Where have all the bees gone?

[stuart little]

Anyone else noticed that there seems to be a lack of bee activity this year? I usually have to pass by a buzzing sage bush on my way into my workshop, but not this year. I noted as well that despite a mass of flower on my runner beans, they are very slow producing, which is a sign of very little bee activity.

 

[shed9]

Not too bad where we are in South West Wales this year but definitely seen a decline over the last few decades.

 

[nickds1]

As a lifelong beekeeper in Kent, we've had an astonishing year for bees of all types.

The last two years have been pretty grim, but this year and any one time we've had many 100s of bumbles of different types on our lavender and flower beds. Just loads.

The honey crop this year has been outstanding too.

 

[Doug B]

Got to agree with @nickds1 activity seems to be up this year, our sunflowers have been a particular magnet

 

[Tris]

Saw a lot of bumblebees earlier this year, thankfully no hornets as yet

 

[Jacob]

Bees seem OK here too. Runner beans just starting - a handful every day

 

[Spectric]

We have noticed just a much shorter period of bee activity but also it seems our garden has not come into full bloom this year either, many plants just did a half hearted job of blooming and now we are seeing signs of an early autumn with leaves turning on some of our trees and bushes, but we did have the mildest winter I can recal and the line between seasons is getting more blurred.

 

[Thingybob]

Our Lavender is swarming with bees the sound is fantastic and i find myself watching thier antics , When we lived up in Manchester we only saw a few on the plants but down here there are hundreds of them of different types , Maybe like UKWoodworkers they are all moving down here did see a few the other day like this wonder what part of Hereford they are from lol

 

[Stuart Moffat]

We’ve got a couple of acres. It’s quite narrow but long with lots of trees and a lot of grass which we cut with a tractor. Joining in with “no mo May” we were astonished and delighted with the result. Apart from the wild flowers, I’ve never seen as many bees and butterflies. At the end of May there was still lots of clover flowers for them I left it alone. We’ve cut a few paths in appropriate places, but I’ll do this every year now. And saved loads of red diesel!

 

[Jacob]

We’ve got a couple of acres. It’s quite narrow but long with lots of trees and a lot of grass which we cut with a tractor. Joining in with “no mo May” we were astonished and delighted with the result. Apart from the wild flowers, I’ve never seen as many bees and butterflies. At the end of May there was still lots of clover flowers for them I left it alone. We’ve cut a few paths in appropriate places, but I’ll do this every year now. And saved loads of red diesel!

Have been doing the same on our very small lawn for some years now. More flowers, bees, butterflies every year!
The cut paths work well because everybody uses them (including the dog) leaving the long grass untrampled and tidier looking. I cut around the edges so I can get to the beds, and one diagonal path through the middle

 

[Keith Cocker]

Lots of bees this year in Lancashire. More butterflies than last year too.

 

[sawtooth-9]

In Aus, there has been an issue with varo mite.
Many areas have now been "locked down " with no transfer of hives allowed.
Fortunately we have very happy colonies of bees on our property, both honey bees and native bees ( no sting ).
We may have some veggies and fruit this year.
We need to look after our little friends !

 

[stuart little]

Our Lavender is swarming with bees the sound is fantastic and i find myself watching thier antics , When we lived up in Manchester we only saw a few on the plants but down here there are hundreds of them of different types , Maybe like UKWoodworkers they are all moving down here did see a few the other day like this wonder what part of Hereford they are from lol

Thats it then, our bees have gone South for holidays!

 

[stuart little]

I just heard that some bee-keepers were called in to remove a swarm from a local church - so 'maybee' that's where they've gone & 'beecome' "Born again Christian Bees".

 

[clogs]

please remember they also need access to water.....
no hose pipe ban here.....
we have little places that are kept wet by the plant irregation system....
BUT they also need a way to get out......one dif place we have for them there's piece of a cement board running into the water to make it easy .........
Plus it's all good for the miner bee's n wasps....

 

[Sideways]

They're at our house ...

 

[dickm]

Dunno about honey bees, but there must be quite a few wild bee nests round us, including one under our driveside **** which the local badger excavated and expensively destabilised the ****. On the 1/2 mile stretch of road up from our house, there are at least five new badger diggings, so it must be finding something. It's tried to undercut a big spruce tree in our garden, though what it thought might be there, no idea, as there's hardly any animal life in the acid soil.

 

[isaac3d]

Ditto for the solitary bees; the lavender here (Midlands) is swarming with them. We keep a birdbath with water nearby and I doubt the buzzy critters mind sharing. I haven't kept honey bees for a few years but I have ordered a new nucleus to arrive in April and will restart the "habit". I also have two more apple trees arriving shortly, so the wee beasties can help keep me in cider (and mead)! Does 5 apple trees, a pear tree, a cherry tree and a plum tree qualify as an orchard?
PS low yield of runner beans is probably due to the excessive temperatures we've had this summer. It pretty much killed the cucumber plants I keep in the greenhouse and even the outdoor tomato plants started to wilt... out with the secateurs and trim off a couple more leaf branches... that saved the day.

 

[TRITON]

Buzzed off ?.

 

[Cooper]

Thats it then, our bees have gone South for holidays!

Well if they have, they missed us. Even before the really dry spell, its been a dreadful year for bees, wasps and birds. Pathetic for beans, lots of flowers but very few setting. Usually our unkempt South London garden is swarming with activity. At one stage the grass was full of clover and only a couple of bumble bees showed any interest.