Chris Shields / Illustration of British bumblebees (Bombus sp): (Across rows) Adrena fulva,Bombus hypnorum,B. terrestris,B. lacornum,B. pratorum,B. lapidarus,B. ruderatus,B. humilis,B. muscorum,B. barbutellus,B. sylv...

Ross Hoddinott / Bee orchid {Ophrys apifera}, Cornwall. UK

Ross Hoddinott / Bee orchid {Ophrys apifera}, Cornwall. UK

Ross Hoddinott / Common blue butterfly {Polyommatus icarus} resting on bee orchid {Ophrys apifera}, Cornwall. UK

Andy Sands / Common Bee Fly (Bombylius major) at rest on bramble, Captive, UK April

Andy Sands / Common Bee Fly (Bombylius major) at rest on bramble, Captive, UK April

Kim Taylor / Honey Bee {Apis mellifera} worker face portrait, Surrey, England.

Kim Taylor / Common Carder Bee {Bombus pascuorum} queen collecting nectar from Comfrey, Surrey, England.

Ross Hoddinott / Bee orchid (Ophrys apifera). Cornwall. UK

Ross Hoddinott / Bee orchid (Ophrys apifera). Cornwall, UK

Kim Taylor / Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) worker visiting Rosebay flowers, Surrey, UK.

Kim Taylor / Honey bee {Apis mellifera} worker with full pollen sacs executing 'waggle dance' to indicate food source, UK

Kim Taylor / Honey Bee worker with full pollen sacs executing waggle dance, UK. {Apis mellifera}

John B Free / Honey bees around Queen bee cell containing larva.

Kim Taylor / Leaf-cutting bee {Megachile sp) female bringing leaf section to nest amongst roots of cactus.

Kim Taylor / Leaf-cutting bee {Megachile sp) female carrying section of rose leaf UK.

Kim Taylor / Northern moss carder bee {Bombus muscorum} feeding from Water avens flower, UK.

PREMAPHOTOS / Leafcutter bee cutting piece off rose leaf (Megachile willughbiella) UK

PREMAPHOTOS / Silver leafcutter bee carrying leaf to nest (Megachile leachella) UK.

PREMAPHOTOS / Dune snail bee {Osmia aurulenta} seals empty shell {Helix aspera} with leaf mastic for nest. UK

Geoff Scott-Simpson / Common carder bumble bee {Bombus pascuorum} feeds on flower Derbyshire, UK

Matthias Breiter / Bee (Apidae) on Alpine Sunflower (Rydbergia grandiflora), British Columbia, Canada

Paul Hobson / Bee {Colletes sp} flying to Himalayan balsam flower {Impatiens glandulifera} Peak District NP, Derbyshire, UK

Paul Hobson / Bumble bee {Bombus sp} feeding from Himalayan Balsam flower {Impatiens glandulifera} Peak District NP, Derbyshire, UK

Paul Hobson / White tailed bumble bee {Bombus lucorum} flying to flower of Himalayan Balsam {Impatiens glandulifera} time lapse, Peak District NP, Derbyshire, UK

Paul Hobson / White tailed bumble bee {Bombus lucorum} flying to flower of Himalayan Balsam {Impatiens glandulifera} Peak District NP, Derbyshire, UK

Jason Smalley / Beekeeper in full protective clothing with a comb of honey from a beehive and a smoker, UK

Russell Cooper / Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) feeding from {Verbena bonarensis} flower, UK

Gary K. Smith / European Honey bee {Apis mellifera} brood chamber in hive, Norfok, UK, September

Gary K. Smith / European Honey bee {Apis mellifera} brood chamber in hive showing larvae, Norfok, UK, September

Gary K. Smith / Beekeeper inspecting brood chamber of Honey bee hive {Apis mellifora} Norfolk, UK, August

Gary K. Smith / Beekeeper applying anti varroa mite gel in brood chamber of Honey bee hive {Apis mellifora} Norfolk, UK, September

Andy Sands / Bumble Bee (Bombus terrestris) flying to Poppy flower to gather pollen, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Nigel Bean / Bee orchid (Ophrys apifera) flowering in wildflower meadow, Norfolk, UK, June

Nigel Bean / Buff-tailed Bumble Bee (Bombus terrestris) feeding on flowers of {Verbena bonariensis} UK, September

Nigel Bean / Common carder bumble bee (Bombus pascuorum) feeding on flowers of Borage (Borago officinalis) UK, September

Nigel Bean / Honey bee (Apis mellifera) feeding on flowers of {Sedum spectabile} in UK garden, September

Nigel Bean / Honey bee (Apis mellifera) feeding on flowers of Borage (Borago officinalis) in UK garden, September

Ross Hoddinott / Bee orchid {Ophrys apifera}, Cornwall, UK. May

Ross Hoddinott / Bee orchid {Ophrys apifera}, Cornwall, UK. May

Ross Hoddinott / Bee orchid {Ophrys apifera}, Cornwall, UK. May

Ross Hoddinott / Bee orchid {Ophrys apifera}, Cornwall, UK. May

Simon Colmer / Male Early Mining bee (Andrena haemorrhoa) feeding on Wild garlic / Ramsons, May, Sussex, UK

Simon Colmer / Honey bee (Apis mellifera) feeding on Salvia flower, UK

Simon Colmer / Common Carder bumble bee (Bombus pascuorum) feeding on Salvia flower, UK

Simon Colmer / Buff tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) feeding on Salvia flower, UK

Ross Hoddinott / Common blue butterfly {Polyommatus icarus} resting on Bee orchid {Ophrys apifera} Cornwall, UK

