In article ,
Spider wrote:

Indeed. I agree with you and would love them around my house, but if
the OP's neighbours *really* want to evict them for child safety
reasons, then re-pointing is the way to do it. It beats poisoning,
which may be the other deadly deed.

My point is that there are no such child safety reasons, unless one
of their children is hyperallegic (and not just allergic) to bee
stings. They may believe that there are but, if so, they are quite
simply wrong. Bluntly, that is hysteria caused by ignorance.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 2013-05-05 15:34:51 +0100, Dave Liquorice said:

On Sun, 5 May 2013 15:05:46 +0100, Sacha wrote:

The children could - and should in any case - be taught to wear shoes
when running round the garden ...

Aye, I expect they will be jabbed up against Tetantus but Cellulitis is
not very pleasant(*) and can be life threatening.

... and to be calm when walking through the 'bee area'. Standing in
front of the bees' homes and flapping arms about etc. is asking for
trouble whether they're in a wall or a hive.

Aye.

(*) Understatement. It is flaming agony, I dread to think how a child
would react to the constant worst pins and needles you can imagine.

I've had it twice and been hospitalised so they can intravenously shove
in, every 4 hours (and I mean every fours hours, even through the night)
high enough doses of antibiotics. 1 g of penicillin I remember but there
were similar quantities of others, flucloxacillin being one of them.
"Normal" doses are around the is 250 mg 4 times/day (6 hour) level.

I'm very allergic, so I'm not unsympathetic. But the first 'rule' for
children really should be not to run about in bare feet, especially on
a lawn with clover in it, or indeed, any flowers. And being calm around
the bees is important. I swell up like a zeppelin if stung and have
been warned not to get stung again. It hasn't been an ambition of mine
to try it out!!
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

On Saturday, 4 May 2013 22:10:17 UTC+1, Nick wrote:
A rather odd question perhaps.

A cottage locally is being plagued by small bees. I don't know the name,

species or type of bee. They are nesting within the old and soft brickwork.

No nesting within the building. Might be able to get a pic of one, if of any

interest.

I would like to deter them, I most certainly do not want to kill/eradicate

them.

They don't bother me but are bothering the tenants and their young children.

Any ideas please for a suitable deterrent or some enticement to persuade

them to move house?



Thank you,

Nick.

If the cottage is owned by you as landlord then just get it properly repointed.

Rod

On 2013-05-05 19:06:23 +0100, said:

In article o.uk,
Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Sun, 5 May 2013 15:05:46 +0100, Sacha wrote:

The children could - and should in any case - be taught to wear shoes
when running round the garden ...

Aye, I expect they will be jabbed up against Tetantus but Cellulitis is
not very pleasant(*) and can be life threatening.

I strongly disagree. Such problems are as likely to be caused by
any other accident and, arguably, are more likely in people who
have not had their immune system properly challenged as children.
It is only within my lifetime that shoes have become more-or-less
mandatory for children even in the UK. They should be taught to
wear them when necessary which, for children who regularly go
barefoot, does not mean in a well-kempt garden[*]. There is
also the problem that people who never go barefoot are far MORE
likely to injure their feet on the beach, because they are not
accustomed to avoiding problems.

... and to be calm when walking through the 'bee area'. Standing in
front of the bees' homes and flapping arms about etc. is asking for
trouble whether they're in a wall or a hive.

Aye.

(*) Understatement. It is flaming agony, I dread to think how a child
would react to the constant worst pins and needles you can imagine.

I strongly agree with that. I have a couple of times had bee
swarms blocking my only feasible route, and have walked slowly
through them. Some of the bees bumped into me, but regarded me
as some sort of mobile tree stump.

[*] By which I mean free of broken glass, rusty metal and other
such dangers to bare feet. Regrettably, it does include the
branches of some thorny plants, but I carefully remove those as
I don't like thorns in even my horny soles! I had a strict rule
that the only person who was allowed to clean up broken glass
barefoot was me - and showed them why!


