Beginner Bees nest in a bird box poor pics/advice

benjipeg

benjipeg

Messages
44
Edit My Images
Yes
hi - hope this is allowed here, if not let me know and i will get rid of it.
ive just noticed a few (15 or so) bees flying around an old bird box and assume there is now a nest in there.
that is not a major problem as its in an old barn located a few meters from the house but just wondered if any of you knowledgeable types on here have had any experience with a bees nest and what to do about it.
also any identification of the beers from my poor pictures would be appreciated
many thanks
benbees.jpg
 
•


From what I see, the movement blur is not
the main problem but I think the shot was
captured before focus acquisition and pre-
cise positioning.

If no smoke was in the air, than DRL is the
missing tweak here… to start with.
 
Local bee-keepers may be happy to take them off your property ... if that's the sort of help you are after. :)
 
They are bumble bees. They will not harm you if you leave them alone.
By the end of July they will be gone.
They are not aggressive like honey bees, so enjoy what nature has provided.

As you might guess, I am a beekeeper.
 
Just leave them to do what bees do.
I have the same thing every year, bluetits start using my bird box, then the bees appear and take over, the bluetits always move out.
They wont cause any problems to you if you leave them alone.
 
thanks, we have a large garden which we are leaving some areas uncut to help bees, but this is the 1st time we`ve had a bees nest. figured we should just leave and although we do use the barn its not often and only really for storage so we should be ok
ben
 
gramps said:
Local bee-keepers may be happy to take them off your property ... if that's the sort of help you are after. :)
Click to expand...
Wrong sort of bee..

We've a couple of these bumble bee nests this year, one in a bird box and one in a roof. They shouldn't cause your any problems. What you're seeing are the guard bees minding the entrance, they're more interested in keeping wasps out than they'll be interested in you.
 
I had a tree bee nest in my roof (a bungalow) last year. There were always a little gaggle round the entrance and I saw the odd one or two around the garden plants, but I didn't worry them and they didn't worry me, though I did go up and check they couldn't get into the loft. Then they just went. I've not seen them this year, yet.
 
Alastair said:
We've a couple of these bumble bee nests this year, one in a bird box and one in a roof. They shouldn't cause your any problems. What you're seeing are the guard bees minding the entrance, they're more interested in keeping wasps out than they'll be interested in you.
Click to expand...
Oh dear, I made a false assumption there. They are not guard bees but male bees hanging around the entrance for a virgin queen to emerge. The males don't possess a sting so they're no threat to anyone.

They are the tree bumblebee, Bombus hypnorum, which is a recently arrived species that's spread rapidly in the last decade or so. Recognisable by their nestbox-nesting habit and the ginger-black-white markings. Although I've noticed some in my garden are more ginger than others and some are yellower.
 
Yes bees in bird box are never honeybees, box is just not big enough.
Good luck with the hive.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top