Do you see any bees where you live?

reply to post by mwc273


Good thread!
I have noticed a lot less bees, in fact where I would once see hundreds I know see none.
It use to be (no pun intended) that you would see them multiple times everyday.

While bee numbers have visibly declined, the numbers of wasps have skyrocketed.

I now see countless wasps where I would once have seen bees.

People should be concerned.
I am not trying to fear monger.
But it is not the sort of thing you should take chances with.

I just want to point out it is only early May. A lot of areas people are posting from are still having consistent freezing (32 F) lows, which will certainly limit the amount of bees you are seeing.

reply to post by stanguilles7


I do not think the time of year, or even overnight temperatures have any bearing... If it's mid 60s or above and there's nectar and pollen to be had, they will bee out..

Originally posted by mwc273
reply to post by stanguilles7

 

I do not think the time of year, or even overnight temperatures have any bearing... If it's mid 60s or above and there's nectar and pollen to be had, they will bee out..

Spring freezes, temperatures, and time of year absolutely have an effect on honey bees. I'm not saying it will kill a whole hive, but it will certainly kill off many of the worker bees who do the majority of pollination. The bees which survive will spend more energy keeping the hive warm than seeking out new food sources, so you wont see them out and about as much. Wasps come out FAR earlier than honeybees.

What limits the growth of my honeybees in the spring are those coldest of the cold nights, because what is happening in their colony is that they are in a cluster, and they have to keep the queen and the larvae at 93 degrees. They do that by eating lots of honey, and tensing their muscles, and generating heat.

An early-spring cold snap can kill the developing workers at the outer edges of the cluster at the heart of the hive. This setback slows the hive’s preparations for the honey-production season. If plants are not affected in the same way, the bees may become out of sync with their primary food source...

Since crops alone can’t sustain the pollen and nectar requirements of honeybee colonies, the potential for honeybees and other pollinators to become out of sync with their most important natural food sources

earthobservatory.nasa.gov...

reply to post by mwc273



Nova Scotia, Canada

unusually seasonable year.

There are few bees, keepers are failing. Ground wasps seem to be pollinating and around more. And agressive.

Cheers.

A few bumbles no honey bees no wasps but saw some small bees comming outt of a hole in the ground.
Temps57-70.

reply to post by mwc273
Live about 4 mi south of Lake Erie on the west end of the lake near Maumee Bay SP. Have seen quite a few Honey bees the past week, as well as Bumble bees, Carpenter bees, along with a few wasps and hornets.

last year I saw a pleasant resurgence in connecticut, honey bees and bumble bees

so far this year a little disappointed, but it's early

Southern Ontario.
Lots of bees here! We've had beautiful weather all week and a lot of bugs and flyers are coming out!
Went to the drive thru atm today and 3 wouldn't leave my window.

Sure the number of honeybees, like many other species, are on the decline, but what about the butterflies?
I remember seeing butterflies everywhere in 2002 when I first arrived in Canada. I remember buying nets that summer and couple others that followed. I can't remember the last time I saw a butterfly! I wish this got a little bit more attention.

plenty here in northern california.

reply to post by mwc273


After makeing my reply, and this is a good thread Ive been curious.

Can you trend a little if enough peeps check in?

Would be nice to see an ATS wide bee forecast for this year.

I was slow to cut my grass at times this year with more clover and weeds than grass to cut. I noticed bees all over the place and I have a tiny yard and I wasn't even looking for them. It just seemed like a lot of bees. One of my relatives one year planted some flowers that really attracted all kinds of bees. You could hear the buzz from inside her house, well almost. I haven't noticed any bee swarms lately. It's dry and I haven't been watering my weedy lawn.

I live in western SC. I thought there were a bit more bees than normal this year.

