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#1
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Bees nesting under my house
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. |
#2
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Bees nesting under my house
"Devoto" wrote in message . 46... 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. AFAIK they generally start a new colony each year, so after the autumn when its cool and no more bees in view, fine mesh should do the trick for next year. You'd have to do all the air bricks. Just be sure to put the mesh on before the spring (which in newcastle is July I suppose :-) -- Tumbleweed email replies not necessary but to contact use; tumbleweednews at hotmail dot com |
#3
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Bees nesting under my house
On 4/8/04 17:54, in article ,
"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. If a bee colony has a good place to be it won't see any reason to move. As you describe it, it has secure premises, warmth and plenty of home made food, which it will eat throughout the winter to sustain itself. The queen will continue to lay and the workers to feed their successors etc. IOW, it has all the conditions that apiarists try to produce for their colonies - though the honey we humans take off is the home made food. From what you say of the location, it seems unlikely that a local apiarist can rescue the colony for you, so I think you have two options - live with it, or kill it off. Before doing that, you might like to try your local bee keeping society because I most certainly wouldn't count on such a cosy colony leaving or dying off. -- Sacha www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon (remove the weeds to email me) |
#4
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Bees nesting under my house
On 4/8/04 17:54, in article ,
"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. If a bee colony has a good place to be it won't see any reason to move. As you describe it, it has secure premises, warmth and plenty of home made food, which it will eat throughout the winter to sustain itself. The queen will continue to lay and the workers to feed their successors etc. IOW, it has all the conditions that apiarists try to produce for their colonies - though the honey we humans take off is the home made food. From what you say of the location, it seems unlikely that a local apiarist can rescue the colony for you, so I think you have two options - live with it, or kill it off. Before doing that, you might like to try your local bee keeping society because I most certainly wouldn't count on such a cosy colony leaving or dying off. -- Sacha www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon (remove the weeds to email me) |
#5
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Bees nesting under my house
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 |
#6
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Bees nesting under my house
In article ,
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). As other people have pointed out, bumble bees usually produce a new nest and honey bees have a permanent hive. The latter are typically blackish, with stripes like a wasp. But why worry, even if they ARE right next to where you sit and walk? They are extremely reluctant to sting, and we have had a garden party with marjoram black with bees - the only person who got stung trod on a bumble been on the clover in the lawn. I really DO mean that they are the most harmless of residents. If either of you is allergic to them, then things are a bit different. My wife is allergic to bees, so we have to be a BIT careful, but we had them in a chimney for years without problems, and bumble bees nest in the garden. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
#7
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Bees nesting under my house
Chris Hogg wrote:
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)... I seem to have four or five varieties of small bee, in a range of different colours, shapes and sizes, buzzing round all my flowering weeds. Could it be that the varroa plague has peaked, leaving survivors? BM |
#8
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Bees nesting under my house
On Fri, 6 Aug 2004 02:27:06 +0100, Bmitch wrote:
Chris Hogg wrote: 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)... I seem to have four or five varieties of small bee, in a range of different colours, shapes and sizes, buzzing round all my flowering weeds. Could it be that the varroa plague has peaked, leaving survivors? Honey bees still survive in hives kept by beekeepers. There may be a few wild colonies that have escaped varroa in remote parts of the country, or that swarmed from beekeepers' hives earlier this year, but AIUI they will be few and far between. -- Chris E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net |
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