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Bees and insects

Simone_in_WiltshireSimone_in_Wiltshire Posts: 1,073
in Wildlife gardening
It has been so far a cold and wet spring with little sunshine over weeks. I have never seen so little bees in my garden as this year. While walking, I noticed that also the wild flowers have no visitors. 
I wouldn’t be surprised if a decimation of the insects is noted at the end of the year. 

Is it just me? What is the situation in your area?

Many thanks for filling out the poll. 

I ♥ my garden.

Bees and insects 44 votes

Less this year
50%
fidgetbonesCeresRedwingShepsJess91Sazz101Tulip18Big Blue SkyRoddersUKButterfly66garrinchasuperskillzWild_VioletWatsoniaShauna2021Simone_in_WiltshireAthelasthevictoriancatrionad21E8Ym3ES1McRazz[Deleted User] 22 votes
Equal to previous years
29%
SherwoodArrowdebs64TheGreenManwild edgesJennyJrobairdmacraignilSaraPineCrazybeeladyhnnhnorrisEmptyheadtimebcpathomerowlandscastle444HarryWhite 13 votes
More than other years
20%
Bee witchedBusy-LizzieFairygirlraisingirlSkandiMr. Vine EyeTinyfeetbiggobalexryzawlskiqBU-X4OFRBManc 9 votes
«1345

Posts

  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Not sure. Loads last month but it's been pretty cold for a while so maybe that's why I'm seeing fewer. Also the pulmonaria has finished. That makes a difference too. Only the little blue butterflies so far.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    More than other years
    Although that may be because we have a swarm of honey bees currently living in our bedroom wall - they arrived last week
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445
    Hard to answer, I saw more and different species early this year, Bumbles, Butterflies, not so many Hovers. Now I'm seeing less all round, no sign of the Mining Bee volcanos or evidence of Mason Bees. I worry for my loft full of Pipistrelles if there are no Mozzies coming along. Yet still we see, how can I kill this, what can i treat that with. We don't learn do we


    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • CeresCeres Posts: 2,698
    Less this year
    I don't know if it is weather related or something else but we definitely have fewer insects around so far this year. The garden is a banquet of pollen and nectar and few diners taking advantage.
    During lockdown the insect numbers were far higher than previous years. Is random human activity one of the big problems?
  • Slow-wormSlow-worm Posts: 1,630
    Definitely down on bees here, and I haven't seen a wasp or a hoverfly yet! They're normally covering the salvias, but they're so late coming through.. 
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    More than other years
    I am at my home in Dordogne SW France at the moment. It has been warm and sunny, 30C for the last few days. Sorry, feel a bit mean to tell you that! Also there wasn't a garden here when I bought this house 2 1/2 years ago. I have planted lots of flowers and roses. I hardly saw any insects or even worms in the soil when I came here, now there are lots. The salvias and catmints are smothered in bees. I'm sure there are more birds too, I feed them in winter and when I'm at OH's cottage in Norfolk my handyman feeds them for me.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • rowlandscastle444rowlandscastle444 Posts: 2,612
    Equal to previous years
    It might have something to do with the fact that I have more early flowering colour this year, and the pyracantha hedge is only in its second year, so has far more flowers than last year.
  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    We have had many different bees (rubbish at identifying them) in the garden for some months now. The butterflies have been slow to come but brimstone, holly blue, meadow brown, speckled wood. orange tip, tortoiseshell, large white are increasing in numbers. In the orchard we only cut paths and leave the rest to grow. This includes many species of grasses, campions, meadow clary, ox eye daisy, plantains, meadow buttercup, clovers...all good for the insects and they are out there.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Very few buzzies early on in the season and I was worried our fruit trees and bushes wouldn't get pollinated but they're OK so clearly the insects were being cautious about hoomans and maybe birds.    Elsewhere, thanks to a sick mower which was at the doc's for 4 months, we have left even more grass unmown this year and have huge swathes of mixed purple clover, wild white achilleas and tall, wild white and yellow daisies mixed in with other stuff I don't recognise.

    These areas are full of assorted butterflies, bees and other insects and noisy with crickets.  It's fab.  Now the mower has been fixed OH has strict instructions about where he is and isn't allowed to mow now.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    Difficult to tell really.  Bees and hovers.  Also wasps.  Little Blue butterflies earlier this year, couple of Tortoiseshell around the same time.  No sign yet of the Hummingbird Hawk moth altho the valerian are plentiful and flowering.  Surprised to find a dragonfly in the GH yesterday.
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