The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Wildlife => Topic started by: Fleecewife on December 27, 2021, 06:07:43 pm
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People tend to think of Honey Bees when they hear of gardening with wildlife in mind. However, honey bees of the hive variety are not native to the UK, whereas we have 26 varieties of Bumble Bees which are true natives. As I understand it, bumble bees are far more efficient at pollination than honey bees; you need a whole hive of honey bees to do the same work as a normal local bumble bee population. There are flowers which have evolved in concert with certain bee species so the flower shape is specific to that species and cannot be pollinated by honey bees or many other bumble bees.
A couple of years back [member=13]Rosemary[/member] asked me to write a list of flowers for bees. I couldn't do it then and actually I couldn't do it now. I know which flowers Bumble Bees like in my garden, but I couldn't say which bees like what in other gardens and other parts of the country.
So I was wondering if other nature lovers on TAS would like to join me in finding out the answer? I think if we note which bees are numerous on which flowers in each month of 2022, we could put together a valuable resource for the UK. It's bumble bees which need the most support to keep their numbers up, and we as small farmers and gardeners who have an excellent opportunity to collect some data. I don't expect more information about bee varieties, just big furry stripey bumble bee, or small ginger bee, or whatever, will do. I don't know the 26 bee species apart, or even more than a handful.
So starting for January 2022, I know there will be no bees of any type in my garden - it's too cold and they are hibernating. We could though note which flowers are out and if anyone further south has bees flying.
Any helpers?
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Good idea FW, count me in.
I read a lot about flowers for wildlife, and try to choose plants for bees and pollinators. I do notice Cotoneaster horizontalis is covered in the little beauties, mainly carder bees and a small 'proper' bumbly, as well as honey bees from across our little valley.
I will try and take note through the seasons, as it's the earliest flowering plants that they are in most need of, I grow willow, (just been double checking, its the willow pollen they are after, to supply food for the grubs, didnt realise that)
I love to see our bumblies :)
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I'll help :wave:
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Oh goody - that's us started then :thumbsup: :bee: :bee: :bee:
I'm expecting a new book to arrive tomorrow, same name as this thread, by Dave Goulson. I hope it's helpful.
Cotoneaster is wonderful for bees, I agree [member=22672]Penninehillbilly[/member] . I used to think it was a really boring plant until I was standing next to one one day and heard the happy humming :bee: :bee: then saw the surface moving with busy bees
Willow is wonderful for the first bumble queens emerging and setting up their nests. They have to do all the work on the first one on their own so need an energy burst and food for their first grubs. After that, all they have to do is lay eggs. There are lots of different willows which flower in succession so provide pollen over a long while (and hayfever)
Ivy is supposed to be excellent as a winter flower for all insects. I must go and see what's on mine - we have a huge, dense ivy growing over the end of our barn, which is wonderful for everything, nesting birds, hibernating amphibians, hunting stoats, insects and bees, flies and wasps, small children playing hide and seek, and even once a nesting hen :hughen: (the stoat and the hen didn't get on and it ended badly for the hen :( )
[member=13]Rosemary[/member], I hope Dan is better after his booster, if so, could you persuade him to give us some flower icons please, for this thread ?
So, for early bees we are told to grow snowdrops, crocus and aconites, what else? Cyclamen? Is Grape Hyacinth any good? I can't remember when it comes out. Pulmonaria is good too and fairly early. Our bees never appear in January here, but I always have some early flowers just in case.
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I bought this cheap and simple identification guide last year:
https://www.field-studies-council.org/shop/publications/bees-identification-guide/ (https://www.field-studies-council.org/shop/publications/bees-identification-guide/)
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The Dave Goulson book is great, I have read it (from the library) and it is on my wish list. (Actually all of his books are really good reads!)
On a walk recently (sometime in November) we noticed loads of insects (some late wasps, a few honey bees and lots of other flies etc) on flowering Ivy, which was covering a hedge and south facing. So defintiely one to encourage.
Fruit trees are good too, but I often find that it is too cold for honey bees, though the bumbles are often out.
I find hawthorn is usually talked about for honey bees, but again don't see them on it often, bumbles more likely. Same for rosebay willowherb.
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The three most popular for bumble bees in our garden are Hot Lips Sage, Borage and Lavender. The HLS is still flowering, despite the frosts, but it's now too cold for the bees.
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The three most popular for bumble bees in our garden are Hot Lips Sage, Borage and Lavender. The HLS is still flowering, despite the frosts, but it's now too cold for the bees.
I was forgetting our comfrey, trouble is, the bees love it so much, I can't bring myself to cut it down to use it :roflanim: .
Someone has suggested just taking the leaves off instead of cutting stems, so ill try that next year.
I think the difference is long or short tongue bumblies, so it's going to be interesting taking note which flowers different bees go for.
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I'm the same with comfrey PHB. The trick is to cut one third at a time, leaving the rest to flower, then cut another third back. Then later the final third, by which time the first lot is flowering again, if you get your timings right. Keep doing that throughout the season and you will always have flowers for the bees. I love the humming sounds coming from a comfrey patch in summer but I also love all the other uses for comfrey.
chrismahon, is Hot Lips Sage bright red? I have loads of ordinary sages and they are very beloved by all bees, and most are long lasting. I love the name of your HLS. I bought a new rose last year called Tottering-by-Gently - it's a lovely single pale yellow, popular with the bees, but I got it purely for the name :D
Actually I think most herbs are favourites with bees. Thyme, Marjoram, Oregano, Chives, Monarda, Mint, even Parsley when it flowers and looks like Dill and Fennel - hoverflies love them too.
Another group popular with bees is all the early flowering Alpines and Rock garden plants, which seem to flower just when the bees need them most.
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We have loads of comfrey because Dan sells root and crown cuttings, plus we use it a lot too. WE do as Fleecewife suggests and cut it rotationally, so there's always plenty for the bees.
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Cardoons - bumbles absolutely love to crawl through their big thistle-like flowers.
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Cardoons - bumbles absolutely love to crawl through their big thistle-like flowers.
I've never tried to grow cardoons and had no success with globe artichokes either. I wonder if cardoons would grow up here :thinking:
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Hot Lips Sage has white flowers with a red tip [member=4333]Fleecewife[/member] and it soon takes over wherever it is planted, so has to be pruned back hard every year. Borage is really invasive and plants shoot up all over the veggie plot.
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This is what I grow around my apple trees for the bees. I know it as purple tansy as well as lacy phacelia.
I have never seen a plant covered in so many different bees and insects than this one - I collect seeds and give them out to many people on our allotments.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/lacy-phacelia/lacy-phacelia-growing.htm
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Just a thought that crossed my mind..
We are not allowed beehives etc on site because of the risk of stinging etc.
But If I take specific actions to encourage or increase the bee population couldn't I leave myself open to the same risk?
I know its not cultivating bees but at the same time a bee sting is a bee sting isn't it?
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Just a thought that crossed my mind..
We are not allowed beehives etc on site because of the risk of stinging etc.
But If I take specific actions to encourage or increase the bee population couldn't I leave myself open to the same risk?
I know its not cultivating bees but at the same time a bee sting is a bee sting isn't it?
Bumble bees don't sting. Honey bees don't sting unless you disturb them, and more likely to do so near their hive during hot and humid weather. A bee out foraging is highly unlikely to sting. And a bee sting is only an issue if you are really badly allergic - people who are need to carry an injector with them anyway. I think it is massively short-sighted not to have bee hives (limited in number to ensure the site of the allotment allows good enough forage) on allotments - esp in urban areas. Due to the use of chemicals in the countryside beeds have a much harder time out here than they do in cities...
