I keep honey bees and many beekeepers are reporting winter losses of about 60% of their hives. The issues affecting the honeybees may well have also affected other types of bees.
We've been luckier than most and managed to bring through 11 of our 13 hives ... and all are now building up nicely. I'm also seeing plently of bumbles ...especially on the lamiums ..... so here's hoping for a great summer so that all the bees can make up for lost time!
Gardener and beekeeper in beautiful Scottish Borders
A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
First time I've ever written on here but just had to, as I share the same concerns regarding the bees, or rather lack of bees in my garden this year.
My beautiful and huge French Lavender is fully out now and is ALWAYS full of bees, buzzing away and this morning I saw only one. Have several other different varieties not out yet, also.
Yesterday was much the same, maybe 2 or 3 seen, but my husband and I are worried too about their lack of presence.
As we have a young puppy and older dog, the door is always open.We have had several flying indoors and much as we try and catch them and gently encourage them back onto a nice pollen-laden flower, don't really know what happens to them after that. Others have been found dead or very nearly dead, also; we try and rescue them if possible.
It's all so sad that this is happening and not sure that it is the cooler weather, because yesterday pm was quite warm and sunny but still scarcity of bees and other pollinators for that matter.
The bumblebees were very late coming out of hibernation this year. We may see more as the season goes on once nests are established, but it was bad last year as well so am not hopeful.
I often wonder if spraying of chemicals in the area has any bad effects on our pollinating friends. We dont use anything hut neighbours might and the council was out spraying the grass verges with a bright green substance 3 months ago. I stopped my car and questioned it and they looked at me like I was from the moon. It cant be doing any good tho. When it reaches trajic measures we will hear the usual phrase , well we must learn from this,.
Too latr. Fingers crossed our buzzie little friends will soon make an appearance.
Great to hear that some gardens are buzzing a bit more today; I stood and watched my lavender earlier this afternoon and there was one small bumble, then shortly after that 2 more of the same and then a larger more stripey bumble, totalling 4 at the same time! A record so far this year...
However, they were not stopping long on any flowers, just taking a look and buzzing off to another!!
am worrying too may be nuts right everything being late has a knock on effect maybe its that i was in the garden today for a few hours not one did i see very scary
I don't think domestic gardeners and allotment holders should be blaming themselves too much for the lack of bees. My husband, a beekeeper, is pretty convinced that it's a combination of cold and starvation that has killed so many colonies this last winter. For what it's worth, he was very attentive to his bees and his colonies all survived, although some are not strong.
As regards spraying and pesticides, the amounts used by gardeners are tiny compared with what's sprayed on the fields and verges etc. We're pretty sure that the weather is the biggest factor here - it's been such a cold, wet year with a late spring and consequent lack of forage when the bees did venture out.
I still get a good number of bees, but what concerns me are the number that I find looking ill or dead. What I've noticed over last few years is that they seem to love to settle on the conservatory, on the plastic not the glass. I've wondered if there is something emitted from the plastic that harms them, but I'm no scientist.
Posts
Hi All,
I keep honey bees and many beekeepers are reporting winter losses of about 60% of their hives. The issues affecting the honeybees may well have also affected other types of bees.
We've been luckier than most and managed to bring through 11 of our 13 hives ... and all are now building up nicely. I'm also seeing plently of bumbles ...especially on the lamiums ..... so here's hoping for a great summer so that all the bees can make up for lost time!
A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
Morning All
First time I've ever written on here but just had to, as I share the same concerns regarding the bees, or rather lack of bees in my garden this year.
My beautiful and huge French Lavender is fully out now and is ALWAYS full of bees, buzzing away and this morning I saw only one. Have several other different varieties not out yet, also.
Yesterday was much the same, maybe 2 or 3 seen, but my husband and I are worried too about their lack of presence.
As we have a young puppy and older dog, the door is always open.We have had several flying indoors and much as we try and catch them and gently encourage them back onto a nice pollen-laden flower, don't really know what happens to them after that. Others have been found dead or very nearly dead, also; we try and rescue them if possible.
It's all so sad that this is happening and not sure that it is the cooler weather, because yesterday pm was quite warm and sunny but still scarcity of bees and other pollinators for that matter.
The bumblebees were very late coming out of hibernation this year. We may see more as the season goes on once nests are established, but it was bad last year as well so am not hopeful.
I often wonder if spraying of chemicals in the area has any bad effects on our pollinating friends. We dont use anything hut neighbours might and the council was out spraying the grass verges with a bright green substance 3 months ago. I stopped my car and questioned it and they looked at me like I was from the moon. It cant be doing any good tho. When it reaches trajic measures we will hear the usual phrase , well we must learn from this,.
Too latr. Fingers crossed our buzzie little friends will soon make an appearance.
My laburnum is buzzing today. Not up to the standard of some years but improving
In the sticks near Peterborough
Bees buzz, buzz, buzzing all over my borage
Great to hear that some gardens are buzzing a bit more today; I stood and watched my lavender earlier this afternoon and there was one small bumble, then shortly after that 2 more of the same and then a larger more stripey bumble, totalling 4 at the same time! A record so far this year...
However, they were not stopping long on any flowers, just taking a look and buzzing off to another!!
I don't think domestic gardeners and allotment holders should be blaming themselves too much for the lack of bees. My husband, a beekeeper, is pretty convinced that it's a combination of cold and starvation that has killed so many colonies this last winter. For what it's worth, he was very attentive to his bees and his colonies all survived, although some are not strong.
As regards spraying and pesticides, the amounts used by gardeners are tiny compared with what's sprayed on the fields and verges etc. We're pretty sure that the weather is the biggest factor here - it's been such a cold, wet year with a late spring and consequent lack of forage when the bees did venture out.
I still get a good number of bees, but what concerns me are the number that I find looking ill or dead. What I've noticed over last few years is that they seem to love to settle on the conservatory, on the plastic not the glass. I've wondered if there is something emitted from the plastic that harms them, but I'm no scientist.