What bees are around now?

[Telescopichair]

I've been stung by a bee today. Huge great fat silent assassin

What would be around now? (UK), it's a bit early isn't it?

I'd like to know too. I saw a MASSIVE one yesterday

We’ve had a few bumblebees around for a week or two now (East Mids).

A bumblebee landed on my puppy yesterday while we were walking and just hitched a ride for a bit 🐝
last week ds and I put sugar water out for another bumble that was crawling around on our steps. Definitely feels early for bees.

Queen bees of the buff tail variety? All their colonies are dead and they are out early for food and to start to find a spot to make a new colony.

That's why they are so big.

Oh! Maybe! It wad SO LARGE

I want to see a huge bee! It’ll be a message that Spring is coming.

I saw a huge bee in my garden at the weekend.

It's not uncommon to see queen bumble bees out during the winter, especially on sunny days (I'm in SE England)

It’s the queens that have been hibernating, coming out to feed and find a nest site to start their colony.
you were unlucky to be stung as they are not at all aggressive.

PS. Here’s a tree bumblebee queen in my garden this weekend 😊

We've seen really large bees around our house as well in the last week or so. I thought it was too early but interesting to know they're queen bees.

I always smile to see their fat bodies bumbling around in very early spring but I anthropomorphise them terribly as I always see them as brave little souls, having lost all their families and yet here they are, trying hard to start again.

Big fat fluffy bumbles out and about here. It's pretty normal at this time of year. We have a few flowers and blossoms out. The white blossom on the plum tree was full of honey bees this week. The whole tree was quaking, and it was very loud. We've also had a few types of butterfly's.

Honey Bees can be out any day when the temperature is higher than 10c so I assume other bees can manage that temp too?

My cat was busy batting bees in the heather yesterday

Dh saw a bumblebee the day before yesterday.

Massive one yesterday when I was cleaning the patio. Also loads of gnats

The pup had his first experience of seeing a bee over the weekend, luckily I dragged him away before he tried to eat her.

I rescued this bee on Sunday. I thought it was early but it was sunny and mild so maybe they're waking up now?

I saw my first Bumble of the year at my tree blossoms.🐝🐝🐝

Bumble bees don't usually sting, unless they think their lives are in danger. Usually the first thing we know about bumble bees is when they fly into our living room window.

I think that was the reason. We'd had the Windows open Sunday as it was so warm. Found the bee in the middle of the night on one of the fairy lights above the bed when stretching. Caught both me and the bee unawares!