Bees & Wasps
Bee vs wasp: what's the difference between these two stinging insects?
Bees and wasps aren’t really all that different says the charity Buglife, and we should treasure and protect both
Asian hornet guide: how to identify, the difference from a native European hornet, and how to report a sighting
Considered a pest, and a particular threat to honeybees, Asian hornets were accidentally introduced to Europe in 2004.
Bumblebee guide: why they're fluffy, where they nest, and how to help them
Bumblebee expert Richard Comont tells you everything you need to know about these social bees.
Boy's discovery reveals “mind-blowing” plant-insect interaction
Careful observation by a boy in his garden has led to a newly discovered link between oak trees, gall wasps and ants
Best bee hotels for your wildlife garden in 2023
Provide shelter for your local solitary bees with a bee hotel. This guide reviews seven of the bee hotels available to buy, and how suitable they are.
Best plants for bumblebees
Enjoy the buzz of bumblebees in your garden through the seasons with this selection of flowering plants that they'll enjoy visiting.
30+ books on insects and invertebrates
From the captivating secrets of flies, to the bizarre and wonderful process of metamorphosis, discover a wide range of titles on insects and invertebrates by naturalists and scientists.
BBC Radio 2 launches the Big Bee Challenge
In this new competition, BBC Radio 2 is encouraging us to create a better environment for the bees.
How to identify spring bees with our illustrated guide
White-tailed or buff-tailed? Our guide will help you recognise 12 early-emerging bee species - many of which are common in gardens. Plus, some other insects which may be confused for bees.
Honeybee guide: how they produce honey, why they sting, and a history of beekeeping
Honeybees are social insects that live in colonies, and produce a number of products that humans enjoy, including honey. Our relationship with them stretches back thousands of years.
New postal stamps to celebrate pollinators
The Royal Mail has released six stamps of ‘Brilliant Bugs’, illustrated by renowned wildlife artist Richard Lewington.
What's the insect equivalent of blood?
Insects don't have blood or haemoglobin like vertebrates do - so how does gas exchange occur, and what is the purpose of haemolymph?
Helping urban pollinators in Cornwall
Jo Price meets Charlotte Rankin, an ecology graduate involved in bee and pollinator conservation.
Northern Ireland’s bees under threat of extinction
Without action 21 species of these important pollinators could go extinct in Northern Ireland according to a new report.
New study on the best garden plants for pollinators
Recent research reveals the most attractive flowering plants for Britain’s pollinating insects
Help your local solitary bees and make a bee hotel
Help your local solitary bees by putting a bee hotel in your garden. Writer and wildlife gardener Kate Bradbury provides guidance on how to make an easy bee hotel, comprising of a simple wooden box with tubes placed in it. It’s simple to make and easy to maintain.
Widespread losses of pollinators in Britain
New research shows that a third of British insect pollinator species have declined in the last 30 years.
How do cuckoo bumblebees trick other species?
BBC Wildlife contributer Richard Jones discusses these imposters.
Why are honeybees like the human brain?
Scientists have discovered a parallel between honeybee colonies and the neurons in a brain.
Have you seen this bee?
Conservationists are asking the public to look out for an under recorded species.
What do hoverflies and honeybees have in common?
New study shows the fates of these pollinating insects may be closely linked.
New bee gets scientists buzzing
However, it seems that the species has actually been in Britain for a couple of hundred years.
Confirmed sighting of Asian hornet in Devon
A beekeeper spotted the non-native species at an apiary near Woolacombe.
Predatory hornet could spread rapidly in UK
The Asian hornet could colonise the UK within two decades if no action is taken.