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Bees and dandelions

SueAtooSueAtoo Posts: 380
in Wildlife gardening
Do bees really like dandelions as I've read, as I've never seen a bee on mine or on a big bank of them locally.
East Dorset, new (to me) rather neglected garden.
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  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Maybe there's something locally that they prefer but other insects like them too.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • Bee witchedBee witched Posts: 1,295
    Our bees love them .... great plants. Cheerful little yellow faces .... full of pollen. Marvellous.

    Bee x
    Gardener and beekeeper in beautiful Scottish Borders  

    A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    Goldfinches are feeding on the dandelion seedheads in my garden.
  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328
    And in mine.
    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • SkandiSkandi Posts: 1,723
    I spent about 30 minutes looking at a large mass of dandelions, I saw one bee on them but plenty of smaller flies.
    I have before seen bees on them but only when there was nothing else to pick and even then it was only one type of mining bee I have here.
    In my garden I don't think they provide much as they are out at the same time as the plums, currents and apples which are all swarmed by all sorts of flying things.
  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328
    edited May 2023
    My daughter sent me this photo from a local park a couple of weeks ago:



    There may not be many bees around yet, if the weather has been unkind.
    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    edited May 2023
    Bees aren't the only pollinators
    https://www.birdguides.com/articles/research-shows-moths-are-more-efficient-pollinators-than-bees/
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • Slow-wormSlow-worm Posts: 1,630
    Yes they do here too, I leave them for the bees as there's not much else flowering at times.

  • skankinpickleskankinpickle Posts: 119
    fidgetbones said:
    Goldfinches are feeding on the dandelion seedheads in my garden.
    I saw a finch fledgling pecking at a seed head just the other day. 
  • BenCottoBenCotto Posts: 4,718
    SueAtoo said:
    Do bees really like dandelions as I've read, as I've never seen a bee on mine or on a big bank of them locally.
    Same here, Sue. I smile wryly at those nonsense Facebook pages extolling the virtues of dandelions but the illustrative photo with a bank of dandelions has not a bee in sight.
    Rutland, England
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