I spotted a large lizard. Maybe it could be eating some of the abundant insects.
I need to figure out how to stop attracting so much wildlife to my tiny city yard. I've seen bees, hummingbirds, snakes, rabbits, an owl and gigantic lizards and small green lizards.
Maybe everybody else doesn't plant anything in their yard.
I did think it was funny when the giant 15 to 19 inch red lizard that was on my garage door disappeared and apparently scared one of the neighbors down the street.

I'm not noticing any shortage of bees or anything. I haven't seen any bears, cougars, or deer but I live in the city.

Here in Maryland we have plenty of bumble bees.... Not so many honey bees though. At least that I have seen.

I am a proud beekeeper with currently 6 active hives. But only one of those is strong enough to possibly produce honey this year. Because of the hot summer, I lost 2 this winter. They were not able to store enough honey to last them through the winter, although I was feeding them sugar water weekly. I belive there is a strong decline in the honeybee population this year. Not only because of the extreame weather changes, but also because of the use of pesticides. Most people do not realize that powdered pesticides that are dusted onto flowers and crops are carried back to the hives, either on the legs of the bees, or in the pollen sack with the pollen. It is then used to feed the brood and produce honey. An entire colony can be killed within days if enough pesticide is present in the hive. Everytime I see Seven Five Dust sold in stores, I want to bust it in the isle. I have to settle with saying a few curse words and shoving it way back on the shelf. If anyone is around to listen, I explain to them that its killing our bees. Liquid pesticide can also be harmful if not used properly. I grow a garden less than 60 feet away from 4 of my hives. I use liquid pesticides at night. Typically, the worker bees begin their workday around 9-10 AM and start back to their hive around 5 -7 PM. Just before the sun goes down is the perfect time to use your liquid pesticides. The morning dew will, for the most part, wash it from the flowers anthers and after is drys, it is less likely to attach to the bee's hairy legs.
Yes, our honeybee population is declining. Yes, we are causing alot of it ourselves.
But on a bright note, I was called out twice last week to gather honeybee swarms.

Here in north central NC...lots of bees...honey bees all over my plum trees and peach and apple trees. Also lots of carpenter or bore bees around my sheds.

We live way out in the country and use no...NO... chemicals around our farm. As such, we always have an exceptional bee and insect population and a subsequent bird population... really quite spectacular really.

I had a bee fly in my car today. He hitched a ride for a few blocks then flew out. First bee I have seen this season. Lots of yellow jackets though.

Location: SW Ontario
Temp: 27C
Cloudy

reply to post by mwc273


Hello OP,
Residing in the same general geographic area as you, I have seen maybe five or so honeybees working the fields of clover that are flowering abundantly. I remember when I was a kid being a little afraid of getting stung while running barefoot in clover because of all the bees! Not so now. I've seen more bumblers so far this spring, and not really that many more than the honeybees. Some people in my neighborhood chemically treat their lawns, so I suspect that's had a factor in the lack of honeybees, too.

In Ottawa here, and we have too many bees! In particular, the small burrowing variety. The woods behind my house are infested with them. The ground is practically swiss cheese with the holes to their nests. I saw some government folks poking around out there setting up bee traps and waving around huge butteryfly nets.

Haven't noticed any honeybees. But seriously, there is an abnormal amount of ground bees here. I'm getting swarmed by them more and more often while out walking.

reply to post by AlreadyGone

I have too many birds and bees. The bees are quiet and go away after everything stops blooming. The birds are very noisy and make a mess. I don't think I would have as much of a problem if more people in my area had trees in their yards. I'd rather see trees than a long row of rooftops and buildings. Apparently many other people would rather have a barren landscape with just some grass.

I didn't stop and think we may have a ton of bees because not many people are using pesticides. It had been raining a lot so whatever was put out was getting washed away.

North Texas

No bees here. I have a big plum tree that was solid white with blooms & should have been buzzing with bees. I never saw one bee of any kind. The blooms finally dropped off & there isn't a plum on the tree. Same with the apple tree.

I bought some little paint brushes to pollinate the vegetables myself.

It is about time to panic.