Topic: Bees!

[kippers garden]

I started clearing a 2nd plot next door but one to my original plot yesterday.  Armed with my wilkinsons shears and rake i was dead excited.

I started cutting the nettles, grass and other weeds which were high as my head.  I found frogs, two new born mice and loads of slugs hiding......but under a large piece of corugated iron there was a hole that looked like maybe a rat had made a nest,  but it has bees flying in and out of it.  This is obviously a bees nest and i don't know what to do.  I have children and this is in the middle of my lottie so i can't leave it there, but what do i do ?  Does anybody know?

[Oldmanofthewoods]

Hello

You need to contact your local beekeepers group and they will send someone around hotfoot.  There are several problems affecting bee populations at the moment, parasitic mites, very large hornets and a very wet June, cold May.

If you need any help, send me a mail and I will see what I can do.

Warmest

Jack

[Robert_Brenchley]

I bet they're bumblebees. They're quite harmless if you can leave the corrugated in place for the season. Otherwise, they can be moved fairly easily, but you need someone who knows what they're doing. If you let me know where you are, I'll get you a contact number.

[Oldmanofthewoods]

02476 696679

National Beekeepers Association - main help line.  There is no registered branch in Leics that I can see.  It is only staffed Mon-Fri 09:00-17:00 I think.

Good luck

Jack

[kippers garden]

Thanks everyone, i'll try ringing the number first and see what they advise.

[kippers garden]

Hi...Another uestion...  Do bumble bees all die in autumn after the queens fly the nest then?       I 've been on the internet and it appears numbers of bumble bees are very low so i don't really want to kill them.  Does this mean I can remove the nest in winter as it will be empty?



Very confusing! Does anyone know?

[Oldmanofthewoods]

Queens wander off after mating and hibernate.  Workers die.  However, expert I ain't and you should check with the bee peeps as I would be mortified to give you duff advice.

Jack

[Robert_Brenchley]

That's correct; bumblebee queens will hibernate and start new nests in spring, while the workers die off.