Jules. Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 He's quite happy for them to stay there, but wondering if these type of bee would be of use to bee keepers or not? The shed is quite run down & they are entering & exiting through a gap in the side. He's going to speak to the counci to see about having them removedl, but he doesn't want the bees destroyed. Advice form you bee experts will "bee" gratefully received! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 It would be a shame to see them killed - there are beneficial to gardeners etc. - not sure if anyone could move them though Councils usually just destroy any nests....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 I have them living in an abandoned bird house right up on my patio. They are doing no harm & its lovely to see them busying away, & they make a nice soothing buzz too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majorbloodnock Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 The climate generally has to be rather warmer than it is in the UK for a bumblebee nest to continue through the winter; usually the queens last out the winter in separate protected spots. Therefore it should be possible to demolish the shed during the winter without causing the bumblebee colonies any significant harm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 We have a bumble bee nest by our front door. They are quite harmless - although I wouldn't recommend poking around in it!! They are happy for me to get close and watch. Several years ago we had a red bottomed bumble bee nest underneath the path to the washing line. I was able to crouch down or even sit beside the hole. They were quite happy with me there. In fact they are very polite - usually. "After you" "oh, no, after you" as they go down or someone wants to come out! Occasionally there was the odd one that looked a bit desperate to unload and bumbled the others out of the way. As you can see I spent far too long watching them. If your dad is happy, then there is no need to get rid of them. They don't go bonkers like wasps and they don't swarm either. I say let them bee! The new queens will find a place to hibernate like the Major (aha the Goons - my dad was always Eccles if you called him on the phone)says - the hive will gradually die down towards the autumn. There will be a steady stream of bees, but you hardly notice them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted July 4, 2009 Author Share Posted July 4, 2009 Thanks for all the replies- my dad is quite happy for the bees to stay where they are Earlier in the year he had a blackbird nesting in the shed too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majorbloodnock Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 Just as an irrelevant aside here, I have been pretty successful on several occasions in giving bumblebees the "kiss of life". Put simply, they work until they drop, and it's common to find one on the ground, exhausted and unable to fly. In that situation, picking it up either on a piece of card or (if you're confident enough) in the palm of your hand and then breathing on the bee (as if you were trying to mist up a window) can sometimes revive the bee. Basically, you're providing more oxygen and more warmth, allowing it to recover and carry on for a while longer. Trivia, I know, but at least it was approximately on topic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 Ooh, didn't know that - that could be helpful for any bees in distress. Sometimes when I've seen them I have put them on plants that they like - preferably in the sun (getting them on a stick - I've seen the way they wave their little leg as if to say "don't touch me"). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 ...or put them somewhere away from marauding beaks & snuffly snouts with a spoonful of sugar to which a few drops of water have been added to make a thick syrup, and maybe a very shallow quantity of water so she can have a drink and an extra energy boost, then off she'll fly. I tried this the other day & got all excited when I realised the thirsty little girl was in the jam jar lid having a drink, which rapidly turned to "oh heck, drowning !" so hoiked her out on a leaf & put her back on the trunk lid so she could dry herself off & have a munch on some syrup! When I left for the school run she was all fluffed up & beautiful again & when I got home she'd gone, so I hope she carried on her way refreshed and happy! N.B. Don't feed the exhausted bees with honey, as it may contain unwanted viruses etc which then go on to cause problems to the colony once back in the hive. Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 (edited) .N.B. Don't feed the exhausted bees with honey, as it may contain unwanted viruses etc which then go on to cause problems to the colony once back in the hive. Sha x Blimey! Is this true?? I've been reviving exhausted bumbles all summer this way, as recommended by Springwatch Infact I found this( and lots of others) from Harrogate and Ripon Beekeepers DO A GOOD DEED- RESUSCITATE A BUMBLEBEE In the Spring it is not unusual to find a bumblebee flaked out on a windowsill, barely able to move, only able to raise one leg in self defence. It probably entered through an open window looking for food or a nesting site and has flown against the glass until exhaustion supervened. If the Bumble is particularly large, she is probably a queen, so her loss means the loss of a whole colony. Fear not, all is not lost. She has probably simply run out of fuel, like a little aeroplane, and it is well worth trying to resuscitate her. You will need a drop of honey, syrup or jam (in that order of preference) and a card and glass or jar so that you can move her outdoors without the risk of Her Majesty stinging you. Place a small drop of honey in front of her head and watch out for the following sequence of events; Firstly, the antennae move around, noting the scent of sugary salvation. Then the tongue comes out and sucks up the droplet. If she finishes one drop, give her another. After several minutes (up to 20 mins) she will start to walk about and then suddenly fly, usually straight back to the window! This is the time to put the jar over her then slide the card between the jar and window pane. Then you will have her safely contained and though she won't thank you for it, you can now take her outdoors and release her. Now you can bask in the warm glow, having done your good deed for the day. Bumblebees, of all species, are in decline and we owe it to these useful and beautiful creatures to help, particularly as we unwittingly set traps for them, ie. windows, which must kill many thousands every year. Edited July 6, 2009 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 That's what I was told by the beekeepers I got my hive from, and having read most of the "bees nasties" leaflets from DEFRA in the past week or so, I read it in there too! Not sure it's such a problem with bumbles as they rarely survive the winter, so living for the day is the way forward for them . I didn't have any honey before I learned the sugar route, so got a dollop of golden syrup out of the cupboard, the poor little bee got stuck in it !! Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majorbloodnock Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 .N.B. Don't feed the exhausted bees with honey, as it may contain unwanted viruses etc which then go on to cause problems to the colony once back in the hive. Sha x Blimey! Is this true?? I've been reviving exhausted bumbles all summer this way, as recommended by Springwatch Within the process of converting nectar to honey, it is ingested by the bee, then regurgitated and waved around to lose water content. The resulting honey is not necessarily heat treated before putting in jars, so any diseases present beforehand are still present afterwards. This isn't really an issue with human consumption, since most bee viruses or diseases are irrelevant to us, but could theoretically be transferred from honey bee to bumble bee. That said, we're talking about good animal husbandry techniques rather than countering a serious threat; bees aren't devoid of an immune system, and the realistic likelihood of introducing a fatal problem to a bumblebee colony is low. Think of it as synonymous with sharing of spoons between several babies in a nursery - it'd be frowned on if the staff did it as a matter of course, but the kids'll ensure it happens at least some times, and rarely will it have serious results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 .N.B. Don't feed the exhausted bees with honey, as it may contain unwanted viruses etc which then go on to cause problems to the colony once back in the hive. Sha x Blimey! Is this true?? I've been reviving exhausted bumbles all summer this way, as recommended by Springwatch DA so is it all your fault then I will look at all my honey with suspicion now! Onto the Defra web site, I am surprised they are still selling honey as I reuse jam jars etc etc cross contamination(not that I keep bees) Mind you something different the lady birds look more like our native ones this year as last year all I could see were the foreign ones that were attacking our native ones. I will try reviving the bees I just thought they got injured and move them on a stick to a safe area(out of cocker spaniel way) indie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted August 7, 2009 Author Share Posted August 7, 2009 Dad reckons the bees have all died now- he thinks water got thruogh his dilapadated shed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 What a shame Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 Perhaps they moved on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