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Unfortunately [member=3211]Anke[/member] female bumble bees do have a sting (both queen and workers I understand) and can sting repeatedly (unlike the honey bee): I believe the sting is withdrawn within the body, so that's not like either honey bees or wasps. Male bumbles do not have a sting.
I reckon you need to really provoke a bumble for it to consider stinging, but I wasn't arguing when one split away from the throng of various bumbles on a cotoneaster horizontalis bush while I was weeding close by: it buzzed menacingly around my head and, when I had got the message, it actually ushered me off across the lawn for several yards before it went back to the cotoneaster !!
Also, I was once inspecting a bumble bee nest which had been partially "dug out" by a badger: it wasn't long before the small colony was airborne and ready for action. Of course, I withdrew promptly.
Personally, I am not complacent where seemingly bumbling bumble bees are concerned !
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I've never tried to grow cardoons and had no success with globe artichokes either. I wonder if cardoons would grow up here
Cardoons and globe artichokes (GA) are very closely related. I'm no expert on either, but I've not had a problem growing, splitting, transplanting cardoons down here: from my cardoon experience, they are one of the earliest perennials to throw new leafy spring growth and mine have been very resilient to cold spring weather/frosts. That said, having researched GA growing some time back, it is apparent that GA crowns (and maybe cardoon crowns as well) do not like sitting in cold, very wet soil over winter. Seemingly, GA growers either lift for over-wintering or plant with enhanced drainage and protect the crowns against frosts in situ.
Do give cardoons a try (maybe taking the above into account) cos the bumbles really do love 'em.
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Bumble bees often nest in the ground. We are over run with badgers who dig up the nest in my paddocks. Now and again there is one in the garden so I keep the dogs away to give the bees a chance. Over the years i have planted bee friiendly flowers.
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Bumble bees often nest in the ground. We are over run with badgers who dig up the nest in my paddocks. Now and again there is one in the garden so I keep the dogs away to give the bees a chance. Over the years i have planted bee friiendly flowers.
I walk the dogs up our track, very sad to see a bit of the banking dug out, had been a bee nest, presume badger. :'( >:(
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I worked on bumblebees with Dave Gouldon a few years ago.
There are many lists of flowers out there already, basically all wildflowers and cottage garden flowers will be useful to pollinators. Also plenty of trees and shrubs. It might be useful to think about those that produce high quality/protein pollen (legumes particularly popular), those that flower for a long time, like vipers bugloss or tolerate being cut back to produce flowers all summer for a smaller area, comfrey and clovers are good. Spring flowers are very important for queens and early colonies, red and white dead nettles, archangel, willows, cherry and fruit tree blossom come to mind. There’s a toss up between native vs non- rhododendron and humiliating balsam come into this, lots of nectar and full of bees but not Scottish and ecological problems. Tree flowers seemed to be a bit under valued when I was doing it a few years ago: it was all about trying to recreate wild flower meadows. I think it’s recognised that a tree line can be established and maintained easier and provide good pollinator flowers. Not that wild flower meadows aren’t important but they are mostly outcompetes by grasses and full of thistles within a few years, so there’s issues around establishment and maintenance.
There’s some good anyone can do even if it’s just window boxes or pots, leaving your lawn to clovers and vetches, growing cottage garden plants or thinking about field margins, trees or orchard planting.
Yes it’s badgers that dig up the nests. I found no evidence for foxes or other animals in Britain doing this.
They basically don’t sting unless provoked, but Watch out for tree bumblebees as they seem to sting people more often in the summer. As said, if a nest has previously been attacked the occupants seem to mount a defence rapidly, and will give chase!
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Badgers and stupid little boys with sticks! That was my youngest grandson last year, attacking a nest of small dark wasps which defended themselves viciously for the rest of the year anytime any of us went anywhere near. We all got stung several times, especially near the eyes, all except the grandson who didn't get stung at all :roflanim: Not bees though, which seem to be much gentler. Mr F has disturbed bumble nests in bale stacks several times, sadly. He tries to save them but they do move on. We get several bee nests in holes in the ground of our garden and in pastures, also bumbles in the attic, every year
What I am wanting to find out from this little survey is which bees we have in our own gardens, and which flowers, shrubs and trees they prefer in our gardens and smallholdings. I started being interested when I couldn't find any bees ever on Monarda, which is supposed to be a bee favourite. There were a couple last year in fact, but not the hordes I might have expected from the literature. It could well be because we don't have the relevant species with the right tongue length. To some extent if you plant the right flowers you could expect the right bees to turn up, but where I live there are very few bees at the best of times. We have been doing our best with flowers, trees and so on for the past 26 years, but we're just a small island in a sea of mono grass and chemical blasted cereals, not many gardens about either.
I think it will be interesting too to see what range of flowers we each have in our gardens and on our smallholdings, and in what volumes. Already sharing info about the best flowers is showing benefits, as I shall have a go at cardoons this coming year, if I can get near my polytunnel to start them off (thanks arobwk). I might try a patch of phacelia in the veg garden again too (thanks for that reminder Q). One of the best flowers for honey bees is creeping thistle - I have no problem growing those, but there are currently no hives within flying distance of us, so I don't see any honey bees at all - all the more for the bumbles :thumbsup: :bee: :bee: :bee:
Wildflower meadows are not always the answer are they, as you point out Step Hen. I'm struggling with mine certainly, but I know I will have to try various plants to see what will survive and what is doomed.
I love seeing the first Bumble queens flying in the willow tops high against a bright blue sky in spring - extremely successful. We have lots of willow species so they are flowering over a long period. I bought several coloured stem varieties last year but they haven't done very well in the drought we had last year. Most have survived but they will be needing TLC in spring. Same with the tree borders we put alongside two paddocks. The little trees are struggling a bit - dried out in summer and drowned in winter ::)
You mention dead nettles Steph - one of the most abundant flowers out in my garden and veg garden today is red dead nettle. It grows everywhere here and the bees love it, although it is low growing and fairly insignificant. T&M are now offering a cultivar with bright white leaves, which seems to have all the other characteristics of the native version.
So my Dave Gouldon (amazing you worked with him Steph) book arrived yesterday. I have read other books of his which is why I bought this one. But I did burst out laughing when I saw his bee ID pages - bee identification is something I find so difficult, with so many looking like other species, males looking nothing like females and workers looking like neither. Bees are so great at so many things it would be really helpful if they had small medium and large versions of the same colour scheme - workers, males and queens, then we could tell them all apart.
I have recognised buff tailed bumblebees and carder bees here, then last year tree bees appeared (usually too busy to sting, so far). I expect there are also plenty of solitary bees around as we have the walls and rough grass for them, but I never seem to have my glasses on when I see one, and they never stop still for long enough for me to see them properly.
I went to look at my giant ivy today - lots of flowers and developing fruits but not an insect in sight, not even a fly.
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So, January 1st 2022 and what flowers do I have in my garden?: Red Dead Nettle; Winter Jasmine; a few Roses; Wallflowers; Coloured Primrose; a few tiny Geraniums; Ivy (lots)
What insects do I have in my garden? Midges, gnats and flies, no bees. However, I like to think there will be several native Queen Bumble Bees tucked around the place, under the ground, in hay bales, cracks in the stone walls, lofts and attics :bee: :bee: :bee:
What about you?
