Hi, Bob.  One thing you might not hear is that they have many pests,
too.  If one does the arithmetic, he would expect to be innundated
next year.  Not so.  Very small increase has been my experience.
Considerable attention to detail is required.

That said, they are excellent pollinators which stay relatively close
to home.  In Seattle, WA, with climate similar to UK, they emerge in
March and are all dead (except for eggs in cells, of course) by early
June.  This duplicates the period needed for all pollination except
late berries and many ornamentals.

They are lots of fun to watch, like to bask on sunny surface and
won't sting without receiving a request in writing.   Dan

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