No hum

Before the blossoms faded on my late-flowering rowan, it was covered in bees - I didn't look closely, but they certainly weren't bumble bees. Now the flies have arrived, but not in huge numbers. Plenty of moths come in at night.

Same here - bumble bees, ladybirds and other flying things, a few butterflies but no honeybees

Too many flies!

Plague of damsel flies and bumblebees + some solitary bees. Very few honey bees.

Very few bees here either. Expected thm when the lavender opened but just the odd one. No ladybirds either. Echos of Rachel Carson? I hope not

My climbing hydrangea was "ahum" with bumblebees the other day (alas not honey bees) and our garden furniture seems to hold a strange attraction for wasps. It is teak and they seem to crawl backwards leaving a damp patch (?) I can see no evidenc of a nest and there are only ever 3 or 4 at a time on it, so I am leaving them alone. But puzzled. The absence of insects - flies eyc I have put down to the increased use of insecticides by farmers. We have open countryside just behind us, an orchard/farmhouse garden and then the manor house grounds including a moat so I woud expect to see more. The buddleias are not yet in flower but when they are I expect/hope to see them alive with butterflies.

There's plenty of humming in my garden and on the allotment.
I have dragonflies and damselflies hovering over the pond and have noticed more ladybirds about than is usual for this time of year - also there are lots of bees in my fruit cage. And that's even before my wildflower garden, especially planted to encourage bees, has a single flower. I do have stocks and sweet peas in flower though.
The brassicas have been protected from butterflies by an ingenious netting system, but at least one has got through because we've removed half a dozen caterpillars and there are lots of butterflies trying to work out an entry sytem.

Flickety, I also live in Oxfordshire (Wheatley), and have only in the last week or so, since the weather improved, begun to see all the usual insects and butterflies. I think everything is late this year.
I have an irrational fear of dragonflies, hate it when they clash wings, so am pleased to say that I don't see many.

Dragonflies were once pretty common visitors to our garden but I haven't seen one so far this Summer. I haven't spied one ladybird and only the odd Cabbage White butterfly has honoured us with a visit. There aren't many bees buzzing around either.

DH got very nasty bite this morning from what he thinks was a hornets nest trying to clear the wilderness of a garden at DD's new house.
Cue swift trip to tesco pharmacy and swift phone call to letting agent !
Have had bees in our garden.

No bees pollinating my runner beans either, I haven't seen many bees or ladybirds at all.. is it just sad or SCARY!!?

Bags How lucky you are! DH noticed this morning that there were no bees on our lavender hedge either, usually there are swarms of them.

Ana, I hope you are right and they will come later. I have noticed that the blackberries have flowered very late, especially the ones usually ripe to pick in late July/early August and our apple tree in the garden, which usually starts cropping at much the same time is only now having its 'June drop'

I think everything's running late. We'll probably get the hum in August/September.

It is not silent here. We have the usual biting insects – midges and clegs – and my garden is buzzing and fluttering with bumble bees (several species), wasps, hoverflies, butterflies and other flies. However, I have missed the honeybees this year.