Until a couple of years ago (in 2013) I never saw a ‘bee fly’ in my wildlife garden even though I have lived here for twenty six years and constantly look out for new insects. I looked it up in an old book of insects published in 1984 and it was described as a species found in the south of England. I live in South Yorkshire so I can only assume they are spreading north due to climate warming, it is now a welcome visitor. Bee flies are so named because they look and act like bees, moving from flower to flower sipping the nectar. Their wings make a distinctive buzzing sound, possibly because the wings beat faster but that is just a guess, I’m not sure if anyone has tested that.

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