.
The idea is to understand the main pollinating insects and what flowers
they prefer (something like that!)
It ties in with Phil Gurr's post and we will find out if bumble bees are
doing all the work and honey bees are lazy gits.

I've been doing my bit and have only seen bumble bees, one hover fly and no
honey bees in my initial survey.

http://www.earthwatch.org/europe/new...arden-app.html


mark






We've had lots of both honey bee and various bumble-type bees here, plus
hover flies. They've all been attracted by our surround Pyracantha
Hedge and Pyracantha tree. It's amazing to see so many. They are
attracted to many other plants, but the Pyracantha has been buzzing with
them!

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

"Spider" wrote in message
...
On 25/06/2013 09:53, mark wrote:
There is a 'Citizen Science Project' being undertaken by the University
of
survey.

http://www.earthwatch.org/europe/new...arden-app.html


mark

We've had lots of both honey bee and various bumble-type bees here, plus
hover flies. They've all been attracted by our surround Pyracantha Hedge
and Pyracantha tree. It's amazing to see so many. They are attracted to
many other plants, but the Pyracantha has been buzzing with them!

--
Spider

My bumblebees like chives, linaria, foxgloves, alliums, heucheras and
clover. Chive seems to be favourite and sweet williams least popular.
Nothing though on several big clumps of lupins. Dozens of bumble bees but no
honeybees seen today.

mark

On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 12:10:37 +0100, mark wrote:

My bumblebees like chives, linaria, foxgloves, alliums, heucheras and
clover. Chive seems to be favourite and sweet williams least popular.
Nothing though on several big clumps of lupins. Dozens of bumble bees
but no honeybees seen today.

Oddly we haven't seen many honey bees this year either, and we're in deep
country, usually scads of them. Lots of bumblebees, though.

I wonder if the cold weather is somehow depressing the population.
Bumblebees do start very early and don't seem to be too bothered by the
cold...



--
Gardening in Lower Normandy

On 2013-06-25 12:48:53 +0100, Emery Davis said:

On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 12:10:37 +0100, mark wrote:

My bumblebees like chives, linaria, foxgloves, alliums, heucheras and
clover. Chive seems to be favourite and sweet williams least popular.
Nothing though on several big clumps of lupins. Dozens of bumble bees
but no honeybees seen today.

Oddly we haven't seen many honey bees this year either, and we're in deep
country, usually scads of them. Lots of bumblebees, though.

I wonder if the cold weather is somehow depressing the population.
Bumblebees do start very early and don't seem to be too bothered by the
cold...

On a sunny day in January bumblebees work hard! If people haven't
already got it, we recommend Eupatorium atropurpureum. It's a total
magnet to pollinating insects.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

On 25/06/2013 12:10, mark wrote:
wrote in message
...
On 25/06/2013 09:53, mark wrote:
There is a 'Citizen Science Project' being undertaken by the University
of
survey.

http://www.earthwatch.org/europe/new...arden-app.html


mark

We've had lots of both honey bee and various bumble-type bees here, plus
hover flies. They've all been attracted by our surround Pyracantha Hedge
and Pyracantha tree. It's amazing to see so many. They are attracted to
many other plants, but the Pyracantha has been buzzing with them!

--
Spider

My bumblebees like chives, linaria, foxgloves, alliums, heucheras and
clover. Chive seems to be favourite and sweet williams least popular.
Nothing though on several big clumps of lupins. Dozens of bumble bees but no
honeybees seen today.

mark





I find that they like all onions but, with me, they prefer Allium
'Purple Sensation' to A. christophii. I have no culinary onions atm.
They also love hardy geraniums and Welsh Poppy(Meconopsis cambrica),
Verbena bonariensis and Verbascums. Although 'your' bees aren't fussed
about Sweet Williams, I find that some of the bumble-type bees like Pinks.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 14:49:22 +0100, Sacha wrote:

I wonder if the cold weather is somehow depressing the population.
Bumblebees do start very early and don't seem to be too bothered by the
cold...

On a sunny day in January bumblebees work hard! If people haven't
already got it, we recommend Eupatorium atropurpureum. It's a total
magnet to pollinating insects.

Exactly! They're very cheery companions while we're out slogging away
with early spring cutting back and clearing out. I felt bad for them
this year though, flowers seem few and late. The Weigela coraeensis is
just coming into bloom now, it's already about 2 m tall after 2 years! It
was full of bumbles this WE, and looks fantastic next to a Kolkwitzia
'Pink Cloud' (also not yet full out).



--
Gardening in Lower Normandy

"mark" wrote

There is a 'Citizen Science Project' being undertaken by the University
of Sussex.
It came to my attention via the Waitrose mag.