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Phacelia tanacetifolia (as mentioned by Q) is new to me, but, having taken a look, seems like a no brainer judging by on-line descriptions such as "Perhaps the single most attractive plant for bees on the planet" !
[ Going back some way on the forum, there was a thread that mentioned Tree Bumble Bees and I remember posting on it, BUT can I find it !! I seem to recall, though, that it gave a link to a very useful bee species identifier: If it did then I would almost certainly have saved that link ont' laptop, BUT I can't find that either ! Does anyone remember and have a link to that bee identifier please ? ]
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Oh dear, 2 flowers on the deadnettle, a few on the witch hazel on the twigs next to the wall,
Nothing on the winter Jasmine (only planted a year ago), no hellebore :( not even buds on primrose.
Sometimes see midges in the air, but no pollinators.
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Maybe ID try https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/bumblebee-species-guide/
Or any simple guide. Just focus on common six or so in springtime when it’s all queens. Then you’ll see small workers later and recognise them and then it’ll all get very confusing as males get in the go along with worn-out workers of all different sizes who’ve bleached fur or gone bald! but you’ll have a good grounding.
Unless you can go to a class/session I think the best way is what I was told to do with birds: sketch it. Not the outline (predraw the blobs of thorax and abdomen) but the colour stripes pattern. You can do this from a book, to practice before the queens come out. For me there’s a huge difference between looking at something and seeing a bee or focusing on the different parts of it to get your eye in on it.
Photos are obviously great for detail and later comparison but I think there’s huge value in reproducing it either with coloured pencils on a sheet of predrawn blobs (thorax and abdomens) or just writing the colours you see is ok. Orange: black: orange: black: white.
Got to own it otherwise it stays foreign.
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That's an excellent idea Steph Hen. I never seem to get photos at the right angle for ID but drawing could work.
Some Bumble workers are really tiny, especially compared to the Queens. Then there are the Cuckoo Bees - no pollen sacks on their legs. And of course bees like Mason bees and other small solitary bees. I seem to be able to confuse almost anything with something else ::)
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Black orange black black yellow white. It’ll jump out a mile that B. Vestalis isn’t a normal bumble, don’t worry about pollen baskets.
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December / January Christmas box (Sarococcus confusa). Full of flowers, amazing scent and with the mild weather (when it's not raining) our honeybees have been taking full advantage. Mahonia also good at this time.
I will be growing lots of Phalaecia this year. It helps fill in when there is a shortage of nectar in early summer, normally called the June gap although it was early this year.
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Thanks for that [member=25518]waddy[/member] . I had not heard of sarcococca confusa before. BBC Wildlife says it has no known benefit to wildlife in the UK, but everyone else says totally the opposite ::) . It will be going strait onto my wish list :thumbsup: .
Whereabouts are you that you have bees foraging today?
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The link provided by Steph Hen (reply #26) is not to the guide that I was thinking of. Of course, I might just be imagining. Thanks anyway Steph Hen.
While searching I found this interesting/informative site: http://www.bloomsforbees.co.uk/ (http://www.bloomsforbees.co.uk/)
It covers all 25 species known in the UK, common and rare.
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[member=152775]arobwk[/member], there's a thread called 'Tree Bumble Bees' in the beekeeping thread, posted by me, but it doesn't have a link to an ID site
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[member=152775]arobwk[/member], there's a thread called 'Tree Bumble Bees' in the beekeeping thread, posted by me, but it doesn't have a link to an ID site
Ta - I almost certainly imagined a link then. I hope you will find the "bloomsforbees" link I've since posted interesting.
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[member=152775]arobwk[/member], there's a thread called 'Tree Bumble Bees' in the beekeeping thread, posted by me, but it doesn't have a link to an ID site
Ta - I almost certainly imagined a link then. I hope you will find the "bloomsforbees" link I've since posted interesting.
Another idea someone had before I did - citizen science flowers for BBs :roflanim: The story of my life ::)
It's a lovely site and I think I'll get the ID app on my phone - the only other apps I have are to do with star gazing, smart phones being new to me :eyelashes: .
It's not identical to our idea though, as they are checking certain specific flowers for bee numbers and species, whereas we are finding all the flowers which are most popular with BBs in our gardens.
I like the voice of the woman doing the ID clip - a good 'don't panic' sort of voice ;D and clear descriptions.
I would also like ID info for solitary bees such as mason bees - I'm sure we have them but I don't know what they look like, compared to other species.
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I found this interesting article:
urbanpollinators.blogspot.com/2013/12/winter-flowers-for-bees-and-other.html
It points out that in the south of the UK in cities, which tend to be warmer than rural areas, some BBs don't hibernate but continue to forage through the winter, often successfully because of a lack of competition from other pollinators. It also suggests some flowers to try, especially if you live in the south
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Hello everyone,
It's the middle of the month so what changes have there been in your garden? Any new flowers out? Any BB sightings? If so let us know.
I haven't seen much change but today is beautifully sunny so I shall go to check again.
Actually, I lie, at last there are lots of bulbs just poking their first spears through the ground. My son's in Hampshire were poking through several weeks ago and the last I heard they were 4" tall.
I have just sent off for a Small leaved Lime, in response to posts on the 'Planting a woodland for bees' thread. It's a native of further south in the UK than I am, but as Rosemary who is further north than I am has a lime tree I shall give it a go. I could have spent hundreds of pounds on a large version but instead I've opted for the £8.95 one from The Woodland Trust :D :tree:
So what is flowering in your garden in mid January, and whereabouts in the country are you?
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One sad little unopened flower on deadnettle,
But witch hazel looking great, full flower, it's neighbour just about to burst into flower.
No BB's though. Wouldn't expect it round here.
Location, W York's Pennines.
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<<< So, January 1st 2022 and what flowers do I have in my garden?: Red Dead Nettle; Winter Jasmine; a few Roses; Wallflowers; Coloured Primrose; a few tiny Geraniums; Ivy (lots) >>>
That's what I wrote a couple of weeks ago. Today I found I still have those flowers (except no roses any more) plus the hellebores are in bud but not quite open yet.
As well as sending off for my Tillia, Small Leaved Lime, I have been potting on the shrubs I sent for: [member=25518]waddy[/member]'s Sarcococca Confusa x 3; more Forsythia including dwarf version; more Winter jasmine (the original is still flowering its head off, the best it's ever been - must be the manure mulch I gave it last year; buddleia dwarf kind - I have tall ones plus a yellow flowered version which is a total thug but adored by bees and butterflies, but the dwarf ones can go right in a flower bed; a dwarf Juniper for the rock garden because it's blue and I quite like blue conifers, nothing to do with bees really.
Yes, I agree [member=22672]Penninehillbilly[/member] too early for bees, but perhaps down south someone has some :bee: :bee:
It felt almost spring like today, but an icy wind :sunshine: :sunshine: :sunshine: :cold:
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Gone frosty down here again in South West Somerset. A little bit of ice on water buckets. As well as the Sarcococca, Viburnum bodnantense, and Mahonia, the snowdrops and primroses have started. A few bees will be out if the temperature goes up a bit. A couple of weeks ago it was up around 14 degrees which really shouldn't happen in January. The honeys will be active in the hives and using stores instead of in their winter clusters. After a really early build up in numbers last year due to a warm February and lots of early spring blossom they had to then use up their spring stores due to the bad weather late spring and into summer. We left their honey on and it was all used. We had to feed late Spring. We left the Summer honey on also and supplementary fed late Summer into Autumn. They also have fondant with pollen substitute on to make sure they are allright through the winter. I have never (in eight years of keeping bees) had to feed so much. There has been plenty of blossom, nectar and pollen around; just not necessarily always at the right time and the weather hasn't always helped the bees. Bumbles will have had to contend with this as well. I will be planting more wild flowers this year to help all the polinators; particularly Phacelia to help with the Summer honey flow. They need all the help they can get!
