On Wed, 04 Aug 2004 16:54:03 GMT, Devoto
wrote:

I hope this is the right group for this question - I've got a colony of
bees nesting somewhere under the floor in my house (they're using an
airbrick as an entrance). I don't want to call in pest controllers, because
they're not doing any harm to me and my wife (although my slightly dumb
cats have both been stung), but I'd rather they didn't come back next year,
as it's right next to our seating area and our back door.

I freely admit I know nothing about bees, other than they sting cats who
try to catch them, but my question is a) does anybody know roughly when the
colony will die off (I'm in Newcastle if that makes a difference), and b)
if I close the airbrick entrance off with some fine mesh, will it come back
next year (does the queen die or hibernate, I suppose).

Thanks for any help.

They're probably bumble bees (rather plump rounded furry things, often
with a yellow patch), because almost all the wild honey bees have died
out due to a parasitic mite (varroa). If they are bumbles, they won't
trouble you after this year, as the colony will die out and the new
queens are unlikely to set up their nest again in that spot.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net