Spruce's honey bees

The elderly lady who used to live next door told me her late husband used to keep Bees up on the north york moors....they used to feed on the Heather....bet that tasted nice
Also just to let you know i have just rescued 2 gorgeous big fat Bumble Bees from certain death.....they were in a pot of old compost that Mr L had just tipped out....they looked poorly so as previously advised laid them in the sun and had a little chat to them and sure enough 20mins later off they went into the wild blue yonder

 

I have not forgot Spruce - i tried the other day buit when i plugged camera into computer nothing was happening i was getting quite frustrated in the end i gave up i will try again after dinner

It just so happens i have a load of spare bamboo canes think i will give that a try Spruce sounds like a top idea , does it have to be a clay pot though? how long do you cut the bambo shoots to?

The one i seen for sale made use of small bamboo canes come to think of it - £60 a rip off i agree but it was a national trust shop a tiny little bag of jelly babies were £3!

 

Yes easy to make , no doest have to be plastic but the last of the babies over winter and come out in the spring I was just thinking of them being more protected , I keep mine in the greenhouse on the shelf and they come and go out of the always open window, got it cheap and was meant to put it on the fence but then I noticed the mason bees had moved in so I coudnt move it then !!. I also have my pot one as well

I use a 4 inch pot, block the bottom holes off , I used a piece of black plastic to stop the rain and light coming in cut the bamboo just under the joint end (no hole showing)
then measure the inside of the pot and cut the bamboo to length with the hollow part of the bamboo showing if holes not deep enough use a skrew driver to open up the cane better so they can get in , use some pva glue in the bottom cram them in and just let it dry , and attach about 5 / 6 feet off the ground in a sunny spot sloping down (but not to much) so the rains runs off and not in to the pot/canes .
Toby buckland made a realy long one out of wood filled with the bamboo canes with a slate roof on a pole GW it looked realy good .

Jelly Babies £3.00 its just a rip off , are you head or feet 1st

Spruce

 

I have my old duck house Spruce, its actually a dog kennel with a sliding door on it with holes in it. If i fill that up with bamboo canes and logs with holes drilled into them will that work? It is in almost full sun

 

Hi Spruce,
this little chap was on my poppy this morning. His pollen is quite pale and creamy coloured. Will it be rejected when he goes back to base and told to go and look for a richer,deeper yellow pollen?

 

Great picture Jenny

 

Nothing to report on the Bees round here Spruce...appart from yesterday in the garden i found myself talking to a lone Bee on the nemesia...i thanked him for coming and told him to bring his mates round...told him i was doing my best with the plants and flowers...hope he was listening....i'm getting desperate eh !!!
It's also gone very quiet in the bird box where the Bumble Bees were nesting...

 

A wee story,
was on the open top tour bus in Bath last week. The guide was chatting to us upstairs ,awaiting the last few stragglers before embarkation. It was quite sunny. A bee happened to fly in and was looking for somewhere to rest. OH NO ! Not in this place! Trippers' handouts were used to try and shoo him out, the guide was going mental and trying to risk swatting it with her mike, and the poor little thing was panicking.
I was up the front and it flew to my window ledge. It was panting and I could feel its anxiety. I reached into my bag and found a tissue. I spoke quietly to him and said "If you let me just wrap this around you for a couple of seconds, I can end all this angst." He stayed still, and I gently covered him with the tissue. He started to buzz really hard in the wrap - I could feel the power of his wings - so strong.
I lent over the side of the bus and quietly said " off you go little one" very quietly and I opened up the tissue. He stayed for 2 seconds and then gently flew away.
One very happy bee and one very happy group of tourists - including me.

 

You've made my day Jenny,maybe that's what he was trying to tell me when he flew on to my nemesia....all about his escapade in Bath

 

How long was you sat with your camera waiting for that little fellow to come along Jenny?????? :WINK1:

 

It just happened,so not long. If I were a bee, this is the flower I would be hunting out. Easy pickings!!

 

Still no Bees in the garden today so if the Bee's won't come to Lolimac .....Lolimac will go to them......
Saw these chaps on a stand at the Driffield Show today

 

aaaw Loli,
aren't they bonny.
I find myself talking to bees more than I ever have done before.
Are you tempted to start a hive?
Jenny

 

I'd love to Jenny but haven't got the space

 

haven't seen Spruce on this thread for quite a while. Has he abandoned us or maybe he's crawled inside a hive to sit it out until the sun returns?