Where are the bees?

We don’t get as many as we used to,unfortunately. They like the lavender bushes and some of our native plants. Especially the bottlebrush, Callistemon! This year we have had no European wasps which is really good. Everyone is afraid of them, make a big fuss!

I have loads, no different from other years, though maybe later, the butterflies were late too, but I’ve seen more recently - I try to have mass planting of plants that attract them for most of the year, always have fresh water, a small pond and some bee/insect houses

We've had more bees than ever this year in Lincolnshire. It's a lovely sight (& sound) to see them all over the flower beds & veg patch.

I have plenty in my garden, butterflies too. I find they love purple/blue coloured flowers and my Hollyhocks have been covered. What type they are I have no idea. In fact in May I had a swarm collect at the base of my shrub covered archway. I called the local bee keeping association so they could collect them but they flew before they arrived. The end of my garden was black with them I have never seen so many, it was fascinating to watch.......from a safe distance!!!

MaggsMcG nearby lavender is thriving and covered in bees. My garden is shady and some of it is not even flowering yet. I think lavender loves sunshine and doesn’t mind being dry, so I’m not expecting much this year due to all the rain and cool weather in our area, and our shaded garden.

MaggsMcG

Talking about lavender can sometimes me how to grow it successfully. Mine keep dying. I can only get it to grow for about a year. I'm obviously doing something wrong. Am I supposed to cut the flowers off when they die or not. I've tried both.

You shouldn't cut it back hard - but then it gets very woody. Someone else may have more advice about that.

We always cut the flowers after they have died off but if you want to dry the lavender it's best to pick fresh flowers.

Leaving them to go to seed can encourage birds which like to eat the seeds. We had several goldfinches feasting on lavender seeds a couple of years ago.

On my Lavender in my front garden..Halesowen. My eldest granddaughter 21 is terrified and runs past them when she visits.

Talking about lavender can sometimes me how to grow it successfully. Mine keep dying. I can only get it to grow for about a year. I'm obviously doing something wrong. Am I supposed to cut the flowers off when they die or not. I've tried both.

Bumble bees and buff tailed bees and others still busy in my garden in London. The buff tails nest at the bottom of the garden every year.

Busy bees in Yorkshire too!

Bees out in force in the South west

I have them on my lavender in Yorkshire ?

My garden (in Cheshire) has been humming with various types of bee as I have lots of plants they enjoy. They don't bother me whatsoever and sometimes the small hovver ones hover in front of your face as though they are looking at you.
However, MerylStreep, thank God for the lack of wasps as I'm petrified of them, hope they don't appear if we have a hot spell in August as my grapevine looks as though it will have lots of grapes this year..

Here in Hampshire we have lots of bees especially near the lavender. We have got a nest of honey bees that are stuck up the chimney you can see them outside buzzing around. The sad thing is when we go to bed we find about 10 or so on the carpet that have fell down the chimney and are dying off. We do have a fire place in the bedroom. If any gransnetters know what we should do or how to get them out of the chimney I would be grateful.

Loads of bees here in the West Midlands as I found out yesterday when I ran my hand over our lavender! Luckily I didn’t get stung!

We have lots of bees here in Bolton. Yes, blue flowers are very popular with our bees. We did the suggested thing for bees of not mowing the lawn for the month of May and I think that may have helped even though the grass cutting on the first of June was HARD WORK !

Plenty in my garden enjoying the poppies foxgloves and this morning I got this photo of one in the honeysuckle covered in pollen looks like a kid about to lick its chocolaty lips

We're in Birmingham too and have lots of bees ?

They are on our battered-down untidy lavender- lots of white-tailed bees were on there this morning.

Caleo I can't believe anyone actually uses pesticides, can you. I mean, we are bombarded with messages about how to care for nature and yet garden centres still sell this stuff. My garden is part wild, looks lovely and we have lots of bees. Growing of its own accord here are Yarrow, Selfheal, Oxe Eye Daisies, Herb Robert, Rosebay Willow Herb and many other wild plants I don't know the names of, all among the ones I've put in. Also having a pond has meant we've been visited by beautiful Dragonflies. Nature will arrive if you encourage it and don't be too tidy.

I think my front garden (full of lavender) has most of Birmingham's bumble bee population in residence right now.

Every year for the past 14yrs we've been blessed with all these gorgeous, fluffy little friends visiting for the summer.

I'm planning to move house in about 6 months and hope that the new owners won't tear out all my lovely lavender but I know the first thing I'll be planting in my new garden will be more lavender!

Many bees on my Buckinghamshire Lavender but they go away when it rains - and it has done nothing else for days.

Hundreds of bees and wasps in my garden in Stirlingshire. So so many flies in my house this year too. Some I’ve never seen before. Fabreze Spray is great for killing the flies in the house. It leaves a nice fragrance too.

Hampshire, we've had lots of different bees and butterflies in between the rain showers. So lovely to see.

Plenty of bees on lavender etc. here in the cold north but as of yet not many wasps.
We do seem to have an abundance of slugs though any tips for keeping them in the garden and not the outbuildings or garage?