Hahaha Jennie, I love the sound of those blue-banded bees! Wish we had some of those!

Oilseed rape is grown extensively here in East Anglia, and since three types of neonicotinoids were banned here in 2013, (and in all EU countries) their adverse effect on bees has been reduced. They're now considering banning all of these insecticides, which annoys the farmers but not the nature conservationists!

This year around our village, oilseed rape seems to be crop-of-the-year, and the fields are absolutely humming with bees of all kinds.
The bright yellow rape has a lovely smell, but my husband is crippled with his hayfever until the flowers die off. The stuff also provokes migraines in some people.

A chap in our village has lots of beehives, and has won prizes for his honey at the Royal Norfolk Show.

Husband says W African bees are absolutely vicious, aggressive and deadly, and if they attack in a swarm you'll be stung mercilessly and would probably die. He needed persuading when he first came to UK that our bees are really quite nice chaps!