Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[Daphne]

 

Having spent all my time peering at my honey bees I was a bit shocked to come face to face with 2 bumbles (presumably) this morning. I'd forgotten - they're enormous! And noisy!

[Old Speckled Hen]

Oh too early for them here.

They love my Hellebores which are only just coming. The Mahonia flowers have been eaten by the birds during the weeks of snow we had but normally by the end of March they are alive with bumblebees.

We usually have lots here as they like to nest in the dry stone walls

[v8landy]

yes they are big.

[MedusA]

I saw my first bumble bee of the season yesterday. Spring is on the way at last!

[Alis girls]

i have just encountered a humoungous bee which dropped off the washing (which was on the line) in the kitchen - size of a ping pong ball - - ok a big marble. My YS is terrified of them having been stung as a toddler so I had a fraught 10mins trying to get it out into the garden. It flew into a mug (empty) and I scooped it up and took it outside.

[snowcloud]

There is a great guide to bumblebees on this site...

 

http://www.bumblebeeconservation.org.uk/index.htm

 

...well worth a look! I saw the first of the year today, a Field Cuckoo Bumblebee!

[Adam]

This early, they are queen bumble bees, hence being big. Once the first queen reared brood takes over (which are all malnourished as she has to do all the work), she remains in the nest and hence forth you will only see smaller bumble bees.

 

Adam

[abwsco]

We've had three mahoosive ones in the house this week. Two of them had come in through the bedroom window and woken me up with their buzzing from behind the curtains. We've also had two wasps in today. I don't like wasps

[snowcloud]

... if you don't like those, you should try the Hornets we get down here! Talk about Huge.

 

In this picture is the oriental / asian hornet, which is supposed to be making it's way to the UK from France. It's the one on the right. The one on the left is the UK hornet (which I see often in the garden). The one in the middle is a wasp.

 

See the whole story here... http://www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us/news/2007/may/news_11635.html

[MedusA]

I'd heard about the Asian Hornet too. As beekeepers we should always be vigilant on behalf of our bees. They can be quite vicious and prey on our honeybees. They have less of an impact, in their native areas, on the Eastern Honeybee Apis cerana who have learnt to fight back and "ball" them.

[Old Speckled Hen]

I'd heard about the Asian Hornet too. As beekeepers we should always be vigilant on behalf of our bees. They can be quite vicious and prey on our honeybees. They have less of an impact, in their native areas, on the Eastern Honeybee Apis cerana who have learnt to fight back and "ball" them.

Good bit of footage here

[snowcloud]

That video is BRILLIANT! I shall take the laptop out to the bee hive and show the bees, see if they take it in...

 

Thanks OSHen!

[MedusA]

I agree. What a brilliant video. Thank you for sharing.