Wild bees in Leicestershire?

[The Riviera Kid]

I was recently asked if there were any wild bees (i.e. native black bee type rather than a swarm that has gone feral) still living in places like rural Leicestershire.

I have absolutely no idea. I have read about wild native bees in places like Angelsey and other wildernesses.

Does anyone know if there are wild bees still in places like the midlands?

 

[susbees]

Wilderness? Anglesey? There are plenty bee imports on Anglesey (relatively speaking).

 

[enrico]

Difficult to know but we still get swarms in unusual places where we know of no beekeepers. Doesn't prove that they are from the wild but the queens are unmarked and the swarms generally smallish!

 

[oliver90owner]

Most certainly not Leicestershire unless a recently imported colony. There are some (reportedly) native black bees at extremities of the the UK, but 'inter-breeding' will always occur. Bees of 'mixed race' have been around in the UK for the most part of a couple hundred years.

If one were to take the average life of a colony as seven years, bee colonies change (turnover of poulation) ten times more often than humans (three score years and ten). Just consider the average 'Brit' in 2000 years time. How many will still be 'pure bred' by then? Further what is a native 'Brit' even now? Anglo-Saxon, Roman, Pict?

And yes, I know, the human race may have destroyed itself and the current eco systems before another couple of millennia!

RAB

 

[susbees]

Difficult to know but we still get swarms in unusual places where we know of no beekeepers. Doesn't prove that they are from the wild but the queens are unmarked and the swarms generally smallish!

Which bit of the Marches are you, Enrico?

 

[fatshark]

Does anyone know if there are wild bees still in places like the midlands?

Going by their performance this morning there are some wild bees in my apiary near Coventry ... Wild? They were livid!

 

[hedgerow pete]

i one respect yes there are still un hived bees out there living in the wild, not many but some,

as for just happening on a wild colony of native AMM bees that have been living away from every seeing eye for the last 80 years, i doubt it very much

 

[The Riviera Kid]

I know that bees hybridise easily, but recall reading ages ago about projects on Anglesey (and Isle of Man?) where they had older varieties of bee that were less hybridised and they were trying them out to see if they were more resistant to whatever turns out to be causing bee decline in GB...

I was pondering how prevalent these older bee varieties are.

 

[Ape Resi]

I was recently asked if there were any wild bees (i.e. native black bee type rather than a swarm that has gone feral) still living in places like rural Leicestershire.

I have absolutely no idea. I have read about wild native bees in places like Angelsey and other wildernesses.

Does anyone know if there are wild bees still in places like the midlands?

i just came across this BBC photo show: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-10730675

 

[Chris B]

bee decline in GB...

I think you might be the first beekeeper I know of that believes this myth. The rest of us are desperately trying to keep a lid on the bees urge to multiply at the moment.