On 15/7/07 20:00, in article
ult, "Steve Harris"
wrote:

In article ,
(David \(Normandy\)) wrote:

Are they just not venturing out after the recent cold wet weather or
what?

They are on my Echium pininana x Wildpretii hybrid.

It looks to be near the end of flowering soon.

Those are major favourites for bees. They treat them like a Hilton
restaurant!


--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

The message
from dominic Lucas contains these words:

In article ,
"David \(Normandy\)" wrote:

Are they just not venturing out after the recent cold wet weather or what?
Went for a walk around the garden today and not a bee in sight. The
runner
beans are smothered in blossom but no bees and no little beans. The
flower
borders are full of blooms but no bees.

David.

Plenty here, I disturbed one nest, but there's still another one in the
garden .. they don't venture out when it's cold or wet (most days this
month, and most of June), but when it's warm, the air's thick with them
...

And a very welcome sight they make. No beans setting yet, I put that
down to the bad weather stopping the bees.

PS. N.E. England

I have only had a few around here, there seemed to be a good quantity
early in the year when it was warm, but I assumed, like others, that the
cold and wet had kept them away. Anyway I have put up a 'bee tube' in
the hopes of providing some shelter.

Beryl
Cheshire.

The message
from "Mary Fisher" contains these words:


"David (Normandy)" wrote in message
...
There are plenty in my garden even during the rain - both bumble
bees and
honey bees. There's many wasps.

Mary


I've not seen many (any?) wasps this year either. Normally the Virginia
creeper smothering our house is full of them. I think it gives of some
sort of sweet sticky sap that they like. I don't know if it is nectar but
the small green "flowers" are sticky.

It's called 'extra floral nectar' and can be collected by wasps which don't
have long tongues because it's on the surface (as you've observed). Some
plants, notably laurel, have two littld holes towards the base of the leaf
on the underside which exude this stuff.

Does that apply to the spotted laurel please Mary? I have one of those
but am not aware of wasp activity around it - unless the birds keep them
away as they use it as a perch when raiding the feeders.
Beryl

"Beryl Harwood" wrote in message
I've not seen many (any?) wasps this year either. Normally the Virginia
creeper smothering our house is full of them. I think it gives of some
sort of sweet sticky sap that they like. I don't know if it is nectar
but
the small green "flowers" are sticky.

It's called 'extra floral nectar' and can be collected by wasps which
don't
have long tongues because it's on the surface (as you've observed). Some
plants, notably laurel, have two littld holes towards the base of the
leaf
on the underside which exude this stuff.

Does that apply to the spotted laurel please Mary? I have one of those
but am not aware of wasp activity around it - unless the birds keep them
away as they use it as a perch when raiding the feeders.
Beryl

It does - your local wasps might be finding easier sources at the moment -
or they might not even want sugar. It's complicated. Later in the year they
might go to your laurel when you don't notice them.

Have a look under one of your leaves, the little holes are plain to see -
there are just two and at slightly different levels at each side of the main
vein, towards the base of the leaf.

Mary

"Beryl Harwood" wrote in message
I have only had a few around here, there seemed to be a good quantity
early in the year when it was warm, but I assumed, like others, that the
cold and wet had kept them away. Anyway I have put up a 'bee tube' in
the hopes of providing some shelter.

I don't know what you mean by a 'bee tube,' a collection of tubes will
provide nesting facilities for some kind of bees but not honey bees and not
bumble bees.

Mary

The message t
from "Mary Fisher" contains these words:


"Beryl Harwood" wrote in message
I have only had a few around here, there seemed to be a good quantity
early in the year when it was warm, but I assumed, like others, that the
cold and wet had kept them away. Anyway I have put up a 'bee tube' in
the hopes of providing some shelter.

I don't know what you mean by a 'bee tube,' a collection of tubes will
provide nesting facilities for some kind of bees but not honey bees and not
bumble bees.

This is a tube [like a drain pipe but this is tan in colour and special
consstruction I think] with several different size smaller tubes inside
a bit like bamboo sizes. They are not aimed at the honey or bumbles but
some of the others that escapes me right now. I want to say monarch,
but that is a butterfly so it can't be, also a 'leaf cutter' bee?
Anyway I thought that to try and save any would be better than nothing.
I am not sure if there is any other kind of refuge I could provide.
There was never another visit to that old bird nesting pocket and it has
rotted away now.

Beryl

The message t
from "Mary Fisher" contains these words:


"Beryl Harwood" wrote in message
I've not seen many (any?) wasps this year either. Normally the Virginia
creeper smothering our house is full of them. I think it gives of some
sort of sweet sticky sap that they like. I don't know if it is nectar
but
the small green "flowers" are sticky.

It's called 'extra floral nectar' and can be collected by wasps which
don't
have long tongues because it's on the surface (as you've observed). Some
plants, notably laurel, have two littld holes towards the base of the
leaf
on the underside which exude this stuff.

Does that apply to the spotted laurel please Mary? I have one of those
but am not aware of wasp activity around it - unless the birds keep them
away as they use it as a perch when raiding the feeders.
Beryl

It does - your local wasps might be finding easier sources at the moment -
or they might not even want sugar. It's complicated. Later in the year they
might go to your laurel when you don't notice them.

Have a look under one of your leaves, the little holes are plain to see -
there are just two and at slightly different levels at each side of
the main
vein, towards the base of the leaf.