If you have a gadget that feeds on apps you can take part. The app is
called Bee Friendly. I've just got it and is easy to use.
The idea is to understand the main pollinating insects and what flowers
they prefer (something like that!)
It ties in with Phil Gurr's post and we will find out if bumble bees are
doing all the work and honey bees are lazy gits.

I've been doing my bit and have only seen bumble bees, one hover fly and no
honey bees in my initial survey.

http://www.earthwatch.org/europe/new...arden-app.html


Unfortunately I don't use such a phone but I've noticed there appears to be
a lot of bumblebees about this year such that I had to stop empting one of
our large compost bins because I found myself surrounded by them, they are
nesting in there and I have no wish to disturb them. At home our Geranium
palmatums are constantly being visited by bumbles as are the chives on the
allotment. I believe that the local vicarage still has hives tended by a
local young lad but I've not seen any honey bees in our garden this year.
Other years they have used our pond as a source of water so a constant
stream of bees coming and going in warm weather.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

On Tuesday, June 25, 2013 5:38:41 PM UTC+1, Bob Hobden wrote:
a lot of bumblebees about this year such that I had to stop empting one of

our large compost bins because I found myself surrounded by them, they are

nesting in there and I have no wish to disturb them. At home our Geranium

palmatums are constantly being visited by bumbles as are the chives on the

allotment. I believe that the local vicarage still has hives tended by a

local young lad but I've not seen any honey bees in our garden this year.

Other years they have used our pond as a source of water so a constant

stream of bees coming and going in warm weather.

--

Regards. Bob Hobden.

Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

Don't know about your neck of the woods but the honeybees here are still busy on the last of the rape.

Rod

On 2013-06-25 17:28:04 +0100, Emery Davis said:

On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 14:49:22 +0100, Sacha wrote:

I wonder if the cold weather is somehow depressing the population.
Bumblebees do start very early and don't seem to be too bothered by the
cold...

On a sunny day in January bumblebees work hard! If people haven't
already got it, we recommend Eupatorium atropurpureum. It's a total
magnet to pollinating insects.

Exactly! They're very cheery companions while we're out slogging away
with early spring cutting back and clearing out. I felt bad for them
this year though, flowers seem few and late. The Weigela coraeensis is
just coming into bloom now, it's already about 2 m tall after 2 years! It
was full of bumbles this WE, and looks fantastic next to a Kolkwitzia
'Pink Cloud' (also not yet full out).

They love the Weigela and in the nicest possible sense, ours are full
of little furry backsides at present!
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

"Rod" wrote in message
...

Don't know about your neck of the woods but the honeybees here are still
busy on the last of the rape.

Exactly so. Honeybees are great opportunists and will go for
maximum return/minimum effort. Civilisation could probably
survive without rape oil and almonds but I think we owe
much more to our bumblebees.

Phil

Where we are (Yorks, 400ft above sea level) we haven't got much of anything! Bumblebees, but not in huge quantity - however, it's only the last two weeks we've seen anything other than queens. And the beautiful slightly flat bodied golden honey coloured hoverflies aren't around yet. We're unning 3-5 weeks late this year - in the Dales today bluebells were still in flower.

"mark" wrote in message
o.uk...
snip
It ties in with Phil Gurr's post and we will find out if bumble bees are
doing all the work and honey bees are lazy gits.

I've been doing my bit and have only seen bumble bees, one hover fly and no
honey bees in my initial survey.

Bee identification is my problem. I've planted 3 Comfrey plants in both
front and rear gardens. They're covered in hundreds of tiny 16mm trumpets.
Quite popular with the smaller bee, but what are they?TIA.

http://s20.postimg.org/q0onhe17x/IMG_3917.jpg
http://s20.postimg.org/y7gn8yral/IMG_3927.jpg
http://s20.postimg.org/jpjg0yzzh/IMG_3931.jpg
http://s20.postimg.org/ioj7buizx/IMG_3934.jpg

"Bertie Doe" wrote
Bee identification is my problem. I've planted 3 Comfrey plants in both
front and rear gardens. They're covered in hundreds of tiny 16mm trumpets.
Quite popular with the smaller bee, but what are they?TIA.

http://s20.postimg.org/q0onhe17x/IMG_3917.jpg
http://s20.postimg.org/y7gn8yral/IMG_3927.jpg
http://s20.postimg.org/jpjg0yzzh/IMG_3931.jpg
http://s20.postimg.org/ioj7buizx/IMG_3934.jpg


Had the same problem until I came across this site, not sure it's perfect
but it helps......

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/l...flash-version/

There is an HTML version available too if you don't have/want Flash.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK