Where are the bees?

Sorry, the wasps were all with us.

MerylStreep they were all with us, hampering our attempts to pick plums, but now you mention it, there were fewer than last year!

My garden in Bucks is full of them, lots of Buddleia, wild flowers, roses and lavender etc.

We were just saying this morning that there hasn't been nearly as many bees in our garden this year. We're Bath/Bristol

Lots of bees here in Oxfordshire.

I'm in Central Scotland too. Also have loads of bees. Since I managed to seal of a wasp's bink inside the cladding on the extension, thankfully I have no wasps.

We have lots of butterflies and bees in our garden the NE.
However, yesterday I was waiting for a friend in the centre of Newcastle and I suddenly noticed that the pavement was strewn with dead bees. There were nearby flower beds full of dahlias (I think) which attracted the bees but something was killing them off. It was really quite upsetting to see.

Like GrannyGravy I’m in SE Essex and our garden is full of bees. The last few years we’ve planted about 20 lavender plants and the garden is literally humming. It’s wonderful. I’m sorry if you don’t have any this year, but I’m happy that the bees are still doing well.

Very few here in my wild garden in North Devon…????

Many bees here in Cambridgeshire all over the dahlias and gallardias.

Lots of garden bumblebees living in our front lawn. We wondered what was digging there and then we saw bees emerging. First time this has happened in over 20 years. It’s usually quite soggy but we have had a very dry summer.

My lavender bushes ( Berkshire) are teeming with bees!

My back garden is quite a big one for a suburban semi. I have not cut the grass all summer. I have a self-seeded buddleia, other blossoming shrubs, and as many trees as my garden can support, including a self- seeded oak.

My front garden/drive is gravelled (with no weed suppressing membrane), and has a good covering of grass and various wild plants.

Most, if not all , my neighbours have tidy gardens. That is a large cause of no bees. However the main cause is agribusiness that sells pesticides.

We have a lot of bees in our garden. We don't have an immaculate garden by any means. But I think bees prefer it that way.

We also have 3 hedgehogs and at least 4 hoglings.

The cosmos are massive this year aren't they? and the hollyhocks

Lots here in mid Cornwall. They love the verbena, cosmos and in particular the cotoneaster. It's been covered in bees on the sunny days.

My Mum's neighbour has had not 1 but 4 swarms in their house. The beekeeper who has managed to successfully move them said he was having a particularly bad year wrt honey and I don't think he knew why

We seem to have a lot of bees in the garden, they particularly like the lavender

Lots of bees here in Manchester,all over the Veronicastrum,Cosmos ,Shasta daisy and Verbena .,

My lavender in my garden in Berkshire is alive with bumble and honey bees.

My son keeps bees and he has a large garden, part of which he keeps to grow flowers for the bees. Its the first year he has had his hives and he gets online tuition about maintenance. The recent cold damp weather here in Devon is not to the bees liking. But he says he also has weak queens. He is hoping that eventually the weak ones will be replaced by strong ones... and don't ask me to explain any of the arguments here!!! I am baffled by it all. But my fuchias and mint flowers attract a number of bees but not many seem to be honey bees.

I’m having to keep up with rescuing bees from the birdbath at the moment. I’ve never noticed them drinking before but could be they are there every year, very rarely get drowned ones fortunately.
Actually it’s good to see them as there have been less and less bees in the garden the last couple of years.
I haven’t seen many wasps around but there are usually a lot of them in September here.

I've seen lots of bumble bees in my garden this year but not as many honey bees, hoverflies or wasps (yet).

I've had lots of bees on my lavender this year, especially back in the better weather a while ago.

Each day, while walking my dog, I've passed a couple of beech hedges swarming with bees. You hear the murmer of them walking past.

A hive of activity!

TerriBull

The stag beetles have suffered from out excessive tidying and leaving no dead wood around.

If you have the chance, pile up dead branches & trunks (if you have any), put them under a hedge to keep them out of the way. All the wood-boring insects are having a hard time, being thrown on fires.

Then (after 2 years, stag beetles are slow growers) you may be lucky enough to see our largest beetles again.

Good luck!