Bumble bee Squatters!

[mick2me 3,033]

Bumble bees have taken over our bird box, or I think that's what they are?

So no Blue tits this year! Should I just leave these to get on with it.

Trying to upload a video to Youtube without sucess?

[Cliff Ton 10,488]

Bees appear to be the big thing at the moment. http://www.nottinghampost.com/Bee-swarms-caught-camera-Nottinghamshire/story-26580984-detail/story.html

[FLY2 10,109]

On the new bit of fencing around the High School playing field at the Hucknall Rd / Valley Rd island, there was a large nest formed.

Sunday at about 1pm, a pest controller in all his paraphernalia turned up and got rid. Little beggars !!!!!

[colly0410 1,181]

# 3 Fly2.

So that's what was going on: I drove past just after 1PM & saw the bloke all dressed up, now I know why..

[tomlinson 879]

I once lived next door to someone who had a bees' nest in the chimney. He was told to soak a cloth in Jeye's Fluid and put it in the fire place. It worked too! There was a guy across the road on benefit with a 'bad back', lazing on a recliner in his garden. A swarm of bees exploded from my neighbour's chimney and I've never seen a 'bad back' shift so quick.

[TBI 2,351]

Bees nests should be left alone if they are not posing any threat. The Council only regard wasps as pests, not bees, and will not visit. They will refer you to the Beekeepers Association, who in turn may then refer you to a local beekeeper who may then visit and retrieve the bees from the hive, dependent upon the type of bees.

You can employ pest control companies, who will tell you horror stories and charge an arm and a leg to remove the nest. The general recommendation is to leave them alone and at the end of the season they will leave. Had this problem last year at my mother's house, they weren't causing a nuisance and they did go at the end of summer and haven't returned this year..

Remember bees are not pests and are vital to our gardens.

[PeverilPeril 3,292]

Why on earth do people want to destroy bees nests???

[Michael Booth 7,364]

Because the Human Race likes to destroy everything on this beautiful planet of ours.

[Blondie 1,392]

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz .......

[LizzieM 9,519]

Mick, we had the same last year, I started a thread at the time titled 'Tree Bumble Bees'. The species hasn't been in the country for that many years. All you can really do is leave them alone and they'll go away ....... ours did last year anyway. We took that bird box down but have never looked inside it.

[Michael Booth 7,364]

Blondie, are you telling me to buzz off..

[FLY2 10,109]

They sting...... and I don't need that !

It's wasps I detest most though.

[PeverilPeril 3,292]

Bees, wasps and hornets are OK if you leave them alone and calmly go about your business. Some people provoke them by wafting their arms around and shouting or even screaming. I only deal with hornet and wasps nests when they come into the house roof or porch.

Some years ago I built a Scare heron. Like a Scare crow but set up to sit by the pond. The Scare heron was dressed in and old work shirt, jeans, wellingtons and an old football for a head. Anyway, the hornets built a nest in the football head. I used to sit next to the Scare heron and observe the hornets. Quite sociable creatures if left alone. They often landed or crawled on me but just flew off, probably got bored.

[FLY2 10,109]

Yes, leave them alone.

[Compo 10,328]

Had a wasp nest in one of the bird boxes last year. I would not destroy either wasps or bees nests. I welcome both to the garden, the former for controlling pests suck as caterpillars and aphids and the latter for pollination.

We are very lucky in that we are in one of the last few remaining pockets of Great Yellow Bumblebee in the UK. and our two acres of garden has more than the average number of Great Yellows. this is down to providing a selection of wild plants that flower at the correct time. The Great Yellow only flies from June to August-ish.

[mick2me 3,033]

This was what had me confused because I though all bumblebees were yellow striped?

Mine are dark with a gingery thorax. They have not given us any trouble.

I understand bees navigate by the sun, are they not very active on cloudy days.

Just checked the nest. Its pouring with rain but there are still a few flying?

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

PeverilPeveril, Look at how many people kill spiders because they are 'creepy'. NO THEY ARE NOT!!!! They kill filthy houseflies. So bees have no chance.

Two years ago we had wasps in the cavity of the house we were renting. Problem was, they kept finding their way into the kitchen so they had to go.

My son is absolutely terrified of bees and wasps. Years ago, workmen replacing soffits and facias found a HUGE redundant wasps nest above his bedroom. Good job he wasn't aware of it.