Honey bee questions - because I'm curious!

[FB.]

I stood in the garden earlier today and watched the bees on the Crocus and Helleborus niger.
Several times, the (presumably) honey bees (10-12mm, fairly smooth body, big pollen bags on the back legs) on the Helleborus seemed to buzz at each other in an apparently agressive way and one would appear to drive the other away after a few collisions with each other. I also noticed that the honey bees seemed to move out of the way of the queen bumblebees.

I'm guessing that the honey bees buzzing at each other means they were from different hives and were competing for the same flowers. Or could it have been some kind of communication?


...and another question....
Of all the honey bees in England, roughly what proportion are "wild" and what proportion are "managed" by beekeepers?

....and finally....
Apart from spring bulbs, Helleborus and Heathers, is there anything else that flowers late winter that is also worth planting for the bees?

Thanks
FB

[Headfry]

Hi FB,

Sorry I cant answer as to way the bees seem to aggressive to each other! very interesting though, I shall seal knowledge!

Sadly some say that there are NO wild honey bees in England now, not sure how true that is- it seems to depend on who you talk to.

I think Hazel is good for bees! One of the best plants though is the Hellebore and it's good for all types of bees.

Sorry I cant be of much help I am sure Plot17b will be along soon to help us.

[Sue]

FB
They seem to love the primroses, I've got some well established clumps of the wild variety and they get covered in flowers and bees.
I shall have to watch my hellebores with interest.
Sue

[Eyren]

Most of the wild bees in this country tend to be other species that most people don't know about, e.g. mason bees.

Solitary_bees_gallery

BTW, I know that some butterfly species "fight" for basking spots, so it wouldn't surprise me if bees from different hives do the same over food sources...

[Plot17B]

ooohh..hello...yes I'm here!!!..but I'm up to neck in nappies and stuff!
Well, HF is right, all honey bees are "farmed" now. No wild colonies. Sad state of affairs and thus all the more important support is given to the bee keepers and bees.

We are surrounded by ivy and that gave the colonies a much appreciated pollen (vitamin and protein) boost through to early December here in Warwickshire. I'll do some digging later today for seasonal bee plants. I know it's been asked here before so i'll check books and old threads and post up later.
Back in a bit
P17B.

[IgglePiggle]

Kinda off topic, but I remember last year seeing a bee fly into the back of a Dahlia flower, it knocked a bee what was in the flower out and it fell in a spider's web, then the spider went and cut it out and slowly lowed it to the floor The bee then flew off afterwards like nothing had happened! I never expected to see something like that happen in my garden!

[Pumpkin Becki]

Someone near us must have a hive, because just before Christmas the Tree Ivy just up the road was alive with industrious bees, they were so noisy, we stood and watched them for ages.