Are honeybees, bumblebees and solitary bees safe from the Asian Hornet? The Asian Hornet, Vespa velutina, or yellow legged hornet, is the first invasive predator of honeybees and has now arrived in the UK. It is known to have caused serious problems for European...
A great day out at the Hive at Kew Gardens If you get the chance to visit the splendid gardens at Kew this year and possibly next year, you must visit the award winning Hive. I was n’t sure what to expect as I approached this huge gleaming ‘see...
Probably Osmia leaiana or a ‘pesto bee!’ A medium sized summer bee which has a bright orange pollen collecting brush (scopa) on her underside abdomen. It is also known as the Orange-vented Mason bee. As she does not use pieces of leaf (Leafcutter bee) or...
Death in the organic lavender bed at Ryton Gardens The Bee Festival, part of the Blooms for Bees campaign, which I attended this weekend was, for me, a resounding success. It was great to be surrounded by people that liked and were engaged in wild bees. I had scores...
Neonicotinoids, a new inadvertent contraceptive for bees? Not only may neonicotinoids be the new DDT, researchers have already found that neonicotinoids can reduce bumblebee queen reproduction by 85%! And now the latest research (see below) shows that neonicotinoids...
Gasteruption jaculator solitary wasp checks out my nest boxes This is a presumed Gasteruption jaculator solitary wasp. What a great name, I wonder what it is based upon? Its another new species I have noticed in the garden since I had my boring lawn ripped out and a...
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