Numerous studies have shown that Bees are very capable at predicting the weather, sometimes even more so than us humans. Not only can they detect when a storm is coming, they also seem to be able to gauge the severity as well.

Fear not, our guide to bee lookalikes – aka bee mimics – will separate the wannabes from the real bees. Most species of bees are not early-birds, nor are they night-owls, with most flight times being between 9am to 5pm. However, this does vary from species to species. The location of the hive will also influence when bees are out and about, along with other local factors such as the weather, and if there are any potential hazards near the hive. Do bees fly at night?Chapman, R. F. (1998). The Insects; Structure & Function. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-57890-5.

a b c d e f g h i j Resh, Vincent H.; Cardé, Ring T. (2009). Encyclopedia of Insects. Academic Press. pp.284–297. ISBN 978-0-08-092090-0. Gibb, Timothy J.; Oseto, Christian (2010). Arthropod Collection and Identification: Laboratory and Field Techniques. Academic Press. p.189. ISBN 978-0-08-091925-6. If the bees are not honey bees please leave them alone if possible. All bees are valuable pollinators and many are becoming endangered. Bumblebee nests will normally die out in Autumn. Most bumblebees live in small colonies, are not aggressive, do not sting unless provoked and so present a low risk. If you have a bumblebee nest with an entrance that is causing problems, it is sometimes possible to redirect their flight path.Johnson, C.G.; Taylor, L.R.; T.R.E. Southwood (1962). "High altitude migration of Oscinella frit L. (Diptera: Chloropidae)". Journal of Animal Ecology. 31 (2): 373–383. doi: 10.2307/2148. JSTOR 2148. For many years researchers could not understand how honey bees could fly with their small, rigid wings. The wings seemed too small in comparison to their little body. Bowden, J.,1980 Family Bombyliidae. pp.381–430. In R.W. Crosskey (ed.), Catalogue of the Diptera of the Afrotropical Region, 1437 pp., London: British Museum (Natural History)