Bees attracted to freshly-dug earth and sand - why?
 

I've been helping my girlfriend dig her garden, and we've noticed that we
are being plagued by bees which are attracted to the freshly-dug earth. Can
anyone suggest why they are attracted, and how to discourage them?

The ground is about 12 inches of non-clay topsoil, on top of large slabs of
sandstone and sand. Because of the need to remove all these stones, firstly
so there is enough depth for vegetables to grow and secondly so the stones
can be used for crazy paving, we are digging each row and temporarily
leaving a "cliff-face", until the next row is dug, with the rest of the soil
dug forward into the hole left by a previous trench.

It is the cliff-face that the bees are attracted to. They land on the earth
or the sand (more often the sand), sometimes crawling into crevices, but
never staying in one place for more than a couple of seconds. They seem to
ignore the loose earth that has already been removed. The bees are small
honey bees, not large bumble bees. We noticed it the last couple of weekends
when the weather has been very hot and sunny; previously there were no bees.

Bees attracted to freshly-dug earth and sand - why?
 

On Jun 1, 1:12*pm, "Mortimer" wrote:
I've been helping my girlfriend dig her garden, and we've noticed that we
are being plagued by bees which are attracted to the freshly-dug earth. Can
anyone suggest why they are attracted, and how to discourage them?

The ground is about 12 inches of non-clay topsoil, on top of large slabs of
sandstone and sand. Because of the need to remove all these stones, firstly
so there is enough depth for vegetables to grow and secondly so the stones
can be used for crazy paving, we are digging each row and temporarily
leaving a "cliff-face", until the next row is dug, with the rest of the soil
dug forward into the hole left by a previous trench.

It is the cliff-face that the bees are attracted to. They land on the earth
or the sand (more often the sand), sometimes crawling into crevices, but
never staying in one place for more than a couple of seconds. They seem to
ignore the loose earth that has already been removed. The bees are small
honey bees, not large bumble bees. We noticed it the last couple of weekends
when the weather has been very hot and sunny; previously there were no bees.

http://www.bees-online.com/MiningBee...tingWasps.html

alternatively, got any mines in your area?...... http://www.sandia.gov/media/minebees.htm

Bees attracted to freshly-dug earth and sand - why?
 

On Jun 1, 12:12*pm, "Mortimer" wrote:
I've been helping my girlfriend dig her garden, and we've noticed that we
are being plagued by bees which are attracted to the freshly-dug earth. Can
anyone suggest why they are attracted, and how to discourage them?

It's quite easy, you just tell them to bee hive themselves.

Bees attracted to freshly-dug earth and sand - why?
 

--
..
"moghouse" wrote in message
...
On Jun 1, 12:12 pm, "Mortimer" wrote:
I've been helping my girlfriend dig her garden, and we've noticed that we
are being plagued by bees which are attracted to the freshly-dug earth.
Can
anyone suggest why they are attracted, and how to discourage them?

It's quite easy, you just tell them to bee hive themselves.

.......................................

Tell em to buzz off

Mike

Bees attracted to freshly-dug earth and sand - why?
 

On Mon, 1 Jun 2009 06:03:29 -0700 (PDT), moghouse
wrote:

On Jun 1, 12:12*pm, "Mortimer" wrote:
I've been helping my girlfriend dig her garden, and we've noticed that we
are being plagued by bees which are attracted to the freshly-dug earth. Can
anyone suggest why they are attracted, and how to discourage them?

It's quite easy, you just tell them to bee hive themselves.

or to buzz off.

--
®óñ© © ²°¹°-°¹

Bees attracted to freshly-dug earth and sand - why?
 

--
..
"®óñ© © ²°¹°-°¹" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 1 Jun 2009 06:03:29 -0700 (PDT), moghouse
wrote:

On Jun 1, 12:12 pm, "Mortimer" wrote:
I've been helping my girlfriend dig her garden, and we've noticed that
we
are being plagued by bees which are attracted to the freshly-dug earth.
Can
anyone suggest why they are attracted, and how to discourage them?

It's quite easy, you just tell them to bee hive themselves.

or to buzz off.


beat you to it ;-)

Mike

Bees attracted to freshly-dug earth and sand - why?
 

On Mon, 1 Jun 2009 12:12:52 +0100, "Mortimer" wrote:

I've been helping my girlfriend dig her garden, and we've noticed that we
are being plagued by bees which are attracted to the freshly-dug earth. Can
anyone suggest why they are attracted, and how to discourage them?

The ground is about 12 inches of non-clay topsoil, on top of large slabs of
sandstone and sand. Because of the need to remove all these stones, firstly
so there is enough depth for vegetables to grow and secondly so the stones
can be used for crazy paving, we are digging each row and temporarily
leaving a "cliff-face", until the next row is dug, with the rest of the soil
dug forward into the hole left by a previous trench.

It is the cliff-face that the bees are attracted to. They land on the earth
or the sand (more often the sand), sometimes crawling into crevices, but
never staying in one place for more than a couple of seconds. They seem to
ignore the loose earth that has already been removed. The bees are small
honey bees, not large bumble bees. We noticed it the last couple of weekends
when the weather has been very hot and sunny; previously there were no bees.

Why would you want to 'discourage' them? They are just behaving
normally and not going to hurt you in any way.
Just leave them bee!

Bees attracted to freshly-dug earth and sand - why?
 

Can anyone suggest why they are attracted, and how to
discourage them?

Solitary bees. Just let them get on with it. You won't notice them, but
they'll do a bit of the good stuff that bees do :)

I've become quite fascinated by bees. I seem to see a different variety in
our garden every day. I'm semi-sorta-tempted to set up a hive or 12 ...

