Most of them go about their daily business unnoticed flitting from flower to flower feeding on nectar and pollen they can see colors and detect smells that we can’t sense [Music] but have these humble bees other hidden talents that we’ve overlooked and what’s the secret of their success A bank of tussled grass and some bare Earth it’s a perfect habitat for wild bees the ground is still hard from the winter frost but will soon warm up in the spring Sun the Colt’s foot flower is one of the first to bloom bringing a welcome splash of color
And an early offering of food for bees solitary bees emerge from their Burrows they’ve spent the winter asleep I’d now need to refuel their bodies they’re soon covered in pollen it’s an age-old exchange the bee carries the pollen from flower to flower and in return is rewarded with sweet nectar
The pollen literally jumps from flower to bee and it’s all down to static electricity which the bees pick up in flight foreign bees build their nest Underground the female excavates a hole in the soil into which she’ll lay her egg she also exudes a strong perfume that is irresistible to males
The buzzing noise soon attracts others and within minutes a frenzy of males has descended on her not all solitary bees nest in the ground accommodation [Music] a wooden box filled with twigs and logs is all that’s needed to make a bee Hotel
The rooms rooms are simply holes drilled into blocks of wood erected in early spring and facing southwards it won’t be long before the first guests move in [Music] foreign the hollow stems are a favorite with Mason bees they Patrol the nest holes waiting for potential mates
While the Mason bees are otherwise occupied an imposter a cuckoo wasp tries to sneak its egg into an unattended nest [Music] from the B Hotel another more dangerous Intruder is about to emerge foreign Beetle it’s bad news for bees and it has a voracious appetite Other spring flowers awaken foreign their large colorful blooms their aim is to attract the attention of insect pollinators The black oil beetle is also drawn to the bright and sweet smelling blossoms a female Beetle can lay over a thousand eggs at a time but to do so she has to devour vast quantities of food she heads straight for the most nutritious parts of the flower
The catkins of the [ __ ] willow attract more visitors than any other each tree has either male or female flowers so they depend on bees and butterflies to carry the pollen between them but not all pollen makes it to the intended destination
Mining bees carry some back to their underground nests to ensure their larvae have an instant meal when they hatch um meanwhile the female oil beetle has picked up a passenger the smaller male will hang on to her back until he gets the chance to mate
The mining bee has little idea of the danger halavi could be in And there are other threats to the mining bees offspring she has returned to her nest to find an intruder at the door [Music] a wasp-like cuckoo Bean is trying to break in [Music] another one has been caught in the act
Cuckoo bees don’t build nests of Their Own but like their namesake try to sneak their eggs into those of others they’re waiting for an unguarded moment when they can slip inside many of these parasites only target one kind of bee this red blood bee is homing in on
The nest of a plasterer bee but she doesn’t know that the female is inside [Music] The Imposter quietly enters the tunnel and comes face to face with the owner a short standoff and then buzzing her discontent the larger plasterer bee sees off the intruder foreign
Frost still cloaks the ground but each day Heralds the arrival of more spring flowers The common lung word pushes its way through the leaf litter offering up its flowers in two different colors [Music] the buds open in pink but turn blue with age this change in color is a signal to pollinators the pink indicates there is plenty of pollen and nectar
So bees don’t waste energy visiting old blooms and the flowers have a better chance of being pollinated [Music] [Music] Bumblebees are among the most active in early spring their thick furry coat providing good insulation only the Queens have survived the winter and now have to start a new colony [Music] searches
The ground for a sheltered spot [Music] an old mouse tunnel could be just right foreign [Music] but the owner has not yet moved out [Music] she tries to persuade the Sleepy animal to make way [Music] unfazed by the size of her
Opponent she intensifies her attack [Music] and it pulls out a most impressive weapon thank you the mouse has had enough [Music] the Mosaic structure of our landscape provides homes to many different kinds of bees flooded Meadows are rich in flowers with large and colorful blooms [Music] the snake’s head
Fraternary is one of the most bold and striking but has become a rare sight in the wild [Music] the red Mason bee is dwarfed by the huge flowerheads but a single one will provide it with ample nectar for the day each petal has its own gland that produces a sugary liquid thank
