Sir – Does Jaine Blackman know her wasps from her bees? In her excellent review of Elisabeth Birchall’s treasure trove of a book, Jaine states that bees are “one of Britain’s favourite insects (as long as they are not bothering you at a picnic)”.

 

In a lifetime of picnics I cannot recall ever being bothered by bees. Wasps? Yes. Hornets? Yes. What hope for bees if they can’t be distinguished. Mind you, wasps and hornets perform vital roles in the eco-system too.

 

Colin Prower, Radford, Chipping Norton