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

It's well-known that swarming bees are much less likely to sting
because their particular objective is to gather round the queen. It's
their driving force at that time, so obstacles in their path are more
likely to be disregarded.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

On 2013-05-05 18:05:03 +0100, Rod said:

On Saturday, 4 May 2013 22:10:17 UTC+1, Nick wrote:
A rather odd question perhaps.

A cottage locally is being plagued by small bees. I don't know the name,

species or type of bee. They are nesting within the old and soft brickwork.

No nesting within the building. Might be able to get a pic of one, if of any

interest.

I would like to deter them, I most certainly do not want to kill/eradicate

them.

They don't bother me but are bothering the tenants and their young children.

Any ideas please for a suitable deterrent or some enticement to persuade

them to move house?



Thank you,

Nick.

If the cottage is owned by you as landlord then just get it properly repointed.

Rod

Late in the year, though.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

On 05/05/2013 15:34, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Sun, 5 May 2013 15:05:46 +0100, Sacha wrote:

The children could - and should in any case - be taught to wear shoes
when running round the garden ...

Aye, I expect they will be jabbed up against Tetantus but Cellulitis is
not very pleasant(*) and can be life threatening.

... and to be calm when walking through the 'bee area'. Standing in
front of the bees' homes and flapping arms about etc. is asking for
trouble whether they're in a wall or a hive.

Aye.

(*) Understatement. It is flaming agony, I dread to think how a child
would react to the constant worst pins and needles you can imagine.

I've had it twice and been hospitalised so they can intravenously shove
in, every 4 hours (and I mean every fours hours, even through the night)
high enough doses of antibiotics. 1 g of penicillin I remember but there
were similar quantities of others, flucloxacillin being one of them.
"Normal" doses are around the is 250 mg 4 times/day (6 hour) level.

Strange using anti Biotics for stings, it's usually Anti histamine and
adrenalin that they use.
I was hypersensitive to Wasps and underwent 2 prolonged de sensitisation
treatments, the last one lasted 32 weeks and was whole venom extract,
but it worked.
Aas for bees, I once rotovated close to 6 hives with a tractor
rotovator, they didn't like it, I had over 40 stings removed from my
head, that afternoon, next day I was back in work deeling a bit delacate.
Had that been wasps I would not have been here to write this, the
adrenalinI carried wouldn't have coped with that sort of dose.
David @ a now sunny end of Swansea Bay.

If the cottage is owned by you as landlord then just get it properly
repointed.

Rod

Late in the year, though.

Why, by then they will be hibernating in the walls.

It's well-known that swarming bees are much less likely to sting because
their particular objective is to gather round the queen. It's their
driving force at that time, so obstacles in their path are more likely
to be disregarded.

I am trying to picture a solitary bee swarming.

In article o.uk,
Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Sun, 5 May 2013 15:05:46 +0100, Sacha wrote:

The children could - and should in any case - be taught to wear shoes
when running round the garden ...

Aye, I expect they will be jabbed up against Tetantus but Cellulitis is
not very pleasant(*) and can be life threatening.

I strongly disagree. Such problems are as likely to be caused by
any other accident and, arguably, are more likely in people who
have not had their immune system properly challenged as children.
It is only within my lifetime that shoes have become more-or-less
mandatory for children even in the UK. They should be taught to
wear them when necessary which, for children who regularly go
barefoot, does not mean in a well-kempt garden[*]. There is
also the problem that people who never go barefoot are far MORE
likely to injure their feet on the beach, because they are not
accustomed to avoiding problems.

... and to be calm when walking through the 'bee area'. Standing in
front of the bees' homes and flapping arms about etc. is asking for
trouble whether they're in a wall or a hive.

Aye.

(*) Understatement. It is flaming agony, I dread to think how a child
would react to the constant worst pins and needles you can imagine.

I strongly agree with that. I have a couple of times had bee
swarms blocking my only feasible route, and have walked slowly
through them. Some of the bees bumped into me, but regarded me
as some sort of mobile tree stump.
[*] By which I mean free of broken glass, rusty metal and other
such dangers to bare feet. Regrettably, it does include the
branches of some thorny plants, but I carefully remove those as
I don't like thorns in even my horny soles! I had a strict rule
that the only person who was allowed to clean up broken glass
barefoot was me - and showed them why!