You [Music] be hotel is now surrounded by colorful blossoms providing plenty of food for its residents the Old Orchard trees have catered to generations of bees and depend on their services the open shape of the flowers makes them easily accessible foreign the trees also attract other kinds of creatures a rhinoc
The apple tree has to receive pollen from another tree if it’s to Bear any fruit each flower that is fertilized will produce an apple [Music] and as most gardeners know the more bees that greater will be the Harvest of fruit
And there is plenty of pollen left for the bees to take some down into the nest to provision their young but it’s not just our fruit trees that bees pollinate one-third of all plants we eat depend on bees and it’s a coexistence that’s crucial to our own Survival
A minaret of mud it’s the entrance to a sweat bee’s nest the long and narrow tunnel entrance safeguards from Intruders but not from all a large bee fly powders the tip of her abdomen with fine sand to camouflage her secret weapon
The furry fly is easily mistaken for a bee and maybe this allows her to make her approach unnoticed she’s looking for the Burrows of ground nesting bees [Music] once located she releases her missile thank you she catapults her egg with fine Precision into the entrance of the nest if successful
Her young will hatch inside and kill the owners Young the towers of soil constructed by the sweat bees are cemented together with saliva [Music] foreign the industrious bees are not put off by the impending rain they continue to excavate and build
The downpour does little damage to the Earth and mounds the B saliva is waterproof and the nest below ground will stay dry these sweat bees live in colonies of hundreds of individuals and work together to raise the Next Generation foreign
Each have their own little chamber and will remain in their Nursery until they hatch into adults in charge of the colony is a queen that looks little different from the workers but unlike them she will live to be six years old a formidable age for a bee [Music] both workers and queen
Helped to excavate The Brood cells and provision them with pollen and nectar for the Young remain underground for almost a year reappearing at the surface the following spring how they are able to do so remains a mystery
The grazing sheep pose little danger to the sweat bees in fact they keep the grass short and allow the sun to warm the ground which the bees need for nesting far below the surface they are safe from the trampling hooves but without grazing by livestock many wild bees would not survive
[Music] tiny yellow worm-like creatures now emerge from the ground and race upwards in a hurry they are the larvae of the black oil beetle and they are on a mission to hitch a ride on a passing bee [Music] they head up to the highest point the flower heads andLie and wait for their quarry [Music] with special hooked feet the larvae latch onto the bee and their airborne with a bit of luck they’ve even picked the right kind of bee the female heads into her underground tunnel at the far end is what the stairways are after and they disembark
A ball of pollen and nectar topped with a single bee egg but it’s only enough for one lava after devouring the lot it will turn into a pupa and emerge as an adult beetle in the following spring to protect against such deadly parasites many bees seal off their nest once the egg’s been
Laid the European Orchard bee has collected a parcel of mud to plump the entrance hole inside the bee’s lava munches away on the nutritious pollen paste it will do so until the entire store is consumed each cell is packed tight with food and contains just a single bee larva inside their Chambers
The small Grumps are safe from predators and continue to grow for around 60 days [Music] while the growing larvae are snug and safe in their nurseries the adult bees face a more precarious future a white crab spider sits almost invisible on a white flower [Music] it waits patiently
A large bumblebee maybe too much of a mouthful [Music] the smaller mining bee is more like it thank you she injects her victim with a Venom and once immobilized sucks out its inner juices it’s a murderous end in the driveway of the bee Hotel
Wild bees are resourceful when finding accommodation small holes in Fallen trees are perfectly suitable but it’s not the bees themselves that excavate these cavities they are made by larvae of wood boring insects this longhorn beetle has spent the last two years as a lava inside the oak tree feeding on its dead wood
Now it emerges as an adult and leaves behind a hole nearly seven centimeters deep the vacant home is immediately spotted the longhorn also wastes no time it’s already found a mate the house viewings continue each prospective owner wants to find the perfect fit
