Are these wasps or a type of bee?

[ddiogyn]

As thread title. Also, how fastidious are wasps when it comes to visiting flowers?





Thanks

[Scottishnewbie]

they look like honey bees to me. great pics btw

[rustylady]

Bees, I think. Wasps are a really acidic yellow with black stripes.

[weekendwellies]

I am voting honey bees too. How do you mean by 'fastidious'. Do you mean do they collect all the available pollen, or do you mean do they flit about willy nilly cross pollinating everything the come into contact with, or what?

[ddiogyn]

There's so much insect activity in the garden, it's amazing. I'm sure it's always been the case, but am only just noticing!

@Weekendwellies

As in, are they quite particular about what they'll visit, or quite promiscuous going from flower to flower? Do wasps even rely on flowers as their primary source of nutrition?

[rustylady]

As in, are they quite particular about what they'll visit, or quite promiscuous going from flower to flower? Do wasps even rely on flowers as their primary source of nutrition?

No idea about wasps, but individual bees tend to stick to the same type of flower.

[ddiogyn]

I think this is most definitely a wasp, but what was it doing? I was watching the aubergine plant hoping some insect would visit the flowers; none did, but this wasp was observed going from flower to flower, around the stalk and the perimeter, rubbing its bum along the petals, but never actually drinking from the flower!

[Suky]

Yes, wasps do collect pollen/nectar. They feed it to their young and it is these young that tend to plague us when ripe/over ripe fruit is around. We tend to hate them and kill them but they do a great service by pollinating our fruit and veg and helping in breaking down rotting fruit.
I still hate them

[ddiogyn]

Yes, wasps do collect pollen/nectar.

With that knowledge i dislike them slightly less. Still, the ones that wake me up in the morning are still getting sprayed with raid!

[Two_Sheds]

I think this is most definitely a wasp

Wasps have a very definite "wasp-waist", ie two distinct body sections like it's wearing a corset

[Storm]

Yes, wasps do collect pollen/nectar. They feed it to their young and it is these young that tend to plague us when ripe/over ripe fruit is around. We tend to hate them and kill them but they do a great service by pollinating our fruit and veg and helping in breaking down rotting fruit.
I still hate them

and they attack/rob honey bee colonies as well in late summer and can wipe out the whole lot. My friend lost 4 hives to wasps last year

[Dekzion]

ddiogyn,
thats def. honeybees, and brilliant photo's, your picture of the wasp on the back of the petals could be doing just the same as bumble bees do to runner bean flowers, because they are the wrong 'shape' to get into the flower and get at the nectar they bite through the rear of the flower and drink directly from the nectary, thats why we end up with lots of flowers snapped off or hanging by a thread