[Bramblecot]

Bumble and honey bees were working the tall yellow thalictrum in the garden at work today (Dorset).  Very pretty plant and easy to grow.

[Penninehillbilly]

I apologise if I'm hijacking your thread - just tell me if I am and I'll move this to a new thread.

So far I have on all my lists the following:

HERBS: - Thyme esp creeping; marjoram and oregano; chives; lavender; monarda/bergamot- except here, mine ignore it;  rosemary; sage
  (I'm sure there are more herbs but these are the ones my bees flock to)


GARDEN FLOWERS: Cosmos; primula incl candelabra and primrose; phlox;aubretia; eryngium; foxglove; clematis; antirrhinum; forget me not; outdoor geranium; aquilegia; knapweed; crocus; echinops/globeflower; rudbeckia; mallow and lavatera; lupin; phacelia (also a green manure); limnanthes/poached egg plant; hollyhock; helichrysum; dahlia; delphinium; cornflower; eryngium; single flowered marigolds; acanthus (but it traps smaller worker bees as they are not heavy enough to open the flower); sunflower; tulips; allium; salvia; cirsum rivulare; sedum esp sedum spactabile; candytuft; delphinium; honesty; nasturtium; nicotiana; nigella; poppies various; scabious; verbena; verbascum.

WILD FLOWERS: Water avens; bluebell; foxglove; knapweed; primrose; dead nettle, white and purple; marshmallow; marsh marigold (single); cornflower; clover; thistle; elecampane; teasel; strawberry; oxeye daisy.

VEG: brassica flowers ie run to seed; onion and other allium flowers; broad beans; runner and French beans.

TREES and SHRUBS: cotoneaster; honeysuckle; gooseberry; currants; blueberry; willow (THE best for an early energy boost for queens); hawthorn and blackthorn; lime; horse chestnut; cherries, bird cherry, gean, but not double garden forms; roses esp single flowered; buddleia.

Flowers which are no use to bumblebees: most double flowers (often called 'plena'); begonia; aster; fuchsia; pelargonium; carnations; petunia.

What do you think, esp of the list of pollen- and nectar-free plants?

Hey fleecewife, this is the sort of hijacking I like  .
the list is great, going to copy it into 'ms word' and print it out, with the additions 
and I got some phacelia for green manure, I think I'll sow some tomorrow, and I have lots of willow rooting, so thet can go down by the beck in autumn.
So Acanthus, (which I bought some at our plant sale), can the bees get out? I've noticed there is a small type of bee around.
I have quite a few of the plants mentioned, but happy to get more for our little friends.
coincidence- this week in our local paper there is an article by a local naturalist about bees, mentioning quite a few I hadn't heard of - tree bee? bilberry bee?
we also have one called mountain bee, I believe this is as far south as it comes.
I just wish the little blighters would stay still while I make a note of their markings, camera full of pics for later i.d. - thank goodness for digital 

[Steph Hen]

[quote author=penninehillbilly link=topic=46293.msg429684#msg429684 date=
coincidence- this week in our local paper there is an article by a local naturalist about bees, mentioning quite a few I hadn't heard of - tree bee? bilberry bee?
we also have one called mountain bee, I believe this is as far south as it comes.
I just wish the little blighters would stay still while I make a note of their markings, camera full of pics for later i.d. - thank goodness for digital 
[/quote]

Tree bumblebees crossed the channel from France about 12 years ago and have spread up through the country. They are interesting because they tend to nest high up, often in people's attics, sheds and bird boxes so they get noticed a lot. When a nest is mature the males cluster outside the nest waiting for new queens to mate with, they are also a bit more aggressive than our other common bumblebee species. Because of their nest sites, swarming habit they get noticed by people much more frequently than any other bumbles.
I found a Mountain bumblebee male near Luton a few years ago.

 You could try catching them with a net and plastic pots so you can examine them more closely?

[Victorian Farmer]

Remember Asian ornits are naw in the south and they kill all bees

[Fleecewife]

Remember Asian ornits are naw in the south and they kill all bees

That is bad news.  I wonder how quickly they will progress northwards and what can be done about them.

[Fleecewife]

PHB - Acanthus:  It's just the tiny bees which can't get out, but I think they are the workers - although there are bigger workers too. Confused  .   The queens won't be coming out by the time the acanthus flowers.  Somewhere in my enormous photo collection I have pics of the poor wee things struggling, and still being there the next day. Bigger workers can get out.

Photographing them is nearly impossible when they're busy working.  I have found that just after a rain shower they tend to be a bit slower, and on plants like Sedum Spectabile and thyme they get so drunk they're not quick to leave either.  I'm trying to get pics of bumbles on garden geraniums and quite apart from the fact that the flowers droop when the bees land, so you can't see them, they're gone before I can focus 

I haven't knowingly seen any bumbles other than buff tails and carders here, but I must send off for an identification chart.   I can't help but wonder what effect the tree bees will have on our native species if they are more aggressive.  Sounds also as if they will give ours a bad name 

I'm glad the list is helpful.  I must get it sent off to Dan with some pics.