But not all bees favor wooden homes some prefer more unusual constructions and to find these requires a little ingenuity an empty snail shell first it has to be maneuvered into position it’s no easy task for a small bee like the red-tailed Mason
And there’s no point in persisting when the fuel gauge is low best to First replenish the energy Reserves she now flies to and fro depositing pollen into the belly of the nest and then the hardest part of the procedure small stones many times the bees own weight
Have to be placed at the entrance to keep out Intruders Mm-hmm finally it’s time to render the exterior small sticks and grasses are carried back one at a time She covers the nest with a thatch of dead grass to hide it from predators and protect it from the elements foreign Will take three to four days and over a hundred trips until she is satisfied and some remarkable aerobatic maneuvers [Music] thank you this oak trees leaves are riddled with holes like a Swiss cheese they are made by a leaf cutter bee which cuts out little discs and carries them off
[Music] she is heading for the bee Hotel inside the wooden tunnel she lines her nest with leaves then she glues them together with saliva to build individual Nursery Chambers cell is separated from the next by more leaves and as usual the larvae have an ample supplyOf pollen by their side next spring the newly emerged adults will chew their way out of the nest there are other wild bees that line their nests with carpets of vegetation some use Petals of flowers to wallpaper the interior um
The larvae are unlikely to appreciate the colorful decor but it provides stability to the nest and may help to keep it moist and clean some bees are so specialized they will only use the petals or pollen of certain plants the yellow flowers of the golden flax are particularly sought after by Mason bees
The female selects a suitable petal and slices off a piece with her sharp Jaws then definitely Gathering it up in a bunch She carries it back to her nest foreign these red poppies also carry the sign of a bee invasion another flower and another kind of bee No one knows why Sun like yellow and others prefer red but this specialization has one big drawback if a flower becomes rare or disappears from our Countryside the bee is also at risk red poppies were once common in our fields and meadows but with modern farming techniques
They’ve all but disappeared and for this Mason bee that could spell trouble many of our wild bees depend on agricultural farmland for food and Nest sites but changes in traditional practices have greatly reduced wildflowers within this landscape and many
Bees are struggling to survive but one Bee’s Fate has changed more dramatically than any other [Music] maybe is the most widespread bee in the world today and it’s all down to our love of honey [Music] the larger males or drones appear in early summer their only job is to fertilize the queen
[Music] the drones live just a few short weeks by the end of summer they are evicted from The Colony weak with hunger and lacking a sting they make easy prey for small Hunters foreign Structures can also provide a home for wildlife including bees [Music] an old barn like this has many hidden nooks and crannies perfect for nesting solitary bees [Music] and a flowering horse chestnut tree provides ample pollen and nectar [Music] theFlowers signal like a traffic light yellow to announce sweet nectar while pink or red suggests don’t bother we’re already pollinated it’s an ingenious system that benefits both tree and B [Music] an old farmhouse with plenty of flowers is the perfect habitat for wild bees
The purple blooms of the catmint are a particular favorite and not just with bees the cat meant or catnip is native to Europe and so named because of its appeal to cats the flower of the Oriental poppy has a generous supply of nutrient-rich pollen but it’s locked
Away in the anthers the Bumblebee has a trick up her sleeve she grasps the anthers with her legs and buzzes vibrating her flight muscles this shapes the pollen out onto her belly later she will comb the grains into special baskets on her hind legs and transport them back to her nest
Most bees feed mainly on nectar and very little on pollen but Bumblebees are an exception an old wooden fence has not gone unnoticed a wool car to be has moved in and just behind the farm a meadow filled with purple flowers of the Hedge nettle a favorite with the bees
[Music] the thick sharp spines on the male’s rear end are an indication of his Fierce nature his aggression is not directed at humans but at rivals a hummingbird Hawk moth is also attracted to the flowers but it may be one size tooBig for the wool Carter to handle so the hawk moth feeds undisturbed [Music] not so when this honeybee tries to do the same [Music] foreign ER is one of the largest wild bees and the males are fiercely territorial [Music] foreign