Al.

Bees attracted to freshly-dug earth and sand - why?
 

"Chris Hogg" wrote...
"Mortimer" wrote:

I've been helping my girlfriend dig her garden, and we've noticed that we
are being plagued by bees which are attracted to the freshly-dug earth.
Can
anyone suggest why they are attracted, and how to discourage them?

The ground is about 12 inches of non-clay topsoil, on top of large slabs
of
sandstone and sand. Because of the need to remove all these stones,
firstly
so there is enough depth for vegetables to grow and secondly so the stones
can be used for crazy paving, we are digging each row and temporarily
leaving a "cliff-face", until the next row is dug, with the rest of the
soil
dug forward into the hole left by a previous trench.

It is the cliff-face that the bees are attracted to. They land on the
earth
or the sand (more often the sand), sometimes crawling into crevices, but
never staying in one place for more than a couple of seconds. They seem to
ignore the loose earth that has already been removed. The bees are small
honey bees, not large bumble bees. We noticed it the last couple of
weekends
when the weather has been very hot and sunny; previously there were no
bees.

How do you know they're honey bees and not mining bees? It's quite
possible that they're mining bees. These are solitary bees and don't
live in colonies, but make short tunnels in sandy soil which they
stock with appropriate food for individual grubs and in which they lay
one egg. The egg hatches, the grub eats the food and then pupates, but
the parent bee has no involvement other than stocking and laying the
egg. You've probably dug up the tunnels and they're confused. They're
harmless, BTW.

Failing that, they're after moisture in the soil, but my bet is on
them being mining bees.

Funny enough we have a lot of honey bees coming to our pond and landing on
the very damp soil in the pots of bog plants where they stay for a short
while before flying off. It's not just one or two but a constant stream of
bees and I have never seen it before even though the ponds been in for 30+
years.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
just W. of London

Bees attracted to freshly-dug earth and sand - why?
 

On 2009-06-01 22:49:17 +0100, "Bob Hobden" said:


"Chris Hogg" wrote...
"Mortimer" wrote:

I've been helping my girlfriend dig her garden, and we've noticed that we
are being plagued by bees which are attracted to the freshly-dug earth.
Can
anyone suggest why they are attracted, and how to discourage them?

The ground is about 12 inches of non-clay topsoil, on top of large slabs
of
sandstone and sand. Because of the need to remove all these stones,
firstly
so there is enough depth for vegetables to grow and secondly so the stones
can be used for crazy paving, we are digging each row and temporarily
leaving a "cliff-face", until the next row is dug, with the rest of the
soil
dug forward into the hole left by a previous trench.

It is the cliff-face that the bees are attracted to. They land on the
earth
or the sand (more often the sand), sometimes crawling into crevices, but
never staying in one place for more than a couple of seconds. They seem to
ignore the loose earth that has already been removed. The bees are small
honey bees, not large bumble bees. We noticed it the last couple of
weekends
when the weather has been very hot and sunny; previously there were no
bees.

How do you know they're honey bees and not mining bees? It's quite
possible that they're mining bees. These are solitary bees and don't
live in colonies, but make short tunnels in sandy soil which they
stock with appropriate food for individual grubs and in which they lay
one egg. The egg hatches, the grub eats the food and then pupates, but
the parent bee has no involvement other than stocking and laying the
egg. You've probably dug up the tunnels and they're confused. They're
harmless, BTW.

Failing that, they're after moisture in the soil, but my bet is on
them being mining bees.

Funny enough we have a lot of honey bees coming to our pond and landing on
the very damp soil in the pots of bog plants where they stay for a short
while before flying off. It's not just one or two but a constant stream of
bees and I have never seen it before even though the ponds been in for 30+
years.

When I kept a colony of bees, they often landed on the edge of the tiny
pond I had then. Perhaps yours are using your pond now because another
supply has been filled in. Or perhaps someone near you has just
started keeping bees?
--
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Exotic plants, shrubs & perennials
South Devon

I Have Some Bees Who Have Made A Nest In My Garden Under The Ground. [i] Am Delighted And Worry About, Them The Decline In Bees. Is There Anything I Can Do To Help Them,i Have Planted Lots Of Flowers And Stay Out Of Their Way.

Bees attracted to freshly-dug earth and sand - why?
 

In article ,
ria wrote:[i]

I Have Some Bees Who Have Made A Nest In My Garden Under The Ground.
Am Delighted And Worry About, Them The Decline In Bees. Is There
Anything I Can Do To Help Them,i Have Planted Lots Of Flowers And Stay
Out Of Their Way.

Just what you have done! Avoid spraying with persistent insecticides,
of course.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Bees attracted to freshly-dug earth and sand - why?
 

Miner Bees.

In March I had a mini-break in a small hamlet in Devon, Middle
Rocombe. One of the winding village lanes passed through a farm yard
and I was interested to see one wall of a very old barn beside the
lane was peppered with little holes. Miner bees were coming & going
frequently. Never seen anything like that afore.

Bees attracted to freshly-dug earth and sand - why?
 

"ria" wrote in message
...[i]

I Have Some Bees Who Have Made A Nest In My Garden Under The Ground.
Am Delighted And Worry About, Them The Decline In Bees. Is There
Anything I Can Do To Help Them,i Have Planted Lots Of Flowers And Stay
Out Of Their Way.




--
ria

Cover your self in honey and stake yourself out on the lawn. Sorry, that's
helping termites, ants or something isn't it?

Apologies, can't help after all. Haven't a clue!