Tiny bees

BobHobden

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Jul 5, 2016, 8:30:02 AM7/5/16

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When the sun is shining there are lots of tiny little bees that look like
miniature honey bees buzzing around in our front garden (S facing) I've
never seen such small bees before. Three weeks ago when weeding there I got
stung 4 times on the knuckle, all swelled up over the next few days and it
still isn't right and still hurts, coincidence? What are these tiny little
bees? I would get a picture but they never stop wizzing about.

Bob Hobden
North Surrey.

Asha Santon

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Jul 5, 2016, 9:34:47 AM7/5/16

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Can your camera not capture a short video of them?

--
Asha
nature.opcop.org.uk
Scotland

BobHobden

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Jul 5, 2016, 1:11:58 PM7/5/16

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"Asha Santon" wrote

>
>BobHobden said:
>
>> When the sun is shining there are lots of tiny little bees that look like
>> miniature honey bees buzzing around in our front garden (S facing) I've
>> never seen such small bees before. Three weeks ago when weeding there I
>> got stung 4 times on the knuckle, all swelled up over the next few days
>> and it still isn't right and still hurts, coincidence? What are these
>> tiny little bees? I would get a picture but they never stop wizzing
>> about.
>>

>

>Can your camera not capture a short video of them?
>
>

I will try but they really are fast little things and hardly ever settle,
they seem to only be around in the sun around midday.
From watching them , it looks like I may have a nest under a rose bush which
is where I was weeding.

I understand there are/were some small bees rediscovered after a long
absence in Chobham Common and at Byfleet and both those places are quite
near. Indeed we drove across CC today and best friends live in Byfleet so
visit both often.

--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

Asha Santon

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Jul 5, 2016, 2:25:51 PM7/5/16

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Perhaps you can provide a link if you can catch them on video. It
sounds rather interesting so I would like to see them.

--
Asha
nature.opcop.org.uk
Scotland

BobHobden

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Jul 6, 2016, 12:43:19 PM7/6/16

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Managed to get some photos here...... Video was useless, they just
disappeared.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/bobhobden/albums/72157667882033444

Asha Santon

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Jul 6, 2016, 3:33:22 PM7/6/16

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Interesting. Had you not used the word 'tiny', I would have gone with
honey bees. Assuming those are pencilled cranesbill, the bees don't
look so tiny (but certainly not large). Honey bees are generally about
12mm. What length would you say those are?

--
Asha
nature.opcop.org.uk
Scotland

BobHobden

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Jul 7, 2016, 4:48:06 AM7/7/16

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Half that at most.

Asha Santon

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Jul 7, 2016, 9:37:29 AM7/7/16

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That narrows it down to the point where there are no options left ...
as you suggested.
I can't find useful reference to any bee fitting that description
regardless of where they live.
That they sting so readily suggests honey bees, as does their general
appearance. That they sting at all rules out hover-fly like species.

One could catch some in a jar and have them examined by an expert but I
would not recommend it as the creature is unlikely to survive the
experience and stinging your knuckle doesn't quite merit the death
penalty.

The photos were well worth the effort so thank you for those.

--
Asha
nature.opcop.org.uk
Scotland

BobHobden

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Jul 8, 2016, 2:38:52 AM7/8/16

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On a Facebook group a couple of people have suggested they are Hoverflies.
Now I've never seen Hoverflies on mass, never seen them fly like a bee (not
hovering, no jerky flight) but what do you think. The fact that I thought
they were the culprits for the stings may be a red herring, it may have been
something else as I didn't see what did it.

Asha Santon

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Jul 8, 2016, 7:10:25 AM7/8/16

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Aha, the dreaded coloured fish!

Then yes, hover flies are the obvious choice. They have the right
appearance and size.
Hover flies do not hover for a living ... just often. They fly back and
forth among flowers in much the same way as anything else.
I am very partial to them having spotted five species in the garden at
various times.
There are several resources on the web which will help you identify the
species should you feel so inclined.

You might try here:
http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artmay07/cd-hoverflies.html

--
Asha
nature.opcop.org.uk
Scotland

BobHobden

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Jul 8, 2016, 10:34:46 AM7/8/16

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"Asha Santon" wrote ...

After the photo I took today in the kitchen I have had the following reply
from the Bee expert from the Natural History Museum on Twitter....

"Yes definitely Andrena sp., several similar species can only be separated
with microscope "

Turns out that although they are solitary bees they will congregate if
conditions are right. So it look like we have a number of nests in our front
garden.

Asha Santon

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Jul 8, 2016, 2:11:35 PM7/8/16

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Oh thank you for letting me know that. I am not at all familiar with
those bees so it is good to learn of them.
It seems the stings were not fish flavoured after all then. I hope you
have recovered from them.

--
Asha
nature.opcop.org.uk
Scotland

Asha Santon

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Jul 12, 2016, 8:35:53 AM7/12/16

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Sorry to come back on this but I have a question regarding wings and
more specifically, the quantity thereof.

I have looked at your images again and have come to the conclusion the
beasties have two wings. Bees (all) have four wings. Hover flies have
two.

Perhaps the other photo shows the case more clearly. Just a question.

--
Asha
nature.opcop.org.uk
Scotland

BobHobden

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Jul 12, 2016, 6:13:42 PM7/12/16

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Too small to tell with the naked eye, but if you do a search on Andrena sp
all the photos look like they only have one pair of wings.