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 got home from work last night and whatever the purple plant is in my front garden was buzzing, it was covered in bees. I stood and watched them for ages, they fascinate me

Our front garden is amazingly busy today now the sun is out. I’ve seen 3 different types of butterfly and stacks of different bees. It is absolutely loaded with flowers of different sorts to suit different insects. Bumble bees seem to love the sweet peas but honey bees don't as much. You see more of the honey bees on the malva and salvias. Both like verbena and knautia.

It’s amazing how much difference we can all make even in an urban environment.

We have bees today! Finally. Hollyhocks and wildflower part of garden.

Our garden is an oasis. We have an abundance of wildlife - bugs, birds (have nesting buzzards, kingfishers, owls, a HUGE number of species), deer, badgers, foxes, newts, snakes.

No bees.

Is quite worrying. Am hoping now it’s sunnier that it might change.

I've seen quite a few butterflies and bees in the garden. But I did find a dead bee on my walk today.

Loads here, rural farming area, but I think we only notice them when it's sunny.

My friend had them in her chimney. There was a nest in a tree right above bus on a walk today

I have like the OP noticed there are fewer. Same with butterflies.

Have seen the same this year and it is quite concerning as they are adorable as well as vital pollinators. Please give them sugar water, rather than honey though.

www.bumblebeeconservation.org/learn-about-bumblebees/faqs/sugar-water/#:~:text=If%20there%20are%20no%20bee,use%20brown%20sugar%20or%20honey.

My buddleia bush last year was absolutely covered in butterflies. This year its in full bloom and not a single butterfly.
I have the butterfly count app and again last year I recorded 100s.
This year zero!
We had a good spell of really hot sunny weather and still nothing.

The weather has been a lot warmer past couple of days and the bees are back!!!! 💕 Also have seen butterflies and ladybirds 💕

Finding dead or dying bees isn't necessarily a worry as they have fairly short life spans. Honey bees live about six weeks in the summer (the honey bees that overwinter live longer as they're not tiring themselves out flying so much). Bumble bee workers only live a few weeks in the spring or summer too. It's only if you find lots of dead bees in one place that something other than natural causes is likely to have killed them.

We've been engrossed in watching the leaf cutter bees who've taken up residence in our bug house!

Walked last loads of so called butterfly bushes in bloom today and not a single visible or audible insect on them. Used to be smothered in butterflies.

Don't give them honey, it's a waste product

They're all in my garden. My raspberry bush has been teaming with them.

Yep, totally this.

I noticed, ages ago, the lack of insects here recently and have been asking other people about what they're noticing. I have probably seen more dead bees on the pavement recently than living bees. There's also a lack of other insects (not seen a hover fly yet).

This is very very worrying.

One good thing (just the one, though): thanks to lots of ragwort (yes, I know it's poisonous) I have hundreds of cinnabar moth caterpillars, which I check on every day 💕🥹

I wish the bloody slugs would die out!

I've never had many butterflies in the garden and this year is no different but I'm pleased to see the bees are still all over the plants in my front garden.

One question for all you knowledgeable gardeners - I've recently bought a small buddleia for the back garden. I have a very narrow garden and so don't want it to grow into a proper tree. Will it be ok if I prune it every year to keep it compact? I tend to kill plants regularly so I'm a bit nervous!

Yes we have loads of buddleia around here and it's almost empty.

There were loads on my cherry tree when the blossom was out, but none now. I’ve not seen one butterfly this year.

happy to see a couple of bees and butterflies this morning

I'm a bee keeper. Checked my hive this morning . The colony is healthy and thriving but not quite as many 1000 as usual nor as much honey in the hive.
Put this down to wet miserable spring and early summer so bees haven't been out as much as usual.
Hope we do get some warm days this year.

Did the official Butterfly count yesterday. In 15 minutes we saw about 20 butterflies of 5 varieties.

are we not still meant to be concerned about the Asian Hornet?

I haven't seen one alive in my area yet, so I'm not too worried, but there may be more down south?

I have had a few bumblebees, butterflies, flies of all sorts today. The bloody flying ants were out in force the day before yesterday; they were all aiming for my face! Still way too many slugs and snails in my garden. Oh, and probably a mosquito or two, because something is biting me during the night! Cellar spiders en masse and I swept up a huge house spider today!

Midlands and not noticing too much of a decline in my very large town.