North East Bee Hunt
Thank you for sharing your 2021 sightings with the North East Bee Hunt. The Bee Hunt will return in spring 2022. A summary of this year’s results can be found here.
7,116
bee records shared
307
recorders
55
bee species
Every Record Counts
As vital pollinators of food crops and wildflowers, bees play an important role in the environment. To protect them, we need to know where they are and how they are doing. We need your help to record bees across the North East.
Many species are under-recorded in the North East. Your observations hold the key to revealing the mysteries surrounding bees across the region, from the Tees to the Tweed.
Urban or rural, beginner or expert, by taking part in the North East Bee Hunt, you’ll not only increase knowledge and understanding of these amazing insects but help protect bees for years to come.
Discover the North East Bee Hunt
Explore how you can help monitor the North East’s bees this spring and summer.
Share your records
Taking part in the bee hunt is simple. Find a bee, take a photo, and submit your record to our recording form on iRecord. From bumblebees to mining bees, sightings of all bee species are welcome.
Please note that only records submitted through the North East Bee Hunt iRecord form will count towards the project.
If you have an iRecord account, you can add the Bee Hunt to your Activities by joining here and clicking on the blue ‘Join’ button. You can then access the bee recording form via your Activities page or recording form on iRecord.
Meet our spotlight species
From the bumblebee-like Fork-tailed Flower Bee to the striking Red-tailed Cuckoo Bee, our spotlight species are likely to be encountered in gardens and green spaces close to home.
In a series of species profiles, meet the North East Bee Hunt spotlight species and find out how to identify them below.
Help identifying bees
From bumblebees to mining bees, the North East Bee Hunt welcomes records of all wild bee species.
Explore a range of online and printed bee resources to help you identify your finds.
If you’re unsure which bee you’ve seen, you can also email citizen science lead, Charlotte at nhsn.volunteer1@newcastle.ac.uk, or contact us on social media using #NorthEastBeeHunt.
Bee basics›
Explore bee basics as Charlotte Rankin introduces the anatomy, life cycle and key identification features of the North East’s iconic pollinators.
New to iRecord?›
iRecord is a national platform collating the observations and records of citizen scientists across the country. It helps your records get to where they need to be – informing conservation and research locally and nationwide.
New to iRecord? Here’s what you need to know to get started.
Explore North East bees
From queen bumblebees to the late-flying Ivy Bee, discover North East bees you could observe through the seasons.
Your 2021 results›
Together, you shared over 4,500 records of 44 bee species from across the region. From the uplands to the coast, new sites were revealed, scarcer bees were observed, and more people than ever before took part.
More on North East bees
Delve into the world of bees and explore a range of helpful articles compiled by bee enthusiasts across the North East.