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What Now? Guard Bee
Joined: 26 Mar 2012 Posts: 59 Location: Coventry, UK
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Posted: Tue May 31, 2016 7:10 am Post subject: Bumble bees |
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I was called to a friend's house yesterday because of bees. I am sure they are small bumble bees. Rounder, shorter and furry bodies. They are on her balcony so quite close to where she wants to be.
Today's simple question is 'what advice do I give her'?
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Tavascarow Silver Bee

Joined: 24 Jun 2008 Posts: 962 Location: UK Cornwall Snozzle
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Posted: Tue May 31, 2016 11:00 am Post subject: |
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My answer is try to educate her to love them.
I've been called out to a couple of bumble bee nests & It's possible in most instances to relocate them with very gentle handling.
Although I'm not sure of the legality.
Tell her their life cycle & how threatened they are. (Pesticides, loss of habitat).
Emphasise how beneficial they are.
Try & identify the species, make it personal. Statements like "Wow, I haven't seen any of those for a long time". Makes them think they have something special.
Reassure that their numbers will never escalate to more than fifty or a hundred bees & they are never aggressive unless threatened.
In fifty six years the only time I've been stung by a bumble was when I accidentally sat on one.
Fear comes from ignorance & our species tend to have ignorance in abundance.
If it turns out she can't be swayed try a relocation.
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Tavascarow Silver Bee

Joined: 24 Jun 2008 Posts: 962 Location: UK Cornwall Snozzle
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Posted: Tue May 31, 2016 11:07 am Post subject: |
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If you do try to relocate seek good advice from the more specialist bee people before you do.
& give her the internet link to the buglife bee page.
https://www.buglife.org.uk/ |
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steved6530 Scout Bee
Joined: 17 Mar 2011 Posts: 307 Location: Exeter, Devon
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Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2016 7:52 pm Post subject: |
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I too have had several calls this year about swarms that, on questioning, turned out to be bumble bees. It never ceases to amaze me the ignorance of an educated society with thoughts of killer bees which adopt ninja assassin tactics and attack you in the dead of night...........or even worse, whilst your sitting on the toilet.
Educating people and reassuring them is something I have got very good at over the years. The majority of people respond positively, with the exceptional few who insist on the bumbles being moved......or else! I do hope there is such a thing as karma  |
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Quality Top Bar Hives by Andrew Vidler
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Conserving wild bees
Research suggests that bumble bee boxes have a very low success rate in actually attracting bees into them. We find that if you create an environment where first of all you can attract mice inside, such as a pile of stones, a drystone wall, paving slabs with intentionally made cavities underneath, this will increase the success rate.
Most bumble bee species need a dry space about the size a football, with a narrow entrance tunnel approximately 2cm in diameter and 20 cm long. Most species nest underground along the base of a linear feature such as a hedge or wall. Sites need to be sheltered and out of direct sunlight.
There is a spectacular display of wild bee hotels here
More about bumblebees and solitary bees here
Information about the Tree Bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum)
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