Bees & Hover Flies

The Honeybee and Bumblebee

These are colony living insects with a black and yellow striped body and a sting. However, they should not be routinely treated as a pest because of the valuable work they do in pollinating flowers and crops and producing honey. Bees are generally more hairy than wasps. Wasps have a much clearer pattern of yellow and black stripes and spots on their body and a more streamlined shape.

Slough, Windsor & Maidenhead Beekeeper' Society have a web page which includes contact details for beekeepers who can collect swarms. The web address is: http://www.bbka.org.uk/local/slough-windsor-maidenhead/swarms/index.shtml

Alternatively the Honey Bee Swarm Rescue would be happy to come and collect a swarm of bees and rehouse them free of charge and they can be contacted on 01233 836086.

May and June are peak times for honey bee swarms and this may help save some bees.

Hover Flies

These have a similar appearance and a distinctive flight pattern of hovering in mid air then suddenly darting to another spot. They have no sting and are useful because they eat aphids!

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