But now a female has attracted his attention [Music] and mistakes his Amorous advance for an attack [Music] but this is an intruder [Music] A quick stop to refuel and he’s off again to defend what’s his [Music] he launches a direct strike at his Rivals trying to dislodge them His hard work seems to have paid off he’s earned his reward from this female zombies go to even greater lengths for their favorite plants the hairy legged mining bee feeds exclusively on one plant the common chicory but its blue flowers only bloom in the mornings so the bee has to hurry
She has just four hours to collect all the pollen and nectar she needs [Music] to do so she is equipped with extra large hair brushes on her hind legs with these she can collect greater quantities of pollen at a time a prospective Suitor makes an advance
But has little success she’s not interested and has other things on her mind [Music] at midday she returns heavily Laden to the nest one last time with Food Supplies shut down now she’ll have the rest of the afternoon off and can take care of the interior decoration
As the evening draws in the female bees settle down in their underground nests for the night [Music] only the males remain outside [Music] foreign like all insects they’re cold-blooded and become torpid when the temperature drops some latch onto grass stems with their jaws and remain suspended like this for the rest
Of the night [Music] others huddle together for warmth [Music] thank you [Music] It’s Dawn but the air is still cold the bees remain motionless on their stalks [Music] the early morning sun burns off the last of the lingering fog unlike honeybees which stay warm within their hives wild bees are children of the Sun they need its warmth
To breathe life back into their little bodies [Music] after a little stretch and morning toilet they’re off to fuel up on their first sugary drink of the day [Music] foreign [Music] bees head straight for the tall spikes of the tufted veg it’s a member of the P family
And its Cascade of violet flowers offer an abundant supply of nectar [Music] [Music] other plants nearby also Vie for the attention of pollinators [Music] a bee Orchid unfurls its enticing bloom [Music] it seems irresistible [Music] but the being has detected the deception a wasp also quickly abandons the Rogue flower foreign
Whose flowers closely resemble the furry bodies of bees this one also produces a sex pheromone similar to that of a female longhorned bee and the trickery seems to work [Music] [Applause] a male Longhorn has been bamboozled to mate with the deceitful flower foreign [Music]
His head pushes against the anthers and picks up the packets of pollen that stick to him like yellow horns [Music] he has been duped without any reward at all [Music] by late summer most beers have finished breeding and many have fallen prey to Hunters like the bee eaters
But some plants flower late in the season and they also need to be pollinated so there are bees which emerge and start their breeding cycle later than most thank you an exposed Bank of soil is ideal for ground nesting bees and southern Europe’s Vineyards are dry and warm even in late summer
The ivy plant is a late bloomer and only comes into flower in September but there is a bee that has timed its entire life cycle around this event The ivb is completely dependent on the nectar and pollen the ivy it’s a time of year when there is little other food around and the unassuming flowers are very rich in nectar shipped between Ivy and B has evolved over millions of years neither can survive without
The other [Music] but even now there are enemies around the bee wolf is a digger wasp that specializes in killing bees [Music] but the hunter has enemies of its own to contend with a cuckoo wasp is on the lookout for an unattended nest the Brazen Intruder is quickly seen off
The bewolf returns with a kill she’s immobilized a victim with a venomous sting once underground she will embalm the paralyzed bee with an anti-fungal secretion so it stays fresh longer one bee will be enough food for a wasp lava until it emerges as an adult
Wild bees need very little to survive some bare ground a few flowering plants and a little bit of sunshine [Music] colony of honeybees has abandoned their man-made Hive and made a new home in a fallen tree
The bees did well over the summer but how were they Fair now that the winter has set in The Colony has fallen silent the bees have turned into icy sculptures [Music] prehistoric bee sculptures solidified in Amber are evidence that their kind has pollinated flowers since the age of the dinosaurs
And unlike the domesticated honeybee our wild bees have evolved to survive the cold Winters without our help [Music] nonetheless honeybees play a crucial role in our lives today not only do they pollinate many of our crops and garden plants they also produce something
We’ve come to cherish the fruit of their labor Golden Honey [Music] our relationship with a honeybee is an ancient one dating back some ten thousand years but it’s also our most important one on which our very survival may depend [Music]
