Ireland 
bumble bee and wasp question. has anyone noticed. (1) for the last week or so i have several bumble bee,s what appears to (bee) pun, searching for greenfly etc on the back of leaves of a pear tree i did,t know they would be meat eaters ? (2 ) last year i noticed a huge drop in the number of black an yellow striped wasps, i haven,t seen 1 yet this year, is it the bad weather
3 Jul, 2013
Answers
Exactly. I've noticed the bees foraging for honeydew, as will ants and wasps. Where I am there's hardly a honeybee about yet so the bumble bees are cashing in the nectar supplies. Only 17 species in the British Isles, 6 of them fairly common. We need them all!
3 Jul, 2013
Yes its such a shame. I have only seen a handful of honey bees this year but fortunately loads of different species of bumble bee - some of them real giants. I presume they are queens or are they busy at home laying eggs?
3 Jul, 2013
And, just for the record, it is quite normal for wasps to appear later in the year.
3 Jul, 2013
</p> <p> thanks all
3 Jul, 2013
Wasps are omnivores and eat insects and caterpillars, hence they aren't just a stinging nuisance! They will be attracted to aphids on leaves. The aphids also produce a sticky sweet substance which might be attracting bees but as far as I know bees don't eat insects, only gather nectar.
3 Jul, 2013