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 05/05/2013 15:05, Sacha wrote:
On 2013-05-05 13:55:11 +0100, Spider said:

On 05/05/2013 14:32, wrote:
In ,
wrote:

Read that helpful link from David Hill again, especially the 4th
paragraph/question-and-answer. Your neighbours need to repoint the
south face of their house (and perhaps the west, too, since that will
also be warm and inviting) so that the bees go elsewhere for soft
mortar. It is the only way to discourage the bees.

They're tenants.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.




Indeed. I agree with you and would love them around my house, but if
the OP's neighbours *really* want to evict them for child safety
reasons, then re-pointing is the way to do it. It beats poisoning,
which may be the other deadly deed.

When I was little, I was taught and encouraged by my father to respect
our natural fauna and understand them as far as possible. I *love*
bees, including Masonry bees. Just as well since we have soft mortar.





I think Nick Maclaren means the cottage's human occupants are tenants,
so they won't be prepared - or perhaps, allowed - to undertake such a
course of action as re-pointing.


!:~) You could be quite right, so I can see their difficulty.



Nick-the-owner might be able to do so
in late summer or autumn and prevent future worries and fears. Until
then, I think the best idea is education as to what bees actually do.
They are usually pretty docile creatures, uninterested in pursuing
humans for fun! They won't sting unless seriously provoked. The children
could - and should in any case - be taught to wear shoes when running
round the garden and to be calm when walking through the 'bee area'.
Standing in front of the bees' homes and flapping arms about etc. is
asking for trouble whether they're in a wall or a hive.




Well, yes, education would be the right way to go about it. I've tried
no end of times trying to suggest bees are generally harmless. I
usually get the "But they always sting me" type answer. I tend to give
them the "Well, you always thrash your arms at them" reply, but it
doesn't sink in. It also doesn't help that people apply scent, makeup
and hairspray - and eat sticky foods - whilst in the great outdoors. No
wonder the bees are attracted to explore what may be a food item.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

In article ,
David Hill wrote:

It's well-known that swarming bees are much less likely to sting because
their particular objective is to gather round the queen. It's their
driving force at that time, so obstacles in their path are more likely
to be disregarded.

I am trying to picture a solitary bee swarming.

To an adept, that is no more difficult than to hear the sound of
one hand clapping.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article ,
Sacha wrote:

It's well-known that swarming bees are much less likely to sting
because their particular objective is to gather round the queen. It's
their driving force at that time, so obstacles in their path are more
likely to be disregarded.

Yes. There was a risk, but much less than driving to an airport.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

wrote:
I strongly disagree. Such problems are as likely to be caused by
any other accident and, arguably, are more likely in people who
have not had their immune system properly challenged as children.
It is only within my lifetime that shoes have become more-or-less
mandatory for children even in the UK. They should be taught to
wear them when necessary which, for children who regularly go
barefoot, does not mean in a well-kempt garden[*].

I got a thorn in my foot for the first time this weekend. :-(
Oddly, so did the little doggy next door.

On 05/05/2013 21:51, wrote:
wrote:
I strongly disagree. Such problems are as likely to be caused by
any other accident and, arguably, are more likely in people who
have not had their immune system properly challenged as children.
It is only within my lifetime that shoes have become more-or-less
mandatory for children even in the UK. They should be taught to
wear them when necessary which, for children who regularly go
barefoot, does not mean in a well-kempt garden[*].

I got a thorn in my foot for the first time this weekend. :-(
Oddly, so did the little doggy next door.


I won't even ask!

On Sun, 05 May 2013 19:55:35 +0100, Spider wrote:

Well, yes, education would be the right way to go about it. I've tried
no end of times trying to suggest bees are generally harmless. I
usually get the "But they always sting me" type answer.

Do you then ask how many times they have *actually* been stung? More
often than not the answere to that direct question is "never" or "er I
think a couple of times". Their fear of being stung is not supported by
the facts...

--
Cheers
Dave.