Bumblebees

[SueA]

Saw my first bufftail bumblebee today, looked like it had just woken up & was throwing itself headfirst into the nearest crocus!

[daitheplant]

It`s definitely half asleep Sue. You should have put out a saucer of strong, black coffee for the feller.

[peony]

Haven't seen any bufftails yet SueA, but plenty of honeybees out and about today   Good photos Sue

[SueA]

The bumblebee was flying around & it had gone next time I looked but when it was on the crocus it was like a cat on catnip rolling around in it! There were some other insects buzzing around but nothing that stayed still long enough for me to identify it except a Brimstone butterfly - lovely!

[dianthus]

That reminds me that I had better check for waking tortoiseshell butterflies in the garage. Previous springs have had several overwinter in there.

[grindle]

no sign of any bees or insects here yet, but it's still been a bit cold and grey for them, love that photo of yours

[Cherry]

I saw bumbles too, but no honey bees yet.

[Rosie]

No bee's up here yet but we have a queen wasp and a butterfly hibernating in the garage. the wasp has moved a bit so i think she is waking up.

[dianthus]

Mar 8, 2015 17:54:41 GMT Rosie said:

No bee's up here yet but we have a queen wasp and a butterfly hibernating in the garage. the wasp has moved a bit so i think she is waking up.

I think I'd relocate the queen wasp to a nook in a tree or somewhere away from me or the house!

[Rosie]

I don't really want to disturb it Dai,We'll keep an eye for it waking up properly and let it go.

[daitheplant]

Wasps do as much, or even more, good in the garden as bees.

[dianthus]

Mar 9, 2015 21:01:35 GMT daitheplant said:

Wasps do as much, or even more, good in the garden as bees.

and a lot more damage to stone fruits and berries, as they ripen. Bees are much more reluctant to sting you than wasps are, too. As the autumn arrives, they get rather nasty when they need sugar.

[Rosie]

Thats true dianthus but they are still great in the garden. I wouldn't kill one.

[sweetpea]

Mar 9, 2015 21:34:36 GMT dianthus said:

Mar 9, 2015 21:01:35 GMT daitheplant said:

Wasps do as much, or even more, good in the garden as bees.

and a lot more damage to stone fruits and berries, as they ripen. Bees are much more reluctant to sting you than wasps are, too. As the autumn arrives, they get rather nasty when they need sugar.

Sorry to correct you dianthus but wasps cannot break the skin of any fruit. It is the birds that do the initial damage and the wasps then take advantage. So now you know

[dianthus]

Mar 10, 2015 13:11:11 GMT sweetpea said:

Mar 9, 2015 21:34:36 GMT dianthus said:

and a lot more damage to stone fruits and berries, as they ripen. Bees are much more reluctant to sting you than wasps are, too. As the autumn arrives, they get rather nasty when they need sugar.

Sorry to correct you dianthus but wasps cannot break the skin of any fruit. It is the birds that do the initial damage and the wasps then take advantage. So now you know

or they only have to get cracked by the wind, rain or very dry/ very wet episodes, sweetpea. Can't always blame the birds..... except those toerag magpies that live 40ft from my garden!!