Bee Aware !

[garrymartin]

I have just lifted the lid on my compost bin only to be engulfed in a swarm of agitated bee's. They did not sting or anything but buzzed around until I put the lid back down then they all returned inside.
I wonder if anyone on the forum has experience of living with Bees ? My inclination is to leave the little fellows alone as they are having a hard time of it, so the naturalists tell us but I am naturally concerned about my girls who dislike even having a fly in the house.
I suppose the obvious thought would be to contact a local beekeeper. Any thoughts or suggestions welcome !
(P.S. Mods could not this section of the forum be re named " Gardening" to refelct the broarder nature of the postings in it?)

 

[bobg]

Garry if you want rid, then contact a local bee keeper he will take them and re-house them. Other than that come to autumn there should be a crop of honey if you're brave enough to go for it.

Seriously though I would suggest that the compost bin is not the best place for them, I would have them re-homed.

I well remember helping my Grandad with his bees, he had four hives at the bottom of a long garden, three working, and one empty for just such an eventuallity.

 

[KeithT]

I think contacting the local beekeeping association is an excellent idea. Although not all bees are suitable for keeping in a hive.
A friend of mine used to go around removing swarms of bees.
I notice this year we have many bees in the garden probably because a neighbour has a hive but in the last few days I have found lots of dead ones. Possibly caught by the killer virus.

 

[ceejaydee]

I actually quite like bees; our native British bees - can't stand honey though :bleh:
Serious problem for our British bees is the Africanisation of our native colonies
which changes a relatively docile creature that simply go about their business with the minimum of fuss into an aggressive pest that will attack most things that approach them.

 

[Madman]

I actually quite like bees; our native British bees - can't stand honey though :bleh:
Serious problem for our British bees is the Africanisation of our native colonies
which changes a relatively docile creature that simply go about their business with the minimum of fuss into an aggressive pest that will attack most things that approach them.

I have recently seen a nature show about the "Killer bees". One mad scientist in Brazil was trying to improve the local honey bees, or something like that. Apparently, some of the African bees were able to escape his laboratory, big surprise, and now they are way up here in the States. That was back in the fifties. Each year they seem to move further north. They're nasty creatures. Tricking local bees into believing that they are part of the hive. Once a few are in they kill all of the larve and sneak their own queen in.
Your best bet is what has been said. Call a local bee keeper.

 

[Gizzy]

The local park in town has had to corden off an area where Bumbley Bees have taken nest in an old tree trunk.

Local authority policy seems to be to leave them alone....

 

[dragon]

We have leaf cutter bees making holes in the bungalow walls. It is fascinating to watch them taking perfectly cut semi circles of leaves into the holes. I wonder how long it will take them to completely demolish an entire building.

 

[sparky230]

list of bee collectors that will collect bees
http://www.wasp-control.co.uk/bee-swarm-collectors.html

 

[garrymartin]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts gents, a brief study of wildlife & pest control websites suggest leaving Bumble Bees in peace & they will be gone by September. So I will try that & tape the top of the compost bin closed to prevent anyone else disturbing them as I did.

 

[vsmith]

Yes please be carefull, Killer Bees can be quite dangerous

Especially when armed...

 

[minimans]

Ah!! It must bee........................... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_-v...97/87f7bb1f4d6c47dbaae0ceb8f3ef8ba7.jpg[/IMG]

 

[CoggesRailway]

if they are bumble bees i would leave them to it.

i was playing in a disused quarry as a kid and fell into a wild bees nest I was stung 10's of times and it was AWFUL. So if you have younger kids think again, although Bumble bees should be OK.

 

[Granitechops]

We have several species of bumble bee in our garden including some that nest by burrowing into the soil, maybe yours are that sort & you have saved them the trouble of burrowing, with the dry habitat!