No Bees ?

[green thing]

Has anyone else notice a lack of bees this year
we have loads of willow herb in flower next to the allotment
and I've not seen one bee on them ?

[Aberdeenplotter]

Not too sure if bees are in to willow herb. I have bumble bees in my plot and they love inside the tunnel. Always have to escort them out though daft beasts.

[Two_Sheds]

No shortage of bees round here. Although bees do take nectar from willowherb, they're probably somewhere else where the nectar is better or easier to get to

[CaroltheCarrot]

Lots of bees here

[rustylady]

Bees in my garden, loving the lavender and the leek seed heads. Also plenty on the allotment enjoying the comfrey which is flowering right next to where I sit for my cuppa.

[green thing]

must be just around here then
not even seen any on the balsam

[arpoet]

maybe they have all emigrated to Yorkshire
Roger

[Hans Mum]

we've seen more bees, bumble bees, hover flies & ladybirds this year than for a good few years, this is the first year (touch wood so far) for years that my sweet peas have not been desimated by aphids

[Florence Fennel]

maybe they have all emigrated to Yorkshire
Roger

Yep, quite possibly Roger, I've loads of them visiting my garden thank goodness.

[pauco]

Numbers of Bumble Bees well down in this neck of the woods this year. Wasps too, but i ain't complaining about that!

paul.

[bobleponge]

A subject that is pretty close to my heart, ye olde bee.
My neighbours are dairy farmers. On about half of their 104 hectares of land that completely surround my little pad they grow corn, barley and other foodstuffs for their beasts for winter fodder and to sell the surplus, and they graze the other half. Well, the cows do, my neighbours dont. I dont think?
Anyway, I spoke to them (neighbours, not cows) recently, asking if they spray to increase yield, what chemicals if any they use etc and they gave me the names of various stuffs, none of them particularly healthy for our little buzzy friends.
I have very few bees in and around my house and garden, but if I go just a few miles up the road to my mate who has the stunning garden visited at Vinstock, he has positive swarms of the little things.
Those who have visited both places may draw the obvious conclusion that he has tons of flowers whilst I have almost none, whereas my conclusion is that I am surrounded by farmed agricultural land, whilst he has only one field that is sprayed within 3km's of his house, and that is less than a hectare in size.
Even that small buffer zone, imho, has created enough space for the bees to flourish in an area, whereas constant chemical use around me has rendered the area fairly bee sterile.
There are no chemicals used in my garden, and since I've found out exactly what they use on their fields I shall also stop taking my twice yearly delivery of tractor buckets of cow cack from them, and shall instead source from the riding stables a bit further away. However, I can do pretty much as I like, but if the entire area surrounding my land is chemicalised (made up word?) I have little chance of attracting bees and other such insecty type things to my land.
Sorry for that, sidetracked the OP a touch but something I feel passionate about.