Waddy (Need a bee and a flower emoji!)
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Here we are in our new home in 'Wildlife', thank you Dan :wave:
[member=25518]waddy[/member] there is a bee emoji - click 'more' under the emoji list above when you are typing and a whole extra list of them pops up :bee: :bee: :bee: :ladybug: :bfly: :garden: But you're right we really do need a flower emoji.
Although this thread isn't about honey bees, reading what you have written about caring for your hives this winter made me see that your knowledge will be really helpful to us, as what applies for honey bees must also surely apply to Bumbles. The main difference I can see is that many Bumbles may be longer tongued and heavier and therefore need flowers like foxgloves and antirrhinums, with bell shaped flowers. Also Bumbles have no back-up of humans to provide them with extra feed. Hence our list of what they like and when, to provide continuous pollen and nectar.
Actually as you're here, could you clarify for me please about pollen and nectar. Is it that pollen is for feeding larvae, whereas nectar is for the adult bees? Do all flowers provide both or is nectar only the reward supplied by some flowers in return for pollinating their species?
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Hi Fleecewife. The more you learn about bees, the more you realise you don't know and the bees will still surprise you!
Wind pollinated plants including nearly all conifers and many broadleaved trees such as oak, hazel and birch don't need to produce scent to attract pollinators hence no nectar. The bees will however use the protein in the pollen to make "bee bread" to feed their larvae and themselves. They shouldn't need as much pollen during winter as the colder temperatures mostly make them hibernate and they should fewer bees and no brood to feed. Flowers needing pollinators have evolved to attract the pollinators producing nectar to give them an energy source and helping them find the nectaries with uv landing strips. Some are specialist. Honey bees tongues are not long enough to reach the nectaries of primroses but bumbles can. If there are plenty of spring wildflowers, hedgerows, woodlands and orchards, plus early flowering shrubs and other plants in gardens there will be plenty of early forage for pollinators. We have a very large wild cherry in our orchard and the hum coming from all types of bees when in flower is one of life's great joys. Likewise the sight of all the hedgerow flowers and bluebells in the woods. The problem comes when these finish flowering (and if the weather stops the bees getting out). Because most fields are now a monocrop, whether grass or other crops (and usually sprayed with nasty stuff) there is a great lack of flowers in early Summer and bees can starve. Blackberries are great but the flowers come a bit later. We plant lots of Salvias, Lavender, wild Geraniums and anything with simple flowers the bees can get at. Dandelions are wonderful. It is important for the pollinators to have a clean water source. Putting in a pond with a shallow area for them to drink is perfect but it can be a bird bath. If the weather has been very dry the plants won't produce much nectar which can add to the problems faced. This year I am really going to try and boost the wild flowers in our orchard. I will be oversowing with red clover and putting in plugs of various wild and cultivated plants. We have a section we can leave unmown where the grass isn't as strong (yellowrattle will help). Just hoping when the birds are allowed back loose they won't eat everything I plant! Dandelions only survive in areas the birds don't go. Maybe need to do some fencing.
:thumbsup:
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Thank you for all that [member=25518]waddy[/member] it is really helpful.
A question: I have heard both answers to this question. If you have an orchard you can plant lots of flowers under the trees to attract bumble and honey bees, hoverflies, wasps and all the other pollinators needed to get a good crop. But does this work? Do bees collect pollen from a wide variety of flowers, or do they go for one type at a time? If the latter, then by attracting them to flowers you might be distracting them from the fruit blossom. Any opinions?
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Jan 19th 2022, Southern Scotland, 1,000'
My first new flowers this year have come out today: Snowdrops and aconites - a couple of each.
No bees :bee: .
Would bees feed from these 2 flowers if they were around?
TAMOQ: Yes they would :thumbsup: Both snowdrops and aconites provide both pollen and nectar for pollinators :bee: :bee: :bee:
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Honeys will scout widely for good new nectar sources and then communicate with the hive. The bees will tend to work the best nectar producing plant as a group and then move on to the next best area. They will revisit the first plants when they have had enough time to recharge their nectaries (not long if there has been a shower). If you go for a walk in the woods in the autumn listen out for a hum high up in the canopy. It will be bees working a patch of ivy flowers (very late flowering so very important) for the nectar and pollen. The next day they will move onto the next patch of trees. I get great pleasure following the hum and just standing and listening. Not all nectar sources are from flowers. Laurel (horribly invasive and poisonous) as well as having flowers the bees love; later produces nectar from nectaries under the leaves. Don't know why. Your lime trees are known for being the source of a very strong and good honey produced from the honeydew made by aphids feeding on the tree sap. There was a smarty factory with nearby bees that produced blue honey! Not exactly very appetising but bertainly a notice for the factory not to pollute the surrounding area with chemicals!
:thumbsup: Helen
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Friut blossom is such a good and plentyfull nectar source it is very high in the list of plants preferred by the bees. If you have lots of blossom, the pollinators will find it.
:bee: :bee: :bee:
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I don't think I fancied blue smarties anyway :roflanim: I'm sure that wasn't a colour when I last had a smartie :thinking:
Do you know if bumble bees communicate with their nest the same way honey bees do (wiggle dance)? I have read that it takes far fewer bumble bees to pollinate a particular sized orchard, garden or whatever, than honey bees, bumbles being more efficient.
I grew up in Norfolk where every mature tree had a mantle of ivy. I didn't notice the hum then, but now where I live in Scotland there aren't many deciduous woods and very few trees have ivy. Hence our barn which has a thick ivy covering being quite unusual. I have tried propagating the ivy to grow over other buildings but my last lot died in last year's drought. Time to try again..... It's marvellous stuff for all sorts of wildlife and for all sorts of reasons.
So [member=25518]waddy[/member] doesn't it make any difference to the bees whether or not you grow flowers under the fruit trees?
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I read somewhere about how long it takes for the nectaries to recharge, I think comfrey was about 20minutes? Compared with another plant which took much longer. You learn something new everyday, I thought once the bees had been there it was finished, changed what I think about flower choice completely
Does anyone know of a list of 'recharging' times?
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I just did a search on 'bees nectaries refill'
There is a GW article published 13th Jan this year, interesting.
Maybe not so much for those who have read the books :)
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I never read GW - too full of adverts, even the articles are adverts!
I am fascinated by bees smelly feet, which is how they let other bees know there's no point in seeking anything from that flower because it's been drained. Presumably the smell from their feet has dispersed by the time the nectaries refill?
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The article is a coincidence,
but i do get GW, only because hubs buys Tesco fuel, collects Clubcard points and there is nothing else remotely interesting to buy with them !
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The article is a coincidence,
but i do get GW, only because hubs buys Tesco fuel, collects Clubcard points and there is nothing else remotely interesting to buy with them !
