Preparedness for when

GreyQueen

This is a tree bumblebee:

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=tree+bumblebee&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=DbdLVdvjErSR7AbcnIDICg&ved=0CIUBEIke&biw=1024&bih=615

Cute, huh? They like nesting above ground and can even be found in bird boxes. Not sure what the birds think of that habit, but first come, first served in the housing market.

Oh, bee shoulders = thorax, apparently. The things one learns on the interwebulator.

Frugalsod

GreyQueen wrote: »

Peeps are still calling us about the election. Some of them don't know where their polling stations are but some haven't even registered to vote and have decided to tell us on polling day itself.

Very much a batten-down-the-hatches feeling at work Many hands to the count, as it were. The parliamentary results have to be declared asap, so as soon as the polls close at 10 pm, the ballot boxes get taken in and then the count is on. Results will be known at some point in the small hours.

Gonna be lots of tired peeps tomorrow but I shall be going to bed as usual and will check the outcome online on Friday. I imagine our torydem muppet is bricking it as has a low majority and I'd be happy to see the back of them. Heck, I'd been even happier to see them dahn the social trying to sign on and being told to call a regional call centre to initiate their claim, whilst the moon is full, the planets in the correct alignment and their left sock is on inside out.

Or they'll be sanctioned and no cheese for you, my dear.

Well, I can but hope to see the day. And they I expect to see a minimum of 2-3 weeks of squabbling, back-biting and dodgy dealing as we try to get a functional parliament out of the leavings. Wasn't it Belgium that went for nearly a year without a functional government and no decernable ill-effects? I think we could try that, think of the money-savings to be had............:rotfl:

Unfortunately they get what is called a resettlement grant if they are booted out of office during a general election which is why they hang on until the very election rather than resign before. So unfortunately they will not be anywhere near a dole office for quite some time.

I do get a feeling that many will vote not for the mainstream parties but for a new party or even just tactically because they hate one party more than the others. My mother is not even bothering as she is so disillusioned with all of the mainstream parties. I doubt that she is alone.

Frugalsod

lobbyludd wrote: »

thanks for the info - i do love bees

Same here if I ever see a bee indoors I will catch her and then walk her to some flowers for a top up feed, and to release her.

armyknife

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

Has anybody got bees in their gardens? I haven't seen any other than the odd bumblebee this year and that was earlier on in the warmer weather we had a couple of weeks ago. I'm very aware of NOT seeing bees at the moment, is it the same in other parts of the country?

Central southern England, not one honey bee seen here yet;though last year it wasn't until July that I saw my first one.

pachycephalosaurus

I've seen plenty of bees I'm delighted to say here in the middle of England - years ago I planted a Lonicera fragrantissima (winter flowering bush type honeysuckle) where I can see it while I'm doing the washing up . It is an untidy shrub for a small garden, and sort of semi deciduous so it dumps loads of leaves and looks a bit sad in winter, but the great thing is it is one of those 'flower first, leaves later' jobs, and the flowers come in very early spring and smell lovely. It was a riot of bees on warmer days, presumably being one of the few nectar filling stations in the area available at the time !

greenbee

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

Has anybody got bees in their gardens? I haven't seen any other than the odd bumblebee this year and that was earlier on in the warmer weather we had a couple of weeks ago. I'm very aware of NOT seeing bees at the moment, is it the same in other parts of the country?

I've got lots Mrs LW Despite my garden being pretty devoid of life at the moment due to the building work and 'remodelling' of the garden. They are making the most of what's here, and my neighbours' gardens are pretty full. Lots of blossom on my apple tree, and masses of nettles on the nettle farm on the north bank of my stream (which is nice and warm and south facing...)

boultdj

Got a few bees here in Derbyshire, they have been busy on my gooseberry,pear,broad beans,damson and they are starting to get intrested in my apple and blackcurrent, which are just starting to flower.

moneyistooshorttomention

I can see I will be asking around a bit here, as to whether my new area is one that normally has a full complement of bees - or whether they take exception to the higher volume of wind over here in West Wales (can't say I would blame them for that if they do - as I'm not keen on it myself:cool:).

Roll on when I've got my garden more fully planted-up and looking more "normal" to me, with a lot of the surrounding gardens here looking very "barren" to my tastes. Hopefully the bees will prefer it too then...

GreyQueen

Honeybees are always a minority on my allotment, although I can usually see 4-6 bumblebee species at any given time. In most years, I will see queen early bumblebees (the big ones with the red bottoms) flying very early, have even seen them on exceptionally warm days in January on previous years. This species are the first to nest and have usually finished nesting by June.

Didn't see one of those this year, although I did have several bees investigating the holes as I was planting spuds in late March, which always happens. I have twice had bumblebee nests on the allotment, once in an old mouse burrow and once in some other kind of declivity down the bottom of the plot. I was a very proud parental guardian and left them strictly alone to get on with it. I'd love to have more nesting.

The parents have a flowering currant (i.e. doesn't make fruit) which flowers early and before the leaves come out). That positively heaves with bees, particularly honeybees.

Will be looking to turn some dilapidated bamboo bean canes into small sections and group them into a frame to hang at the back of the shed, where it's sheltered, to form a habit for bees and lacewings. Have pretty much got the allotment all under control at the moment but will have to decide what to do about an area at one corner, which is under constant invasion from brambles and nettles from other plots. I think I might designate it a Nature Reserve, and just manage it so it doesn't encroach any further, by clipping the ends of the bramble canes so they don't loop down and root.

Have slept better last night than most nights this week but am still feeling a bit wan and weak from the cold, so will probably spend one more day on light duties before pootling to the allotment to check on progress.

[Deleted User]

OK it sounds as though bees are out and about in most places which is great news, I think we're just a bit too cool here, we're coastal and seem to be mostly grey (some nice weather in patches), damp and breezy. Perhaps we'll see more honey bees out and about if we get some consistently warmer and sunnier weather. It's cold and grey here this morning, the apple blossom is coming out on my big tree on the front lawn but what's worrying me is there are some trees here massively covered in blossom, have been for a couple of weeks now, the cherries, the lilacs and the trees like sycamore are abundant with blooms fully open now and I still have seen only a handful of bees anywhere locally. I would normally expect the trees to be alive and droning with them with so much bloom to attract them in, I'll keep looking, and hoping it's only because it's cool.