Jane Burton / Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) on honey comb in a hollow tree, Surrey, UK

Kim Taylor / Tawny Mining Bee (Andrena fulva) female arriving back at her burrow with full pollen sacs. Surrey, UK

Kim Taylor / Hornet (Vespa crabro) worker decapitating Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) prey before flying off with it. Surrey, UK

Kim Taylor / Tawny Mining Bee (Andrena fulva) female digging her burrow in sandy soil. Surrey, UK

John Cancalosi / Bumble Bee {Bombus terrestris} gathering pollen and nectar from Purple Coneflower {Echinacea purpurea} UK

John Cancalosi / Bumble Bee {Bombus terrestris} gathering pollen and nectar from Purple Coneflower {Echinacea purpurea} UK

John Cancalosi / Bumblebee {Bombus terrestris} gathering pollen and nectar from Purple Coneflower {Echinacea purpurea} UK

John Cancalosi / Bumblebee {Bombus terrestris} gathering pollen and nectar from Purple Coneflower {Echinacea purpurea} UK

David Pike / Bee visiting Common Foxglove {Digitalis purpurea} Water Newton, Cambridgeshire, UK

John Cancalosi / Honey Bee {Apis mellifera} on Globe thistle {Echinops ritro} England

John Cancalosi / Bumblebee {Bombus terrestris} gathering pollen and nectar from Globe thistle {Echinops ritro} UK

John Cancalosi / White-tailed Bumble Bee (Bombus lucorum) gathering pollen and nectar from Bramble flowers, UK

John Cancalosi / Carder Bee (Bombus sp) probably {Bombus pascuorum} collecting nectar and pollen from thistle flower, UK

Andrew Cooper / Scilly / Alderney bee {Bombus muscorum scyllionus} feeding from flower, UK

John B Free / Early bumblebee {Bombus pratorum} emerging from pupa, UK

Mark Yates / Beekeeper showing Honey bees {Apis mellifera} on honeycomb from hive, UK

Paul Hobson / Bee orchid (Ophrys apifera), close up of flower, Derbyshire, UK

Paul Hobson / Bee orchid (Ophrys apifera) group up of flower, Derbyshire, UK

Andy Sands / Nomad Bee (Nomada sp) parasitic, usual host species is a solitary bee, Hertfordshire, UK

Andy Sands / Common Bee Fly (Bombylius major) at rest on bramble, Captive, UK April

Andy Sands / Common Bee Fly (Bombylius major) at rest on Red Dead Nettle, Captive, UK April

PREMAPHOTOS / Woolcarder bee (Anthidium manicatum) female making a ball of hairs cut from a leaf to build her nest, UK

PREMAPHOTOS / Woolcarder bee (Anthidium manicatum) female with a ball of hairs cut from a leaf to build her nest, UK

Graham Eaton / Bumble bee (Bombus terrestris) flying to flower with full pollen sacs, UK, 2007

John B Free / Queen Bumblebee (Bombus sp) UK

TJ Rich / Elephant Hawkmoth {Deilephila elpenor} on Bee orchid (Ophrys apifera), Somerset, UK

TJ Rich / Elephant Hawkmoth {Deilephila elpenor} on Bee orchid (Ophrys apifera), Somerset, UK

John B Free / Worker bee emerging from cell in Bumblebee colony {Bombus sp} UK

WILLIAM OSBORN / Bee keeper wearing protective clothing inspects honeycomb in beehive {Apis mellifera} Somerset, UK

Neil Bromhall / Honey bees {Apis mellifera} worker bee emerging in hive, UK

Neil Bromhall / Honey bees {Apis mellifera} tending queen cells in hive, UK

Paul Hobson / Broad boardered bee hawkmoth {Hemaris fuciformis} captive,

John B Free / Honey bees (Apis mellifera) feeding on sugar syrup, UK

John B Free / Honey bee female larva (Apis mellifera) being removed from cell in hive for growing on as Queen bee, UK

John B Free / Honey bee artificial queen bee cells (Apis mellifera) female larvae are removed from beehive cells and grown on in artificial cells, UK

John B Free / Introducing queen honey bee (Apis mellifera) to hive, UK (Queen has been reared artificially)

John B Free / Honey bee (Apis mellifera) feeding on sugar syrup, UK

John B Free / Honey bee {Apis mellifera} fanning its wings to cool the hive (Apis mellifera) UK

John B Free / Pupae of Honey bee (Apis mellifera) in cells in beehive, UK

John B Free / Drone Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) being evicted by workers from hive, UK

John B Free / Bee man checks Honey Bee hive (Apis mellifera) for Queen bees, UK

John B Free / Queen Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) emerging from cell. UK

Robin Chittenden / Bee orchids {Ophrys apifera} Kent, UK

Robin Chittenden / Bee orchid {Ophrys apifera} Suffolk, England, UK

PREMAPHOTOS / Honey / hive bee worker (Apis mellifera) with its pollen baskets full of pollen from the fleabane on which it is foraging, UK

PREMAPHOTOS / Woolcarder bee (Anthidium manicatum) female using her jaws to cut and tear away a ball of hairs from {Stachys lanata} leaf to build her nest, UK

PREMAPHOTOS / Buff-tailed bumble bee (Bombus terrestris) worker with well-filled pollen sacs foraging on Tall Tutsan flower (Hypericum x inodorum) UK

PREMAPHOTOS / Red mason bee (Osmia rufa) female leaving her mud mine carrying a load of mud in her jaws to make her nest, UK

PREMAPHOTOS / Sanguine mining bee (Andrena haemorrhoa) peering out of her nest entrance in a flower bed, UK