Bees nesting in our wall!

[TefkaC]

Hello, we seem to have bumble bees nesting in the wall of the house. I have seen them coming and going for a few weeks, they enter and leave through a small hole in the mortar. Can anyone advise what options we have.

 

Thanks

 

Charlie

P.S move is not on the agenda![:(]

[andyh4]

Blocking the hole with fresh mortar.

 

Light a bonfire so that the smoke drifts past the openning and leave for half an hour - the more smoke the better.  Then dive into the smoke with a trowel full of mortar and block the hole.

 

Bumble bees have quite small communities.  The smoke should enduce most to leave, so you will be "bricking up" just a handful of bees at most.

[chris pp]

Leave them alone.[:D] They aren't going to do any harm, they are docile, have very small colonies and will be gone in the autumn. Not at all the same behaviour as honey bees that stay in the same place. The males will all die and only fertilised females will overwinter to start new colonies next spring but they will not overwinter where they are, they will all find other "safe places".

It's also worth noting that many species of Bumble bee are in decline, some species in steep decline.

Chris

[TefkaC]

Thanks Chris, that sounds much more civilised than lighting bonfires and rushing around with mortar. [:D][:D][:D]

 

Charlie........

[trees 2]

Agreed, just leave them. They do little harm to stone walls, and are often fun to watch.

We've had a large-ish nest of the red-tailed bees in the wall of our barn adjoining the courtyard this summer.

The only problem is that we've had to keep the barn doors closed, and shut them immediately after taking stuff out, or the stupid things can't find their nest hole[:D]

Now the hornets nest in one of the chimneys has been a whole other story...........

[thunderhorse]

[quote user="TefkaC"]

Hello, we seem to have bumble bees nesting in the wall of the house. I have seen them coming and going for a few weeks, they enter and leave through a small hole in the mortar. Can anyone advise what options we have.

 

Thanks

 

Charlie

P.S move is not on the agenda![:(]

[/quote]

Are you sure they are bumble bees? Normally the wall-nesters (and ground) are miner bees. Solitary with a small brood, they do no harm to the wall or clay, and either the male or female can't sting, and the other stings only when squeezed...

Just leave alone - they don't develop big hives like honey bees.