Desperation :roflanim: :roflanim:
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The article is a coincidence,
but i do get GW, only because hubs buys Tesco fuel, collects Clubcard points and there is nothing else remotely interesting to buy with them !
Desperation :roflanim: :roflanim:
Yup :roflanim:
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A couple of days ago I posted that my first flowers of the year, aconites and snowdrops, have appeared.
Surely I can't be the first person to have new year flowers?
I am hoping to catch first sightings of both bumble bees and of flowers they might visit from every corner of the country, so when you find some you haven't mentioned yet, please post and let us know where you are :D
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Bumblebees don’t do waggle dancing. I seem to remember they may buzz excitedly and try to get others to follow them to good patches but not sure about that.
It’s normally March the first queens are out in Scotland. The carder bumblebees don’t really get going till may. I have notes on all this stuff and guess it’s in my thesis somewhere.
Ivys great for wildlife but different builders have told me it’s a slow death sentence for buildings and my own observations confirm the roots can go right through walls with lime mortar.
Different species of flowers take different lengths of time to refill their nectar. Of much interest is the quality of pollen and nectar as well as quantity. Legumes have high protein pollen. Lime nectar can be so plentiful and partially ferment as to intoxicate they bees leaving them slow and vulnerable to predation by birds like great tits.
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Thanks Steph Hen. I shall get to that bit in the bee book at some point!
The question of ivy on walls is still under discussion. There are those who say that the ivy destroys the walls and others who say that ivy can actually hold dodgy walls together and that it's when you pull the ivy off that the damage is caused. If you think about it though it's effectively the same thing. The ivy on our barn must have been there since long before we arrived, probably as long as 50 years. The barn is still standing - we didn't remove the ivy when we had everything else repointed with lime mortar.
Is there a list somewhere of which pollen and nectar is the best quality for bees and whether it's different for honey bees and bumble bees? That's another point we will have to consider in our flower and tree lists.
For predation of sleepy bees, we just have to accept the circular nature of ecosystems I suppose.
Although we shan't be seeing bees out and about up here for a few weeks yet, I am looking forward to finding out who sees them first elsewhere in the UK. Waddy has already seen some honey bees foraging in Somerset in the unusually warm January
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I was just about to ask if there was a prize for the first sighting, then read Waddy had seen honeybees,
But what about bumblies? I suppose I'd be about last anyway, :( , ;D .
I always think ivy keeps the wall dryer, possibly warmer? As FW says, problem comes when pulling it down, need to cut sections out so it withers in summer.
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I have one tiny viola which has come out today :thumbsup: Not much use to a bee really as they're still sound asleep.
Ooh what shall we have as a prize for the first Bumble Bee sighting? Nothing but fame, no fortune, sorry :o
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I have been having such fun reading Dave Goulson's 'Gardening for Bumble Bees' book. I had to finish a rather uninspiring online course before I could start it, but it was worth the wait.
I've only got to page 64/5 so far but have learned not only about Bumbles but also Solitary Bees and my little pals the Hover Flies. There is one Cuckoo HF which 'flicks' its eggs into a host Miner Bee's nest tube so they hatch into larvae which mooch about eating detritus in the nest until they hatch into new adults, no harm done to the Solitary bee. Another lays its eggs in a flower so the hatched larva hitches a ride on the host bee to get into the nest. Not all just do the cleaning, some do predate the host bee's young.
I no longer fear identifying the most numerous queens- there are only half a dozen or so which get as far north as me anyway.
The only Scottish BB is the Great Yellow BB which was found recently in the far north, so I'll not be seeing that in my garden either.
Dave Goulson's book is only about £12 for those who can bring themselves to buy from Amawotsit and it's well worth that cost :bee: :bee: :bee:
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I have been having such fun reading Dave Goulson's 'Gardening for Bumble Bees' book. I had to finish a rather uninspiring online course before I could start it, but it was worth the wait.
I've only got to page 64/5 so far but have learned not only about Bumbles but also Solitary Bees and my little pals the Hover Flies. There is one Cuckoo HF which 'flicks' its eggs into a host Miner Bee's nest tube so they hatch into larvae which mooch about eating detritus in the nest until they hatch into new adults, no harm done to the Solitary bee. Another lays its eggs in a flower so the hatched larva hitches a ride on the host bee to get into the nest. Not all just do the cleaning, some do predate the host bee's young.
I no longer fear identifying the most numerous queens- there are only half a dozen or so which get as far north as me anyway.
The only Scottish BB is the Great Yellow BB which was found recently in the far north, so I'll not be seeing that in my garden either.
Dave Goulson's book is only about £12 for those who can bring themselves to buy from Amawotsit and it's well worth that cost :bee: :bee: :bee:
Yes the book is really interesting. I think I must spend my last book token on it, as I had to return the library copy unfortunately...
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I think it is worth having as a reference book. I know I simply could never keep all that info in my already overstuffed brain :roflanim:
I can hardly wait now for the queens to start coming out of hibernation so I can check them out, although we have plenty of snow to look forward to before they can do that.
If I can find a minute I could share some of what I have learnt about Bumble Bees and the flowers they like, according to the guru 8) Right now I'm in a spring cleaning mood :tired: :tired: :tired: but I'm sure I'll recover soon :D
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"Plenty of snow"????
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I think it is worth having as a reference book. I know I simply could never keep all that info in my already overstuffed brain :roflanim:
I can hardly wait now for the queens to start coming out of hibernation so I can check them out, although we have plenty of snow to look forward to before they can do that.
If I can find a minute I could share some of what I have learnt about Bumble Bees and the flowers they like, according to the guru 8) Right now I'm in a spring cleaning mood :tired: :tired: :tired: but I'm sure I'll recover soon :D
Looking forward to any info FW, and don't worry, some winter weather will soon knock you out of spring clean mode. ;D
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I think it is worth having as a reference book. I know I simply could never keep all that info in my already overstuffed brain :roflanim:
I can hardly wait now for the queens to start coming out of hibernation so I can check them out, although we have plenty of snow to look forward to before they can do that.
If I can find a minute I could share some of what I have learnt about Bumble Bees and the flowers they like, according to the guru 8) Right now I'm in a spring cleaning mood :tired: :tired: :tired: but I'm sure I'll recover soon :D
Looking forward to any info FW, and don't worry, some winter weather will soon knock you out of spring clean mode. ;D
Thank goodness for that :relief:
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Here are the most common BBs found in the UK, so probably the ones you will find in your gardens and smallholdings.
www.bumblebeeconservation.org/white-tailed-bumblebees/buff-tailed-bumblebee/ (http://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/white-tailed-bumblebees/buff-tailed-bumblebee/)
The Buff Tailed BB is found throughout the UK except the Scottish Highlands. Short tongued. Nests can have up to 400 workers. Bred for pollinating glasshouse crops across the world, so is now an invasive pest in S America and Japan. This species is the most commonly seen in the UK.
www.bumblebeeconservation.org/white-tailed-bumblebees/white-tailed-bumblebee/ (http://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/white-tailed-bumblebees/white-tailed-bumblebee/)
The White Tailed BB is found throughout the UK. It is short tongued and tends to 'rob' deep flowers by biting into the nectar tube.
www.bumblebeeconservation.org/ginger-yellow-bumblebees/common-carder-bee/ (http://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/ginger-yellow-bumblebees/common-carder-bee/)
The Common Carder BB is a gingery brown, hard working bee with a medium length tongue. They fly late into Autumn.
