Marlow, Buckinghamshire. I too see a huge decline in bumblebees and bees amount. Earlier this year, I saw at least a few lying/dying/dead bumblebees every day during two weeks in May/June. Then a month gap seeing nothing. Now as the weather has warmed up the buzzing world is slowly appearing. Tree bumblebees, red tailed bumblebee, odd bees, hoverflies, damselflies and some other smaller one.
I lost all bee favourite plants (winter honeysuckle, aliums, thymes, hebes, lavenders and others) due to flooding. Only chives survived and were the only one flowering and covered heavily with bumblebees. Unfortunately, I kept finding more dead underneath it then on top of it. We used to have ground mining bees but I'm afraid all drown. The amount of damselflies are the same. Spotted one or two frogs. Definitively more birds. Robins, tits, swifts, golden finches, trush... No hedgehogs anymore. ( we think we got a fox instead).
I seem to have loads of bees and hoverflies - and I've even seen quite a few ladybirds already this year which is great because they seem to have been in short supply. This garden is all quite new as they're was very little here when I moved in just under 18 months ago so it's good to see more wildlife moving in. We've had drier, warmer weather than we normally get in spring and early summer so I expect that has helped enormously - they've simply had more decent days to get out without having to take a brolly
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
In my garden in Aberdeenshire, white tail bumblebees are two a penny. Not many garden butterflies, but loads of those woodland brown ones in the woods. Not many hoverflies yet. Just started to see honey bees and we have orange underwing moths.
Absolutely loads of honey bees at the moment, their focus being Allium Sphearocephalon, (purple and green drumstick one) Geranium 'Rozanne,' Stachys byzantina 'Big ears,' and Salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna.' Bumble bees are less fussy and seem to go whereever they will and at a much slower pace.
Hoverflies are everywhere and so many different types, from minute ones, to great big almost bee looking ones. They love the flat headed flowers and fennel/dill type flowers.
We've also had lots and lots of verious flies in the garden, very small ones, green backed ones and lots of small black beetles.
Unfortunately, we've had more aphids than I can cope with. I leave them, but it has been at the expense of all my Lupins, which I have now thrown on the composter. Alarmingly, given the amount of aphids, there have been next to no ladybirds. I know there are some, because I've seen the odd larvea here and there in my garden, but they tend to be attacked in rapid time by the ants who are farming the aphids.
I would say bee-wise, we're doing well in my garden as I've catered for them, but the lack of butterflies is frightening. I can see no reason why we're not getting them, but we're not; not even on the Buddleias or Verbena Bonariensis.
The Butterflies are only now showing their selves. Last year there were loads! My early Buddleia hasn't had many on it this year and its flowers are fading already.
P.S. don't forget to take part in the Big Butterfly Count ............
Its a bit early for butterflies here for me but I have loads of bees, the borage cerinthe lupins foxgloves and echium were the star favorites. The penstemons are just out now bees like those.
You could delay the buddlias flowering by cutting them down later, say April, mine are not even out yet but when they are, they will be loaded with butterflies.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
Lots in my gardens in the NW and elsewhere. Speckled Wood and other butterflies I haven't seen before; various bumblebees as well as honey bees (they do seem a bit down BUT all the beekeepers I know report loads of honey) damsel- and dragonflies. More frogs than usual too.
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Marlow, Buckinghamshire. I too see a huge decline in bumblebees and bees amount. Earlier this year, I saw at least a few lying/dying/dead bumblebees every day during two weeks in May/June. Then a month gap seeing nothing. Now as the weather has warmed up the buzzing world is slowly appearing. Tree bumblebees, red tailed bumblebee, odd bees, hoverflies, damselflies and some other smaller one.
I lost all bee favourite plants (winter honeysuckle, aliums, thymes, hebes, lavenders and others) due to flooding. Only chives survived and were the only one flowering and covered heavily with bumblebees. Unfortunately, I kept finding more dead underneath it then on top of it. We used to have ground mining bees but I'm afraid all drown. The amount of damselflies are the same. Spotted one or two frogs. Definitively more birds. Robins, tits, swifts, golden finches, trush... No hedgehogs anymore. ( we think we got a fox instead).
I seem to have loads of bees and hoverflies - and I've even seen quite a few ladybirds already this year which is great because they seem to have been in short supply. This garden is all quite new as they're was very little here when I moved in just under 18 months ago so it's good to see more wildlife moving in. We've had drier, warmer weather than we normally get in spring and early summer so I expect that has helped enormously - they've simply had more decent days to get out without having to take a brolly
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
In my garden in Aberdeenshire, white tail bumblebees are two a penny. Not many garden butterflies, but loads of those woodland brown ones in the woods. Not many hoverflies yet. Just started to see honey bees and we have orange underwing moths.
Absolutely loads of honey bees at the moment, their focus being Allium Sphearocephalon, (purple and green drumstick one) Geranium 'Rozanne,' Stachys byzantina 'Big ears,' and Salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna.' Bumble bees are less fussy and seem to go whereever they will and at a much slower pace.
Hoverflies are everywhere and so many different types, from minute ones, to great big almost bee looking ones. They love the flat headed flowers and fennel/dill type flowers.
We've also had lots and lots of verious flies in the garden, very small ones, green backed ones and lots of small black beetles.
Unfortunately, we've had more aphids than I can cope with. I leave them, but it has been at the expense of all my Lupins, which I have now thrown on the composter. Alarmingly, given the amount of aphids, there have been next to no ladybirds. I know there are some, because I've seen the odd larvea here and there in my garden, but they tend to be attacked in rapid time by the ants who are farming the aphids.
I would say bee-wise, we're doing well in my garden as I've catered for them, but the lack of butterflies is frightening. I can see no reason why we're not getting them, but we're not; not even on the Buddleias or Verbena Bonariensis.
The Butterflies are only now showing their selves. Last year there were loads! My early Buddleia hasn't had many on it this year and its flowers are fading already.
P.S. don't forget to take part in the Big Butterfly Count ............
http://www.bigbutterflycount.org/?gclid=CIahsc-f0b8CFVIPtAodFFMANQ
.
Its a bit early for butterflies here for me but I have loads of bees, the borage cerinthe lupins foxgloves and echium were the star favorites. The penstemons are just out now bees like those.
You could delay the buddlias flowering by cutting them down later, say April, mine are not even out yet but when they are, they will be loaded with butterflies.
Lots in my gardens in the NW and elsewhere. Speckled Wood and other butterflies I haven't seen before; various bumblebees as well as honey bees (they do seem a bit down BUT all the beekeepers I know report loads of honey) damsel- and dragonflies. More frogs than usual too.