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Honey bees in house nesting box

Hi all, we have for many a year now had a concrete swift box built into the wall of our extension, just below the eaves. This weekend we heard bees and noticed them using the box. We don’t mind, but just wanted to check that we should leave them and not be concerned? They are making a bit of a mess of the entrance to it (it was pointed white so think it may just be pollen?!) and believe them to be honey bees as I know mason bees are solitary and they are definitely not wasps or hornets. Any thoughts or experience welcome! Thanks.

Posts

  • *painted white sorry
  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445
    the most likely is Tree Bumblebees, it's what they do. It will all be over in a few weeks if you can live with them a while. Honeybees are a longer term project


    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    Tree bumblebees are pretty distinctive if you can get a good look at them. They're a small bumblebee with markings like the pic below. My parents' house usually has 2 or 3 nests in the roof and my nest boxes are regularly used by them after the birds have finished nesting. They cause no harm and you barely know they're there.

    If they are honey bees though then maybe you could contact your local bee keeping society as they're always on the look out for free colonies. Assuming the box has a maintenance hatch to get them out that is, if not then just leave them be.


    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    We get a lot of Tree bees in our garden as they seem to like nesting in our neighbours roof. They're marvellous pollinators for our fruit and veg  :)

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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