Have you seen any bees but your own?

[Hugh]

I have just spent last week on the north coast next to the Moray Firth, roughly between Elgin and Macduff and the weather was beautiful. Warm days, light winds and plenty of blossoms out on Willow, Cherry and Gorse but no honey bees!!!

I saw loads of Bumble Bees and plenty of Wasps , but only about 3 honey bees in 5 days and they were black bodied which I believe are the native type, (please correct me if I am wrong,).
Is it just me? Or is something really wrong, I remember bushes bending under the weight of bees trying to get at the pollen on them just a few years ago. The other striking thing about the farming landscape was the huge fields dedicated to barley that went on for miles. No hedges, no trees and no flowers, a desert without pollen or nectar.

Has anyone seen any bees about, apart from their own bees??

[Neils]

I've seen a few out and about, what really strikes me at the moment is that midway through april and the amount of forage actually available is still very low. I'm possibly not the best observer working from home at the moment but it's only in the last week that I've seen dandelions in flower. I'm told Gooseberries are an early source of forage and they're only just starting to come into flower where I am (Bristol). I've seen one honey bee in the back garden and I think I know where that's likely to come from and wont be one of mine, the colonies behind my apiary look deserted and still have the mouseguards in place so I'm not sure whether the few bees milling around there are residents or mine robbing out what's left but I've not seen the guy who owns them to ask how his are doing.