Bees

Is everyone else noticing there are a lot of bees around this year?
We seem to have 100's goodness knows where they are coming from. I can't leave the back door open for the dogs as they are trying to catch them, instead they have to stay shut in and i accompany them out to the toilet.
Our normal walk over the fields or in the woods has had to stop as there are 100's of the things everywhere and the sunshine and showers seem to have bought even more buzzing round my wooden fence panels.
I have also seen a couple of giant size wasps too in the garden.
I hope they are not going to be around till next winter as I don't fancy having to keep the dogs shut in all the time.

I've recently been chased around the garden by the odd bumble bea, but nothing like what you're talking about. Are you sure you haven't got a nest up in a tree nearby? I had that once, in the big limetree in the road, and the size of the nest of beas was quite unbeliable hanging there! Luckily, they all moved on a while later, but it really was unbeleivable when we spotted it hanging in the tree!

No because they are not just in my garden. The field I drive to and walk the dogs over for a couple of miles and the woods again a couple of miles from my house have bees flying up every step you take.

I hope they are not Hornets - I hate them, they are big, make a loud buzzing noise, and 'allegedly' can kill a human. Not certain if that last bit is true but don't want to test it We get then around here in late summer especially on the Pear trees.

Yes, those hornets are evil beggers! I remember I tried to hit one with a hammer in my horse's stable one day (only because I just happened to have a hammer in my hand at the time!) and the blooming thing went mad at me and chased me literally around the whole field for ages, it just wouldn't give up, until I finally ran into my lock-up and hid in there until it had gone! Even the horses are terrified of those evil blighters.

You are very lucky if you've got that many bea's buzzing around up there because they said on the news the other morning that they are in decline, so think yourself lucky - unless you do have a big nest lurking somewhere, then you're not so lucky!

Our bees are still sleeping up here, haven't seen a single one...did however, see my first slug of the year...bleh, I can't stand the slimy wee s"£$%s.