www.bumblebeeconservation.org/red-tailed-bumblebees/red-tailed-bumblebee/ (http://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/red-tailed-bumblebees/red-tailed-bumblebee/)
The Red tailed BB is short tongued and found throughout the UK, especially on chalk downlands, although a bit scarce in the Scottish Highlands. The queen is large and glossy black with no stripes, just her bright red tail.
www.bumblebeeconservation.org/red-tailed-bumblebees/early-bumblebee/ (http://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/red-tailed-bumblebees/early-bumblebee/)
The Early BB is found throughout the UK. It is small and short tongued and is the most placid of bees.
www.bumblebeeconservation.org/white-tailed-bumblebees/garden-bumblebee/ (http://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/white-tailed-bumblebees/garden-bumblebee/)
Garden BBs are found throughout the UK but they are not very common anywhere. Quite like white tailed BB but has 3 stripes not 2. Very long tongues, with a long face.
www.bumblebeeconservation.org/white-tailed-bumblebees/tree-bumblebee/ (http://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/white-tailed-bumblebees/tree-bumblebee/)
The Tree BB is now found throughout the UK although it hasn't fully colonised all of Scotland yet. It has flown across to N Ireland. Short tongued and dies off after the end of June
www.bumblebeeconservation.org/ginger-yellow-bumblebees/great-yellow-bumblebee/ (http://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/ginger-yellow-bumblebees/great-yellow-bumblebee/)
The Great Yellow BB is now found only on the North Scottish coast, Orkney, S Uist and a few other Scottish Western Isles. It used to be found throughout the UK but was not common. I only mention it because it was thought to be extinct but was recently refound, to great celebration.
Ideally these links would be replaced by the ID photos to make it easier to see them all together. If anyone knows how to do that, please do so :thumbsup:
www.bumblebeeconservation.org/gardeningadvice/ (http://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/gardeningadvice/)
Next episode will be 'other pollinators', then later 'best flowers for pollinators'.
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Oh dear, by the total lack of reaction I assume that the format of my last message wasn't very helpful. I need to be able to take the pics of the relevant bees from the internet into TAS then here so you can see them when you open the thread. I just don't know how to do that, sorry. There's so much more info to post but there's no point me doing so if it's not helpful.
A question: yesterday I noticed that some of the previously tiny Hazel catkins in our hedges have opened into flower. This seems earlier than usual. Has anyone else got catkins flowering and if so, where are you?
I'm in Southern Scotland at 1,000'
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Your last post IS very interesting FW, i was switching backwards and forwards through the links, trying to see the differences. Just never thought to come back and comment, sorry.
Thinking of trying to copy images all into one document, so they are alongside each other, but as we are probably a couple of months off seeing much, I've got time. :)
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That would be brilliant if you could do that PHB :bouquet: . To be able to compare the various bees side by side would be so helpful. I think we might see some queens on the wing especially further south, from late Feb which isn't so far off now :bee: :bee: :bee:
Should I go ahead with links to other pollinators or wait until you see what you can do with the bees?
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I've only recently come across this thread. Great stuff.
Today we spotted half a dozen or so honey bees enjoying the heather flowers in a dose of Welsh sunshine.
And a little off topic but ..... a red admiral butterfly making its way around the garden. Seems very early but my daughter tells me that the first ones can be seen in January.
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That's great [member=24384]in the hills[/member]. Keep the observations coming in. Other critters are welcome too and any minute I shall put up links to Solitary bees, butterflies and moths, hoverflies and such like - they are all pollinators.
I wonder what happens to the butterflies that come out of hibernation too early. I wonder if they can go back to sleep or if they die? There was a similar thing on Winter Watch - I asked the TV but it never answers me back :roflanim:
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I'll ask my daughter if she knows about the early butterfly, Fleecewife.
She is planning to do her university dissertation on the role of moths in pollination and is very interested in Lepidoptera.
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What a brilliant dissertation. I love moths - I've never done a moth trap, but I do go round at night with a torch to spot them and which flowers and grasses they're on. We get those huge Elephant Hawk moths on our Honeysuckle - they sound like a motorbike in the distance :roflanim: Maybe your daughter can help you spot a few moths to note on here?
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We have a butterfly, hopefully still hibernating in the bedroom, it's cold in the window, and i put a board over it so sun doesn't warm it up. I don't know best thing to do with it.
Talking of moths, I was fascinated that their eyes glow orange in torch light (before high powered LED bulbs) some were on the fruit netting, I had to go and see what the iny orange lights were LOL
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So now I'm ready to put up some information about the Solitary bees. I'm sorry it's in the same format as the BB list so you have to click on the link, but there's more info than just a picture, so worth a read. I hadn't know much about solitary bees until recently but I find them fascinating. Here are a few of the possible 224 varieties of solitary bee found in the UK:
www.bumblebeeconservation.org/ashy-mining-bee/ (http://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/ashy-mining-bee/)
The ASHY MINING BEE is an easily identified bee of sandy places, found mostly in the southern part of the UK but there are some found in the west of Scotland
www.bumblebeeconservation.org/ivyminingbee/ (http://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/ivyminingbee/)
I have included the IVY BEE because I first found one in my garden last year and had a hunt to identify it. It looks like a chimera of a Common Carder bee at the top end and a large bright wasp at the bottom end. The one I saw wouldn't stay still for long enough for me to get a a good photo. On the distribution map Ivy bees are not shown as reaching into Southern Scotland, but it is spreading further north. The one I saw could be nothing else! They feed largely on ivy, so are the latest solitary bees to fly, but if the ivy is not in flower they will sip from other flowers. Mine was on a garden geranium - Roxanne which I have discovered is sterile but nonetheless popular with many bees and wasps.
www.bumblebeeconservation.org/patchworkleafcutterbee/ (http://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/patchworkleafcutterbee/)
LEAF CUTTER BEES are fairly common and readily identifiable, not by their appearance but more by their activity of cutting out neat sections of leaves to line their larva holes.
www.bumblebeeconservation.org/goodens-nomad-bee/ (http://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/goodens-nomad-bee/)
NOMAD BEES are cuckoo bees ie they are predators on mining bee hosts and tend to resemble the host as part of their disguise. There are 73 species of cuckoo bees in the UK, only 6 of them are BBs, the rest being solitary bees. Cuckoo bees are necessarily rarer than the hosts. I think this one could readily be mistaken for a large hoverfly. Being cuckoos they don't have to collect pollen to feed a brood so tend not to visit many flowers except daisy family flat flowers.
www.bumblebeeconservation.org/redmasonbee/ (http://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/redmasonbee/)
RED MASON BEES are found throughout the UK but predominantly in urban areas, not the countryside. Most people when they put up a bee hotel hope to attract the red mason bee. They are reared commercially to pollinate fruit orchards as they are more efficient at this than honey bees
www.bumblebeeconservation.org/woolcarderbee/ (http://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/woolcarderbee/)
I have included The chunky WOOL CARDER BEE because I love their lifestyle! The female combs fibres from woolly leaved plants such as Lamb's Ears and great Mullein, while the males defend the plant against others, sometimes to the death, then the female uses the fibres to line her nest
www.bumblebeeconservation.org/hairy-footed-flower-bee-anthophora-plumipes/ (http://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/hairy-footed-flower-bee-anthophora-plumipes/)
The HAIRY FOOTED FLOWER BEE is one of Dave Goulson's favourites, because the male has a hairy fringe on one leg which it uses to stroke the female's face and to cover her eyes during mating - cute and hilarious at the same time. It is an early bee, small and dark for the female, so tends to be confused with a worker BB. It occupies the southern half of the UK.
www.bumblebeeconservation.org/tawnyminingbee/ (http://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/tawnyminingbee/)
The TAWNY MINING BEE is the most striking of the solitary bees, with a furry red coat. It occurs throughout Britain up to the Central Belt of Scotland. This is the bee whose cuckoo predator, the LARGE BEE FLY, flicks it's eggs into the Tawny bee's nest from the entrance. Females often nest in large groups, in spite of being solitary by name.
