Tutors: Mike Edwards (Midhurst) & Graham Collins (South Croydon).

An introduction to collecting, curating and identifying bees, wasps and ants with special tuition on identifying solitary wasps to genus and spider-hunting wasps (Pompilids) to species. Introductory keys will be available as well as demonstrations of how to handle, mount and label specimens for a reference collection.

Venue: Dinton Pastures Country Park, Davis Street, Hurst, near Reading

Booking: Please contact Dr. Mike Edwards, BENHS Indoor Meetings Secretary, 53 Great Cranford Street, Poundbury,… Read more

Sheringham Park, Norfolk (National Trust).

Saturday 7th June 10.30am – 4.00pm.

This workshop will cover the identification of bumblebees based on field work, photographs and inspection of live specimens. The day will also provide guidance about the conservation of bumblebees and how to encourage them in your garden.
 

Cost £20. To book please ring the National Trust on 01263 820550.
 

Tutors Nick Owens and Rob Coleman.

Steven Falk has been developing a major photo resource on Flickr, this aims to provide numerous images and notes to help users determine British bee species. A description of the resource and instructions for using it can be downloaded here

Instructions for using Steven Falk's British Bees Photo Guide on Flickr

From Brian Williamson:

Having followed the activity of several Lasius brunneus nests in various locations in Epping Forest during the Spring and Summer I have been surprised by observing workers still active, albeit sluggishly, whose nest is located in a large, sawn section of tree trunk. Although in this part of the country weather conditions have been fairly mild the last two nights have been frosty yet on checking this nest today(11th December, 2013) I observed two workers moving… Read more

Steven Falk's Review of the Scarce and Threatened Bees, Wasp and Ants of Great Britain, published in 1991, and long out of print, can now be downloaded at:

http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/pdf/Pub91_Review_of_threatened_bees_wasps_ants_PRINT.pdf

Although some of the understood statuses have changed since publication, partly through the ongoing work of BWARS, the review still contains much useful information about habitat requirements, management recommendations and detailed… Read more

Two new book reviews - The Natural History of Bees and Gardening for Butterflies (2013), Bees and other beneficial insects (2010) have been added to the Book Reviews section

Bees: A Natural History

It is now 22 years since a large and general introduction to the wonderful world of bees, came on the market (Bees of the World by O’Toole & Raw). Natural history books that are aimed at the interested general public, lavishly illustrated with spectacular photographs and still of considerable value to experienced melissophiles are as uncommon as they are welcome.

This new book, published in the US by Névraumont Publishing Company and Firefly Books, and retailing at £30 looks at all aspects of bees, and includes… Read more

Gardening for Butterflies, Bees and other beneficial insects

This is one of an increasing number of how-to books now on the market, and Jan Miller-Klein’s  volume covers a range of aspects of wildlife friendly gardening, with a special emphasis on gardening for butterflies and bees.

It is an enjoyable book to dip into and is written in a straightforward manner with a general audience in mind. Although there is rather more that is, perhaps, specifically butterfly orientated, there is still plenty for bee folks… Read more

A lsit of species not represented in the World Museum - Liverpool aculeate collection. Please contact the museum if you can provide specimens of any of the missing species.

Contact: tony.hunter@liverpoolmuseums.org.uk