Bees in Loft
 

Hi all

Just wondering whether bees cause damage in a loft space.

Noticed a week of so back that there were a number hovering around the
corner of the eaves. Now there is a regular flight path developing.
My instinct is to leave alone, but I don't want to do this if there is a
likelihood of damage to the loft space.

Access to the loft is tight, so going up there and removing the bees
would not be an option.

Any thoughts/recommendations please?

Thanks

Phil

Bees in Loft
 

On 06/06/16 08:33, Chris Hogg wrote:
There's almost certainly a bee-keeping organisation in
your area that you can contact, who will advise you and may be able to
remove the colony.

I've twice had a swarm deposit itself on me, once in the middle
of my lawn(!), once on a bush. After the first time, I discovered
someone in my road kept bees; they were /most/ appreciative when
I told them about the second colony, and promptly removed it :)

Bees in Loft
 

On 06/06/2016 08:17, thescullster wrote:
Hi all

Just wondering whether bees cause damage in a loft space.

Noticed a week of so back that there were a number hovering around the
corner of the eaves. Now there is a regular flight path developing.
My instinct is to leave alone, but I don't want to do this if there is a
likelihood of damage to the loft space.

Access to the loft is tight, so going up there and removing the bees
would not be an option.

Any thoughts/recommendations please?

Thanks

Phil
If they are Honey bees then the answer is no, my house has had a colony
since the 1890's the only issue is painting as you have to do it in
winter when they are dormant or they get cross!

Great fruit crops and of course they are way above everyones heads so no
problems with their flight paths

--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
National collections of Clematis viticella & Lapageria rosea

Bees in Loft
 

On 06/06/2016 08:17, thescullster wrote:
Hi all

Just wondering whether bees cause damage in a loft space.

Noticed a week of so back that there were a number hovering around the
corner of the eaves. Now there is a regular flight path developing.
My instinct is to leave alone, but I don't want to do this if there is a
likelihood of damage to the loft space.

Access to the loft is tight, so going up there and removing the bees
would not be an option.

Any thoughts/recommendations please?

Thanks

Phil

These are definitely not wasps and almost definitelt bumble bees not
honey bees.

Where does that leave me?

I guess either put up with them, enjoy their pollination assistance and
hope they don't do damage.

OR

Hit the access to their nest with wasp nest destroyer and hope it
resolves the problem.

I noticed at lunch time that they tend to hover in a group of six around
the entrance for a while before venturing into the eaves space.

Phil

Bees in Loft
 

thescullster wrote:

These are definitely not wasps and almost definitelt bumble bees not
honey bees.

Where does that leave me?

I guess either put up with them, enjoy their pollination assistance
and hope they don't do damage.

OR

Hit the access to their nest with wasp nest destroyer and hope it
resolves the problem.

I noticed at lunch time that they tend to hover in a group of six
around the entrance for a while before venturing into the eaves space.

They won't do any harm or damage to your loft and they are fairly docile, I
had one hovering around my feet for two hours when I went fishing last year,
I waved my hand towards it a few times and it went away but kept coming
back, it was then that I realised I'd put my box/seat over the entrance to
it's nest. I moved my box over a foot and it came and went all day without
incident

Bees in Loft
 

In article , says...

Hi all

Just wondering whether bees cause damage in a loft space.

Noticed a week of so back that there were a number hovering around the
corner of the eaves. Now there is a regular flight path developing.
My instinct is to leave alone, but I don't want to do this if there is a
likelihood of damage to the loft space.

Access to the loft is tight, so going up there and removing the bees
would not be an option.

Any thoughts/recommendations please?

We didn't know we had bees in the loft until a mouse found and chewed
the comb. First sign was honey dripping from the bedroom ceiling..

Janet

Bees in Loft
 

On 06/06/2016 13:36, thescullster wrote:
On 06/06/2016 08:17, thescullster wrote:
Hi all

Just wondering whether bees cause damage in a loft space.

Noticed a week of so back that there were a number hovering around the
corner of the eaves. Now there is a regular flight path developing.
My instinct is to leave alone, but I don't want to do this if there is a
likelihood of damage to the loft space.