There are many many more solitary bees, these are just a sample. If you spot any solitary bees they are just as important to our project as BBs so please tell us about them. If you can get a good clear photo then we can try to identify them.
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We have a butterfly, hopefully still hibernating in the bedroom, it's cold in the window, and i put a board over it so sun doesn't warm it up. I don't know best thing to do with it.
Talking of moths, I was fascinated that their eyes glow orange in torch light (before high powered LED bulbs) some were on the fruit netting, I had to go and see what the iny orange lights were LOL
When I was growing up and all insects were far more numerous than they are now, every winter we had several tortoiseshell and red admiral butterflies hibernating in our curtains upstairs. We had no central heating, or any heating at all upstairs so the butterflies were safe (we were freezing!). It was just a case of letting them out when they did wake up, and not disturbing them by closing the curtains. Yours should be fine with what you are doing PHB.
Did you think you had some tiny glow worms 8) How lovely
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Fleecewife .... Apparently red admirals don't hibernate as such but 'roosr' in a sheltered spot until it's warm enough to fly. Most die off as winter approaches and only a few survive our winters.
They are migratory so it could have been an early arrival.
If you have an interest in moths then a trap would be hours of fun for you FW! Not many on the wing here at 800ft in Wales at the moment but plenty to be caught in the summer months. Over 2,500 moth species, including the micro moths, in the UK. My daughter traps, identifies and sends records to the county recorder and the local moth group runs moth trapping events.
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:bfly: I'm not hibernating, just closed my eyes for a moment there :eyelashes: :roflanim: Interesting fact, thank you :)
I am amazed at butterfly migrations - they look so frail but fly so far, in spite of the winds, and so fast :o
One day I shall get around to making a moth trap and using it both in the garden and out in the pastures. Great fun!
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I was walking with a friend over a week ago and the catkins were almost ready. He said he’d seen some open beside Forfar loch. There’s often some species out of order or too late or early, but this weather is unseasonably mild. The birds are poking about nesting boxes too. Hopefully the bees stay put underground. False starts have to be bad for them through spring.
We had queen wasps hibernating behind the shutters but I think they’ve both died. In the past I’ve collected them and put them in upturned flowerpots in the shed or sheltered spot. I think this might be better than being so warm as the house.
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That Dave Goulson is getting everywhere, our radio gardening expert mentioned his book this morning, wouldn't have meant a thing if I hadn't been reading this thread
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That Dave Goulson is getting everywhere, our radio gardening expert mentioned his book this morning, wouldn't have meant a thing if I hadn't been reading this thread
The ubiquitous Dave Goulson :roflanim: Has to be a good thing- the more he talks surely the more people will hear :thumbsup: and act :thumbsup:
It seems to be human nature not to do something significant until it becomes an emergency.
Amongst other things, storm Malik caused a very tall willow to start rocking dangerously - if it goes it will crush a shed full of important things. I've been commenting for several years now that it needed to be coppiced before it became a huge job. You've guessed, it always got put off, now it's a job for ladders, tractor and rope to get it to fall in the only safe direction ::) Half done so far so hopefully it will be safe for tonight's storm.
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I was walking with a friend over a week ago and the catkins were almost ready. He said he’d seen some open beside Forfar loch. There’s often some species out of order or too late or early, but this weather is unseasonably mild. The birds are poking about nesting boxes too. Hopefully the bees stay put underground. False starts have to be bad for them through spring.
We had queen wasps hibernating behind the shutters but I think they’ve both died. In the past I’ve collected them and put them in upturned flowerpots in the shed or sheltered spot. I think this might be better than being so warm as the house.
It is all a bit higgledypiggledy. I notice in some years that various trees and hedge plants are fooled into sending out leaves too early, then they get fried by vicious winds and blizzards. The plants recover but it must be at a cost. For butterflies and bees I dread that it means death before they can reproduce.
The one place I don't like wasp nests is in my garden shed. It means I can't use it all summer or I get chased out :roflanim:
You've reminded me that we haven't started cleaning out the nest boxes yet - there are 3 dozen, most needing a ladder for access, some needing repositioning, most will need the screws backed off, so it's not a quick job. With only 2 days to Feb I think we need to have it done in the next couple of weeks.
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Yesterday, the last day of January, I noticed my Hamamelis /witch hazel is covered in flowers. Hamamelis is apparently a great favourite with bees and moths in late winter. Even if mine were awake now it's way too windy for them to fly, so no takers yet.
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Hamamelis in full flower here, shame I don't get into that part of garden, hopefully tidied and used soon.
Mahonia, couple of branches south facing in flower. Lots to come hopefully.
Hellebores, nearly there.
Must check Hazels tomorrow.
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I'm glad bees and their friends know better than to come out too early - it's been pelting a blizzard of big fat snowflakes here most of the morning :cold:
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Today we have the most glorious sunny day, with more forecast this week, so perhaps some early bees will peek outside :bee: :bee: :bee: .
What is there in the garden for them?
Here in the south of Scotland at 1,000 feet I have snowdrops, crocus, aconites, Daphne, Winter Jasmine, a few wallflowers, coloured primrose, dead nettle and ivy still. There are hazel catkins but no willow yet, and the Hamamelis seems to be going over.
However, the garden is clearly waking up with the promise of lots of herbaceous plants which have survived the winter and are about to burst from dormancy, and numerous daffodil bulbs with buds showing so I expect that by the middle of March everything will be starting to flower.
I'm sure I'm not the only one with good weather this week :sunshine: so how are your gardens growing? Have you seen any Native and Bumble Bees out and about in your area?
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Hordes of very big bumbles on the heathers yesterday (my 1st day back to client gardening this year after sore back problem). Didn't take photos as "that one will be easy to identify" I thought. Alas, tail markings were yellowish (buff ?), but with a darker band dividing the tail colour left/right and I cannot see equivalent using bee identifiers so I'm not going to try name them.
Noticeable though was the visible number of mites some were carrying (a factor of winter hibernation perhaps ??) and, also, the number of their carcasses to be found - half a dozen perhaps which is not a huge number, but more than I have previously noticed at any time of year while gardening around a "buzy" food source.
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Ah, those will be queens coming out to feast and then raise their first brood ready to get into real production with some helpers :bee: :bee: :bee: :bee: :bee: :bee: :bee: .
I have been hearing about mites on bumble bees and apparently they are not bad, or mostly they are not bad. So what I hear is that they are hitching a ride from flower to flower on the bees, or hitching a ride back to the nest where they eat detritus. So apparently you shouldn't pick them off, unless there are so many that the bee can't take off. I would like to see some scientific explanation of this before I swallow it whole.
So it could be that the mites on your bees have shared the queen's winter quarters and now she's up and about they need to get to flowers to hitch a lift with different bees so they can colonise new nests. Or it could be they are an infestation and are killing the bees :thinking:
(where I see this is on an extremely dictatorial facebook group, where no one dares to put a foot wrong, which is why I question the truth)
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I think it’s mostly an assumption. Since most queens have some mites and bb aren’t extinct.
