h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've noticed a distinct lack of bees & wasps this summer. Don't get me wrong; i am no great fan, in fact i am allergic to the stings; but insects are immensely important in the ecosystem & if their numbers decline, obviously it means something is not quite right.

I live in South West France, in a town, but a fairly unpolluted one. i have loads of plants outside & usually there are stripey buzzy things hovering around. i haven't seen a bumble bee nor a wasp & maybe spotted around 3 ordinary bees. My tomato plants haven't pollinated this year.

What's the situation in other parts of the world?

Terri

Well, the wasps were certainly about when I was hedge layering last week. I put my foot through the bank into a nest and got stung 14 times.

Symps @ Radox.

SE England - I think the numbers are down from last year, but last year was swarming with wasps, so not sure if we're just back to normal. I've got wasp nest in garden - but still would think that other insects would take over pollinating if the wasps weren't there.

Have seen as many bees in Marple, Cheshire, England as I did last year! Maybe, people have removed their bee-attracting plants?

SE England.
I've had just as many bees visit my garden, no problem here.

My girlfriend and I were both stung by wasps this summer and there are reports of more wasp-stings than in previous years from the local hospitals. I'm writing from Central Europe where all the wasps are.

As for the bees, yeah they're definitely down in numbers - I think it's to do with crop-spraying (in apple orchards of Northern Italy for example)and also the craze for growing genetic plants.

They've been on my lavender bush all summer. Sorry, didn't mean to cause a shortage everywhere else.

Last year we were plagued with wasps. This year, I only saw about ten. There are certainly far few here in Dublin.

Manny ate all the bees. He was on absinthe at the time though.

This morning a spider has constructed a web in the gap betwen the ivy bush and the house & has in the last hour or so captured 3 wasps which he has now cocooned.
In the summer I saw some wasps carrying off ants from the windowledge in their forelegs.
It's a a funny old world out there in the garden! Dangerous too, if you're an insect

I know there was something on the BBC website, but I've found this, which does indicate that there is serious concern:

http://reporter.leeds.ac.uk/press_releases/current/bees.htm

I know that there has been a problem with the varroa virus, and also damp winters have affected them, but no-one is certain of the cause. Certainly I have seen many more grounded bees, which may indicate starvation?

Here on the Essex coast we've had loads of small bees but not many big bumbles and Ive only seen 2 wasps all year, loads of ladybirds tho, which is great cause my roses never got aphids

My roses didn't get aphids this year either, but neither did they flower...not seen a single ladybird. Spiders seem to be OK. Does anybody actually keep tabs on insect numbers 'cos they are way down on the food chain, yet the most populous species on the planet, so i assume would be a good early warning system if things really go pear shaped climate wise.

zdt

I hate wasps but have seen quite a few this year. Must admit though, not as many these past few years as there used to be and I'm slowly getting over my phobia because of that reason!

http://www.bumblebeeconservationtrust.co.uk/index.htm

This group was featured in the Independent a while ago, thought it might be of interest?



G

There's been a few wasps here (eastern England) which stupidly went after the jam in my wasp-trap. I'm allergic to their stings so I consider it necessary to dispose of potential life-suckers.

The bees have been plentiful and I actively encourage them, they love my buddleias (butterfly bush) and hebes.

Those - some of the webs are huge and I'm always happy to see a trapped fly or wasp, but once I spotted a butterfly which I hastily freed and then apologised to the spider for ruining all its hard work.

I've seen lots of ladybirds too

Ah ha! The plot thickens! On The Bumblebee site i spotted this:

<<< Named 'le bee' by the media, Bombus hypnorum recently arrived in the UK from France. BBCT are monitoring its spread>>>

So the French bees are emigrating to UK eh? Ooh la la!

zdt

Zoot alors!

There's a normal amount of honey bees this spring in SE NZ

There is some move afoot to kill wild bees here (to stop them spreading varroa). Can I still say 'dickheads'?

I've seen plenty of wasps while camping - most of them inside the camper. I've been all over the place this year - http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-StshUHo8cqgHBo.2zBVgb.dTAV5g.UCHNPEyZQ--?cq=1&p=94 if you want to see where I've seen wasps, check there! There were loads at each place.