Access to the loft is tight, so going up there and removing the bees
would not be an option.

Any thoughts/recommendations please?

Thanks

Phil

These are definitely not wasps and almost definitelt bumble bees not
honey bees.

Where does that leave me?

I guess either put up with them, enjoy their pollination assistance and
hope they don't do damage.

OR

Hit the access to their nest with wasp nest destroyer and hope it
resolves the problem.

I noticed at lunch time that they tend to hover in a group of six around
the entrance for a while before venturing into the eaves space.

Phil

If they are Bumble Bees, leave well alone as the nests are only annual,
the new queens will go off to hibernate before starting a new colony
next year and will cause absolutely zero damage. different life cycle to
honey bees altogether, nest are also small in size usually with only
hundreds of workers at most.

--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
National collections of Clematis viticella & Lapageria rosea

Bees in Loft
 

In article ,
Charlie Pridham wrote:

If they are Bumble Bees, leave well alone as the nests are only annual,
the new queens will go off to hibernate before starting a new colony
next year and will cause absolutely zero damage. different life cycle to
honey bees altogether, nest are also small in size usually with only
hundreds of workers at most.

Many of those don't even produse workers and, as someone said, they
are incredibly docile. I often catch them in my bare hands when
they get stuck indoors, so that I can put them outside. Definitely
leave them! Even honey bees aren't a problem unless they are where
you need to disturb them. Nor are most wasps - it's ONLY the common
and German wasps that are serious nuisances.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Bees in Loft
 

On 11/06/2016 18:34, Nick Maclaren wrote:
Nor are most wasps - it's ONLY the common
and German wasps that are serious nuisances.

We've caught a couple of hornets this year. I've put them out, but I
wouldn't want to be stung by one. I gather they aren't generally aggressive.

Andy

Bees in Loft
 

In article ,
Vir Campestris wrote:

Nor are most wasps - it's ONLY the common
and German wasps that are serious nuisances.

We've caught a couple of hornets this year. I've put them out, but I
wouldn't want to be stung by one. I gather they aren't generally aggressive.

They are also rare and protected.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Bees in Loft
 

"thescullster" wrote in message
...
Hi all

Just wondering whether bees cause damage in a loft space.

Noticed a week of so back that there were a number hovering around the
corner of the eaves. Now there is a regular flight path developing.
My instinct is to leave alone, but I don't want to do this if there is a
likelihood of damage to the loft space.

Access to the loft is tight, so going up there and removing the bees would
not be an option.

Any thoughts/recommendations please?

Thanks

Phil

I think they are tree bees, fairly new to UK. Had some last year under my
eaves, they were not a problem. Died off during the winter and have not
returned. The drones typically dance around the entrance hole. You don't
need to do anything about them. I'd be happy to have them again.

Bees in Loft
 

On Sunday, June 12, 2016 at 5:53:12 PM UTC+1, Vir Campestris wrote:
On 11/06/2016 18:34, Nick Maclaren wrote:
Nor are most wasps - it's ONLY the common
and German wasps that are serious nuisances.

We've caught a couple of hornets this year. I've put them out, but I
wouldn't want to be stung by one. I gather they aren't generally aggressive.

Andy

I was stung by a hornet just walking in the garden - ten yards from their nest. After a visit to A&E, I discovered I had become anaphylactic.
Jonathan

Bees in Loft
 

On 20/06/16 22:34, Christina Websell wrote:

I think they are tree bees, fairly new to UK. Had some last year under my
eaves, they were not a problem. Died off during the winter and have not
returned. The drones typically dance around the entrance hole. You don't
need to do anything about them. I'd be happy to have them again.

I hadn't heard of those, but funnily enough out in the garden this
afternoon I came across a number of bees hovering around a bird box,
with one or two going in and out. It seems bird boxes are a favourite
place for them to inhabit.

That was shortly after my wife had called me to look at a big beetle she
had found. I was over the moon - it was a large male stag beetle. That
was something I'd always hoped to see, but until today never had.

--

Jeff