Black Bees

[Emagggie]

I have seen two black bees in my garden this year. I've never seen them before but there they were, collecting nectar. Does anyone know about these?

[Emagggie]

[Gordonmull]

Can't give you an answer but this might help. If not you'll find it a fun read anyway, if you've not been there before. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/research/projects/bombus/key_british_colour_info.html

[Digeroo]

There are various kinds of black bees.

We have black mining bees on our allotments, like you I was rather surprised to see them.

There is a rarer type of native black honey bee. 

http://www.co-operative.coop/plan-bee/whats-our-plan/native-bees/

I also think we have the black honey bees but I have totally failed to get a good enough photo of them for positive id.   They never keep still.

[Flighty]

Lucky you, it was probably a black honeybee -

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/apr/18/black-honeybees-rediscovered-in-britain

[Emagggie]

Thanks for all the info! I think they are honey bees and I will keep an eye out from now on. They are most welcome in my garden.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Honey bee colonies often contain a proportion of all-black bees. The original native honeybee was black, and most of why we see are hybrids, though almost pure stains survive around the country. Then there are various all-black solitary bees; they could have been either.

[Emagggie]

Thank you Robert. That's very interesting.Ihaven't seen any since so maybe they were solitary bees.