Interesting, thank you, I will have a look as soon as I get a chance.
Beryl

"Beryl Harwood" wrote in message
...


I don't know what you mean by a 'bee tube,' a collection of tubes will
provide nesting facilities for some kind of bees but not honey bees and
not
bumble bees.

This is a tube [like a drain pipe but this is tan in colour and special
consstruction I think] with several different size smaller tubes inside
a bit like bamboo sizes.

Ah - so it Is a collection of tubes. Good. They'll probably be used by
solitary bees such as leaf cutters or even mason bees. Their life cycle is
fascinating.

They are not aimed at the honey or bumbles but
some of the others that escapes me right now. I want to say monarch,
but that is a butterfly so it can't be, also a 'leaf cutter' bee?

Yes.

Anyway I thought that to try and save any would be better than nothing.
I am not sure if there is any other kind of refuge I could provide.
There was never another visit to that old bird nesting pocket and it has
rotted away now.

The tubes aren't a refuge, they'e to provide places for the bees to lay
eggs. Whatever you do don't discard them or 'clean them out' through the
winter, that's the time when the brood is growing. The occupied tubes will
have a tiny bundle of dried leaves or mud at the open end to seal them. It
can look untidy if you've worried about such things :-) New adults will
emerge in the spring. This year's adults will have died but the tubes will
probably be used again.

Mary

Beryl

The message t
from "Mary Fisher" contains these words:
"Beryl Harwood" wrote in message
...


I don't know what you mean by a 'bee tube,' a collection of tubes will
provide nesting facilities for some kind of bees but not honey bees and
not
bumble bees.

This is a tube [like a drain pipe but this is tan in colour and special
consstruction I think] with several different size smaller tubes inside
a bit like bamboo sizes.

Ah - so it Is a collection of tubes. Good. They'll probably be used by
solitary bees such as leaf cutters or even mason bees. Their life cycle is
fascinating.

They are not aimed at the honey or bumbles but
some of the others that escapes me right now. I want to say monarch,
but that is a butterfly so it can't be, also a 'leaf cutter' bee?

Yes.

Ahh, It was the mason bee I forgot.

Anyway I thought that to try and save any would be better than nothing.
I am not sure if there is any other kind of refuge I could provide.
There was never another visit to that old bird nesting pocket and it has
rotted away now.

The tubes aren't a refuge, they'e to provide places for the bees to lay
eggs. Whatever you do don't discard them or 'clean them out' through the
winter, that's the time when the brood is growing. The occupied tubes will
have a tiny bundle of dried leaves or mud at the open end to seal them. It
can look untidy if you've worried about such things :-) New adults will
emerge in the spring. This year's adults will have died but the tubes will
probably be used again.

Thank you for that extra information. No, I owuld not have discarded
the tubes or cleaned them out. The leaflet that came with the tube
informed me about the leaf or mud 'plugs' and said to move it to
somewhere to protect it from frost, but not warm, for the winter and put
it out again in April time. It has to have some occupants first though
as it has only been out for a short time, since when there have been
only very rare sitings of bees of any kind. I hope it does get used
though I suspect it may be too late for this year.

Beryl

"Beryl Harwood" wrote in message
...

Thank you for that extra information. No, I owuld not have discarded
the tubes or cleaned them out. The leaflet that came with the tube
informed me about the leaf or mud 'plugs' and said to move it to
somewhere to protect it from frost, but not warm, for the winter and put
it out again in April time.

Good. I'm sorry if I jumped in too swiftly but you might not have had the
information.

It has to have some occupants first though
as it has only been out for a short time, since when there have been
only very rare sitings of bees of any kind.

You possibly wouldn't even recognise mason bees. You'll know when it's been
turned into a nursery by the plugs on the outside of the tubes.

I hope it does get used
though I suspect it may be too late for this year.

I'm not sure - but in any case persist. If it's not used leave it for next
year - and the one after that - enticing solitary or bumble bees into
artificial nests isn't 100% successful but having bought your tube there's
no point in throwing it out. It MIGHT be used :-)

If you can't be bothered I'll take it off your hands G

Mary

The message t
from "Mary Fisher" contains these words:


"Beryl Harwood" wrote in message
...

Thank you for that extra information. No, I owuld not have discarded
the tubes or cleaned them out. The leaflet that came with the tube
informed me about the leaf or mud 'plugs' and said to move it to
somewhere to protect it from frost, but not warm, for the winter and put
it out again in April time.

Good. I'm sorry if I jumped in too swiftly but you might not have had the
information.

No, I am always pleased to receive from the fount of you knowledge.

It has to have some occupants first though
as it has only been out for a short time, since when there have been
only very rare sitings of bees of any kind.

You possibly wouldn't even recognise mason bees. You'll know when it's been
turned into a nursery by the plugs on the outside of the tubes.

Well I keep looking

I hope it does get used
though I suspect it may be too late for this year.

I'm not sure - but in any case persist. If it's not used leave it for next
year - and the one after that - enticing solitary or bumble bees into
artificial nests isn't 100% successful but having bought your tube there's
no point in throwing it out. It MIGHT be used :-)

Yes, I will do that, I always live in hope of such things being used and
I think sometimes it takes a while for them to realise it is there.

If you can't be bothered I'll take it off your hands G

May be some time before I want to do that, but I will remember
Beryl