To wonder where the bees are

[Fuckitydoodah]

I've noticed a real lack of bees so far this summer. My garden would usually be full of them once the flowers are out.

I went on a dog walk through fields earlier and barely saw any. It's been hot and sunny here this afternoon and I've seen only 2 or 3 in the garden. I've got a lot of lavender and in previous years it's been covered in bees.

Has anyone else noticed a lack of bees?

Is it because we had a cold and wet spring and now a fairly crappy summer? Or is there a more sinister reason like the use of pesticides?

I've rescued a few off footpaths over the past few months and placed them on the nearest flower usually with some water in or on it. I think they're too cold. I wish I could take them all home and keep them warm!

I have loads of them, mainly different types of bumble bees. I'm in Fife. They've been going daft on my Hebes.

I haven't seen many. I've left the garden overgrow to help. i think (hope) it's the cold weather and not pesticides.
A lot of loss of habitat here too. House building and industrial buildings under construction. Lots of foxes have been seen around the urban areas.

Thousands here in my area. An absolute abundance, they're everywhere

I've seen some on my lavender this weekend. I hadn't seen any until now. I saw ants today. I think it's been too cold and wet for them.

I've noticed this too, and it's been really bothering me. I saw quite a few in early spring, but none for the past 2 months. I have a very bee friendly garden, with lots of lavender and rosemary etc. I'm really concerned about it.

It’s a misconception that bumblebees struggle in cold weather. They’re actually really well adapted to cold and colonies have even been known to survive being put in the freezer! (Read Dave Goulson’s books to find out more about them)

They're all in my garden on a big hebe bush. Every single one of them, the whole bloody thing is vibrating and the noise is incredible!

Lots where I am in Wales.

Nothing in my garden today apart from a lonely hover fly and I saw one little blue moth when out this afternoon.

This.
It's very worrying that we have lost over 60% of insects in the last 20 years.
And not helped by bees no longer being protected by EU rules and regulations, including the use of toxic pesticides.
Tragically, it is another Brexit 'benefit' 😢

I'm a beekeeper and started a thread about this during the referendum. I was told to stop scaremongering.

That said, we had an amazing year last year and gained 21 additional colonies due to being called out to clear swarms. This year, we are still busy, but we have only had about four, but it's only mid July. (The four we had all came in the one week of sunny weather we've had so far)

Fingers crossed the weather picks up.

I’m in fife too.. and not seeing many!

I’ve had plenty in my garden, they seem to especially come for the lavender and the clematis.

We have lots here and we saw a swarm last week. It was amazing and there were literally thousands of them.

One of my family members keeps bees and he says they are struggling this year because it has been so cold. He is having to feed them in their hive, because they are not coming out.

They’ve just discussed this on the farming programme on radio 4. The weather but longer term it’s use of herbicides and insecticides.

They're here. Had a swarm of honey bees move into my walls earlier this year. Even after they were dealt with (perhaps because I'm now pretty alert to them) I noticed loads of bees around. Bumblebees love my clover, I've had the odd honey bee resting on my shed, saw two fighting in the air yesterday while I hung up the washing - they're still everywhere (but no longer in my walls, thank god)...

I've not seen as many but we also lost the huge pyracanthus tree that was in the garden last year (it grew too heavy and collapsed so landlord had it removed. I've replaced it with buddleia which needs to get established.

We've got one but the tree was always literally buzzing with bees when the flowers bloomed and chirping with sparrows.

I too was thinking about the bees recently. We usually have many but not this year, also butterflies are missing too.

Very few bees here, saw a handful
of bumbles yesterday but usually have hundreds on multiple huge lavender bushes.

What we do have is all the hoverflies. Have a decent size wildflower patch currently full of ammi which they love. They are all over the garden though.

Also a decent showing of butterflies yesterday. Meadow browns, red admiral and white.

Lack of sunlight is really stopping our tomatoes ripening and many flowers aren't flowering yet. There's a massive lack of bees in our garden despite doing nothing different. And a huge absence at work too which is a huge garden with a wildflower meadow. Lost bees in the hives over the Winter too one hive was wiped out by wasps.
In our area the weather has been stuck in a wet cycle since last July with the odd period of warm weather and a bit colder over the winter months. But not a massive amount colder really.

I've noticed a lack of bees aswell this year but I have seen more hornets so wonder if that's the problem

I've been doing the 10 min insect surveys this summer and for a patch of lavender, my average is one solitary bee, one or two hoverflies and a few very small insects.

I think it's the very wet spring.

My garden is buzzing with them.

However I live in a bit of a microclimate. Most places been too cold.

it is worrying, i have seen very few