Bird Box and Bees.

Hi

The bees have decided to use one of my Nest Boxes as a hive.

This is not good.

Re: Bird Box and Bees.

Contact a local bee keeper Swim, they'll collect them or tell you what to do.

Re: Bird Box and Bees.

They wont stay for long. We had White-tailed Bumble Bees take over one of ours. If you leave them alone they'll not hurt you. Ours were gone after a few weeks.

Re: Bird Box and Bees.

I thought bumble bees were solitary insects?

Are they bumbles or honey bees Swimmy? If they're honey bees, best get them collected because there's a countrywide shortage of these wonderful pollinators.

Re: Bird Box and Bees.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombus_lucorum

Bombus lucorum is one of the first species of bumblebees to emerge from hibernation. The hibernating queen emerges as early as February,[7] but in southern Britain, they usually emerge in March.[8] They usually can be found flying near the ground, looking for holes that are suitable for their new nests. They will also forage on flowers to create reserves for their new nests. They will have pollen loads on their hindlegs when they are ready to establish a colony. The workers start to emerge sometime between late March and mid May. A colony can have as many as 400 workers.[7] The males emerge later, starting in August.[9] As in many other bumblebee species, the males fly in a low patrolling circuit, depositing pheromones on grass to attract young queens.[8] The new queens mate with these males, and when the old queen and the males die in Autumn, they hibernate to start the colony cycle again the next spring.

Taken from Wiki above.
The colony we had did nest in the ground the first year it was there, under the shed, then they decided the nest box was better & moved into that. Don't know if that was a new queen. I took pics but can't find them.

Re: Bird Box and Bees.

Thanks Tiffany, I didn't know that about bumblebees. I've learnt something new today.

Re: Bird Box and Bees.

Found them...You are very welcome, Percy.

Re: Bird Box and Bees.

What is the reason for saying ' This is not good?'

I agree with others - leave them alone.
We need bees.

What harm are they doing in an empty box down the garden, it's not as if they are indoors.

Birds will nest elsewhere, they will usually be finished nesting in a few more weeks anyway.

Re: Bird Box and Bees.

A swarm of bees in June is worth a silver spoon.

Re: Bird Box and Bees.

Hi

Thanks for the information.

They are apparently Tree Bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum),

https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/bumblebee-nests/

There are a lot of them

Jacob is autistic, bees scare him.