Mrs Webmuppet Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 Help! It looks like some bees (possibly honey bees) have set up home under the paving slab that is under my outside tap. At the moment it appears to be a small 'family' and they aren't causing too much of a problem (apart from making me very nervous of going near the tap). My question is do I leave them and hope that they move on or do I find a friendly bee keeper to give them a home? I don't want them killed as I am a gardener and lover of honey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 *coughs* "Calling Lesley, Bee keeper of the forum" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 Martin knows a bit about bees too doesn't he? oh and missuscluck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 I only know about honey bees - not wild ones You could try the BBKA site and see if there is a Beekeepers group near you - someone should come out and look if you're worried. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Webmuppet Posted May 10, 2008 Author Share Posted May 10, 2008 I had a look at the BBKA website and the bees do look like honey bees. They are definately not bumble bees. These are small, fluffy looking and brown. According to the BBKA site there is a bee keeper near us so I may give him a call. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 We had some white tailed bumble bees nesting under our shed which we left alone. If you're not needing to move them for any reason, they'll disappear at the end of the summer, leaving their nest under the slabs vacant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missuscluck Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 Hi, I have been sent via poet, who mailed me!! Having a word with my hubby who is chief bee keeper in the house... He says that if they are near a water source they are possibly after water being as it is so hot! There may be a way to the water via the gap under the paving slab. Once they have found a water source they will keep comming back. The bees you see will probably not be the same ones but worker bees out for some water. If you try putting a baking tray or such like (not too deep) and put it up the garden a little way with water in, they should migrate to this water for a drink and thus go further from the house. We have a few neighbours to our bees that have regular visitors for water from grids and birdbaths. It is unlikley that they will be living under a paving slab if they are honey bees. If you only have a few bees they should go back to where they came from. If you had a swarm it would be much bigger than a few. If you end up with lots ring the BBKA and get someone local out to take them away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 Hi, I have been sent via poet, who mailed me!! . I knew you'd know the answer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 Well done Missuscluck and Poet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missuscluck Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 Thankyou. Its rather good isnt it!! Poet e mailed me via facebook. I recon we can sort out just about anything at all on this forum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paola Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 I recon we can sort out just about anything at all on this forum! I agree Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Webmuppet Posted May 10, 2008 Author Share Posted May 10, 2008 Thank you for that. My hose pipe does indeed leak and had undermined the paving slab. It is a decidedly damp area! I will try the tray of water tip and put the tray at the other end of the garden away from the house, chickens and anything else that matters. They have been going under the paving slab ( theres a hole where the water drains away) so hopefully its just the damp they are after and not setting up home. I will keep an eye on things..........I was getting quite excited for a minute.........I was wondering if I could squeeze a hive in the garden (not with standing the fact that if I get stung I have to get anti- histamines into my system very very quickly ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One Man Banned Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 .......... (not with standing the fact that if I get stung I have to get anti- histamines into my system very very quickly ) I know that feeling, only it's only wasps stings I have to be wary about A xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paola Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 .......... (not with standing the fact that if I get stung I have to get anti- histamines into my system very very quickly ) I know that feeling, only it's only wasps stings I have to be wary about A xx A few weeks ago my father-in-law had a wasp fly into his crash helmet and sting him three times It was a big heavy bike and he was doing a U turn on it at the time, so was unable to hop off it quickly Thankfully he is not allergic or it could have been really nasty However it was very painful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiggy Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 one of the GPs I work with keeps bees & says that we have lost so many that some fruit farmers are getting reduced yelds as a result, I'm happy that you have bees in your garden but it can be scary when they set up home in the wrong place, I hope you manage to sort it out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachel m Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 about 2 weeks aho we had a swarm of bees take up residence on our roof outside a dormer window, there must have been a few hundred at the most. we went on the beekeeping website and a very nice man rushed around within half an hour to assess to see if a queen had taken up residence under our tiles (they are keen to catch the queen to set up new planned colonies). however he felt they weren'y all trying to get to one point, so the queen had probably left her scent and moved on. he said they would disperse over the next few days, and they did dramatically reduce in number (esp after some rain). we still have a few around that area. it was all very exciting and we learnt a lot about bees from him in a few minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paola Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 That is interesting, I never knew that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Webmuppet Posted May 14, 2008 Author Share Posted May 14, 2008 The panic is over chez Webmuppet..........the bees appear to have moved on from the hole under the paving slab. There's still a few stragglers hanging around ........a few bees are fine. It was a whole colony I didn't fancy too much (especially near the tap, just about anywhere else I could have coped with!) As Rachel has said maybe there wasn't a Queen and these were a few stray bees. So there won't be any honey from the Webmuppet residence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missuscluck Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 Thats good. Glad its all sorted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
