My wild Bees survived the winter

[King Carrot]

There not really mine as they set up home inside a dry stone wall of a shed in the garden, during last Spring. but it's great they made it over the winter. Things seemed to be very quite with them last Autumn and I thought they'd probably got something nasty and perished, but it was buzziness as usual today, I'm just so glad to see them about again

[Nicos]

That's wonderful news!!!

I've been gardening most of the day with a beautiful background noise of wild bees buzzing around our cherry trees.
Wonderful!

[Headfry]

Fantastic news! Are they honey bees?

[Glutton4...]

Our local Bees seem to have over-wintered in a very old Oak gatepost at the front of my Folks' garden. Trouble is, they tell you off if you go in or out....

[BigShot]

If they are honey bees, good on you for letting them stay and not getting them into a hive. Feral survivor-bees are EXACTLY what we need to improve the genetics of bee stocks to cope with the stresses (pesticide, G.M., imported disease/pests, weather and so on) they face... well... that and a sea change in beekeeping, farming, municipal and domestic land-care... but let's not get into that!

For any beekeepers who allow their queens to make mating flights near you rather than artificial insemination - your wild bees will be a valuable genetic resource.

Good on you... and good on your bees for pulling through!