Bees nesting in the garden

Hi all,

Been a while since I posted anything, but with good reason. I am clearing mammoth areas of garden for the summer which is definitely keeping me out of trouble (and away from the computer) for most of the time! :eek:

Anyway, in the course of my digging/clearing I have uncovered a nest of bees in the ground. There is a lot of rubble and old bricks and they appear to be living underneath a few of them. The rubble will have to go (as that is where the veg patch will be going) but needless to say, I don't want to disturb them if at all possible.

I am stumped with what to do next. If I leave them in place til the end of the summer, will I just be prolonging their fate of eviction or will they be buzzing off (sorry, couldn't resist) to pastures new? Will they all die if I disturb the nest this year, or is there any way it can be moved? :confused:

Advice, anyone?

 

I persume they are bumble bees. I think you should leave them till the end of the summer and then they will buzz off as you say.
This is an excerpt from a web page....
What do you do if you find a bumblebee nest?
Really the best answer to this question is Do nothing! You can, of course, look forward to enjoying watching the bees come and go. The farmers who grow tomatoes under glass pay a fortune for bumblebee nests, yours is free, and at the end of the nesting period you will have a bumblebee nest to look at and examine. You can try following the bees to see if they all visit similar shape and colour flowers. In fact you should consider yourself quite lucky.

However I realise that you may be looking at these pages because you are worried about where the nest is located and what might happen. You may not feel lucky after all. Firstly I must reassure you that bumblebee nests are not like honey bee hives, they last only a few months, and are usually small enough to hold, and bumblebees are not as ferocious as wasps. The bees are fairly placid and are unlikely to sting unless they feel their nest is threatened. So if the nest is under the house or shed it is best just to leave it. Bumblebees do not damage brickwork or wood.
The resat is here
http://www.bumblebee.org/faqNests.htm#nest

 

Hi Geoff,

Thanks a lot for the info - I will leave them til the end of the summer then. Just hope they won't be disturbed by all the digging and clearing. It's amazing how many bees we've had in the garden so far this year, so I hope they return and nest again next year - just so long as they nest outside my veg patch! :D

 

Good well at least that is someone else who likes bees. They nest in my stone wall by the patio and they fly around us when we have barbecues etc and are no trouble. I find bumble bees so very tolerant. I was photographing some last summer and I was using the macro setting to photograph one on the lavender, from about 2inches away. She obviously thought I was in her face and literally head butted the camera lens. Just a pity that my German Shepherd catches them given a chance. We have had a few stunned bees.

 

Hello,

I'm a bee fan too. The plants on my patio (all potted) were chosen to attract insects. I have lavender, honeysuckle, broom, rhododendron, sweet peas, strawberries and beans.

The first summer I noticed one bumble bee, the second summer two and this year I am delighted to say I have several bees, 3 types of butterfly, various moths in the evening and a friendly blackbird.

I have also noticed what looks to me like a wasp but it hovers in the air above the plants. My neighbour says it is a working bee and that someone must have hives nearby.

TO

 

If it looks like a wasp and hovers, it could even be...wait for it... a hoverfly!!! Totally harmless, though. Some types have interesting grubs which live under water and use a schnorkel-like tube to breathe. They go by the rather 'orrid name of "rat-tailed maggots"!!! I think the adults feed on pollen, but I can't really remember too much about them. I think the hovering has to do with chasing females.... I've seen blokes on street corners who behave like that!!!!!

Look like any of these?

http://www.uknature.co.uk/hoverflies.html

[ 01. June 2007, 09:44 AM: Message edited by: Hyla arborea ]

 

I have not heard of hover fly larvae that live under water before, will have to look out for that. Most have larvae that live on dry land plants and are voracious predators of aphids. The adults feed on nectar, so bee plants will attract them and hopefully they will lay eggs and help you with your aphis control. At my organic vegetable patch I am have sown Limnanthes (poached egg plant) partly to attract hover flies. On your patio you might find Verbena bonariensis fits in well. That really does provide a nectar feast for the insects and it flowers for a long time.
Honey bees are much smaller than bumble bees and I don't think they are as brightly striped. They are not as tolerant - I have had the odd sting. Never had a sting off a bumble bee, even had one of those on my hand.
My dog caught a bumble bee, ran up the garden, opened her mouth and out it flew. Talk of pushing your luck!!

 

Hyla,

Smart***!

Look most like this one but never approaches my plants just hovers in the air, v interesting to watch

http://www.uknature.co.uk/E.balteatus-T.jpg

TO

 

Sorry Geoff, also meant to say thanks for the Verbena tip. I will seek one out as the more insects I can attract the better especially as I had an aphid problem last year on my honeysuckle.

TO

 

This is for you bumble bee lovers.I like her orange pollen sac.

I wonder if this shows her tongue extended. This bumble bee was spending a lot of time on plants of Sisyrinchium palmifolium. Its a new plant to me, I have waited two years for them to flower and they are obviously a 'bee plant'.

 

With hover flies why do they have that annoying habit of hovering just by your ear, making that high pitched whining sound, or is it just me? Good for getting rid of aphids but high up on the nuisance stakes when you want to relax in the hammock with a nice cold beer.

 

Maybe I'm not looking at a hoverfly, I didn't hear any sound from the pair I was watching and why would they not approach my plants?
Whining in the ear I associate with mosquito's when you are trying to sleep on a hot night ( back in WA).

TO

 

Geoff - rat-tailed maggots are the larvae of Eristalis tenax - I looked it up! They live in brackish water with little oxygen, hence the need for the breathing-tube. Don't think we'd like to live cheek-by-jowl with 'em!!!

Not sure whether hoverflies make any noise though - have to try and check that one!! (Ah, the everlasting quest for knowledge...!)

 

You ought to be in my garden. i did think carefrully about the description for sound, and TO you are spot on with the sound like a mosqito but slightly lower pitch. It really is annoying.
I think they patrol their air space, that is their territory and they chase away any competing males.
I would describe them as whining sound, fairly motionless unless another insect appears near and looking suspiciously like a wasp at first glance.

 

Ah, dear me, Geoff! If that's the case the options seem a bit limited....
1) headphones playing soothing music to drown the b*ggers out...
2) a big fan blowing a gale above your head so's they find it too much like hard work to stick around... or
3) change the aftershave... :D