When there’s a public focus on one species/group, like bumblebees or red squirrels it’s ‘easy’ to think
“Lets do all we can to help them.” And while this is good in terms of soft help like planting flowers, leaving untidy areas, dead wood, etc, when it comes to control of other species whether it’s mites, parasitic wasps or pine marten it gets more complicated. I’ve heard of people using forceps and paint brushes removing mites from queens, but we have no idea of the ecological importance of mites. No one has ever looked at mite numbers on wild queens and then measured the number of new queens resulting from their colonies at the end of the summer. For all we know the mites could carry some gut bacteria which improves outcomes for colonies. Who knows
If you want any ID, just post a photo.
Bumblebees lose hairs as they get older, so they don’t always look a lot like the pictures. If there’s a darker section in the center of the bees tail stripe it’s probably age related.
Interesting about the dead ones. Were their thoraxes pecked out?
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Thank you Steph Hen that's really interesting. You would imagine that cleaning out the detritus from a nest would be a valuable enough service for mites to provide to make the effort of carrying them around worthwhile. I think people have assumed they are blood sucking mites, but I understand there is no evidence of that.
It sounds as if we still have a whole lot of research still to do :bee: 8) (not me! I would go stark staring bonkers counting mites on BBs :roflanim: )
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[member=28951]Steph Hen[/member] - wrt your Q re pecked-out BB carcasses: I wasn't paying that much attention, but why do you ask ?
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If you’ve found a lot there’s often birds which have attacked them. If not I’d wonder what else would have killed them.
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If you’ve found a lot there’s often birds which have attacked them. If not I’d wonder what else would have killed them.
Thinking aloud - maybe they've just pegged out with all the post-hibernation activity (and after a wet, windy winter). Who knows?
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BIG bumbley in the greenhouse today, I left the door open and off she went.
Some hyacinths in there from a few years ago, first time flowers have been as good as twhen we bought them flowering in a pot, quite a scent as I walked in.
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Brilliant :love: I have really early daffodils in my polytunnel, planted there when I'd forgotten to plant them out in the garden. I love it when they flower so early :sunshine:
I shall be keeping my eyes peeled tomorrow for bumbles here as it's forecast to be warm and sunny all day (grandson and his partner are coming to shovel :poo: for me ;D )
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Flowers for bees: I won't bother with the background, but I received a one-word txt msg yesterday saying just "Heliotrope". Nor entirely understanding, I did a web search and find that there is a Heliotrope plant (never heard of it myself). Importantly, if not already mentioned in this thread, it is seemingly another one of those profusely flowering plants much beloved by bees.
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Our Bumble Bee Queens came out today :bee: :bee: :bee: here in southern Scotland at 1000'. Some were on wide open crocuses but I was so excited to see the one I saw that I can't for the life of me remember what flower it was on :roflanim: . The BB was very yellow, but we are far too far south in Scotland for it to have been a Yellow BB. Maybe it was covered in pollen all over. By the time I got my phone to take a pic, she flew off so no record.
But still, that's the start of the season for me here :thumbsup: .
Hardly any flowers in the garden yet, but we do have snowdrops, crocuses, daffodils, Daphne, saxifrages various, wallflowers and hellebores, dead nettle etc. Clearly enough to give the few bees around an early bite.
I haven't checked the goat willows but I shall do tomorrow, as their pollen would explain how yellow the BB I saw was :thinking:
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Flowering currant very 'busy' today, had bumblies coming in the barn, goats not impressed,
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'Twas cold today here albeit being sunny. While gardening for 4-5 hrs I saw just a few BBs in flight, BUT also noticed a few who had, I imagine, headed-out on a sortie and ended up deciding to land in 'odd' places to rest out of the chill wind when the clouds wiped out the sun's warmth !
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Same up here - warm in the bright sunshine but very cold still in the shade. Lots of snow showers over the last few days and -6 at night. Still Bumbles zapping around though and making the willows hum.
I've been trying to work out how to move a pic from my phone to my computer so I can post it here, of a strange queen BB I saw here last week. I can't find it in any of the ID charts: very black with a red/orange tail and 2 narrow red/orange stripes. Red tail yes, red stripes no ???
Otherwise, it's the usual buff tails and carders, plus a couple of red tails I think.
Flowers out up here 010422 include lots of daffs, primulas, primroses, last of the crocuses, dwarf iris, red dead nettle (very popular with BBs), hellebore, japonica, forsythia, willow of course, hazel catkins, masses of mirabelle blossom (best year ever), pulmonaria, various saxifrages and one white kingcup.
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I've been trying to work out how to move a pic from my phone to my computer so I can post it here, of a strange queen BB I saw here last week. I can't find it in any of the ID charts: very black with a red/orange tail and 2 narrow red/orange stripes. Red tail yes, red stripes no ???
I'm sure there ae easier ways, but if I'm stuck I email a photo to myself then pick it up on the laptop and post it on here from there
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I've been trying to work out how to move a pic from my phone to my computer so I can post it here, of a strange queen BB I saw here last week. I can't find it in any of the ID charts: very black with a red/orange tail and 2 narrow red/orange stripes. Red tail yes, red stripes no ???
I'm sure there ae easier ways, but if I'm stuck I email a photo to myself then pick it up on the laptop and post it on here from there
I bluetooth photos from my phone to my laptop (I don't really use my phone for emails), but am told that is nowadays a bit old-fashioned. I am just pleased that I can now do it!
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Bluetoothing pictures over is positively modern by my standards!
If I need to move pics from my phone to my laptop I get out a usb to type C cable!
I've ordered the gardening for bumblebees book.
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Watching YouTube yesterday, a suggested video popped up, that Dave Goulson again, it was very interesting, trying to find it this morning, I found he has lots of videos on there, I'm going to have to sit down and go through a few at a time. :)
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Bumblies were scoping out a crab apple today. It's not in blossom yet but the buds are showing - they're watching carefully :love: :bee: :bee: :bee:
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So this is the strange bee pic, on my Saxifraga Boston Spa pictured a couple of weeks ago.
I truly can't find anything similar in the ref books. Any ideas?
I would have asked a child to help me post the pics but in the absence of my Grandchildren, Mr F obliged ;D
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Probably a rather dark Buff tailed bumblebee.
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They're common but last week I spotted for the first time a very beautiful little bee ...... a tawny mining bee.
I'm making an effort this year to look more closely and try and identify the different species of bee.
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Brilliant [member=24384]in the hills[/member] 8)
I'm a bit disappointed that my idea of noting all the bees and all the flowers they are on and when they are around has fallen by the wayside. I do understand though that lambing time isn't the best time for people to be able to look around them. But if having this thread has encouraged you to think more about our native bees and to learn to identify some, as it has me, then I'm delighted :sunshine: :bee: :bee: :bee: :sunshine:
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I hadn't had a full walk round yet, but this morning, lots of buzzing,, pink lamium had carder bee on, over the lane the yellow lamium had something buzzing but I couldn't see it, a few late flowering currant flowers had a very noisy bee, only had a glimpse though, I think one must have been looking for a nest, because it disappeared under the undergrowth, looked mainly black, narrow orange band at front and one near rear, but difficult to see properly.
Lovely to hear all that buzzing though.