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What happens next with the bees?
Simone_in_Wiltshire
Posts: 1,073
Good morning, gardeners and wild-life experts.
Easter weekend and we have a weather here in the South West which is unusual for a bank holiday weekend with 20 degrees Celsius and sunshine. After finishing the To-do list, I had time to observe nature around me.
I have had three bee hotels last year. The one with the green roof was clearly the hit, whereas the two with the red butterfly "house" were a new addition last Spring. It seems that bees prefer at least 1 year old houses.
As you can see, the one with the green roof started to fall apart and I had to use cable binder to keep it together.
After reading here in the forum a post about the danger of these hotels, "being deathtraps", I bought a fourth hotel, which can be opened and cleaned. I stored it like the other 3 in the (open) shed over winter.
My idea was that the bees in the falling apart green roof house find their way out at some point and I can take it away.
While sitting yesterday in the garden, I saw that the first solitary bees start to fill the empty tubes, but most of the other tubes are still occupied. I took the picture below yesterday.
I read that post about the deathtrap bee hotels with much interest, and was relieved when almost everybody confirmed that this was not the case.
At the beginning of April, one of the bamboo tubes was quite loose and I managed it to get one cocoon out. I expected that the bee inside had died - and the post about the death traps was correct - when I discovered that the bee inside was still alive, but not ready to survive. I instantly ended its life - a step I have to stress that caused enormous emotional stress as I would never had brought that poor bee into this situation if I had known that it was alive. So, please, don't call me cruel German that kills English bees. That episode is still touching me and I can't forgive myself for being so naive.
I wonder now when will be the moment when the bees in the cocoon from last year start to come out or should I act now. The problem is that these bamboo tubes are stuck to the back and I would have to break them out. If so, I would prefer to do this now, before the new bees occupy the empty tubes.
Many thanks in advance.
If somebody replies, don't wonder that I don't write back immediately, I will be out as soon as shops open.
Easter weekend and we have a weather here in the South West which is unusual for a bank holiday weekend with 20 degrees Celsius and sunshine. After finishing the To-do list, I had time to observe nature around me.
I have had three bee hotels last year. The one with the green roof was clearly the hit, whereas the two with the red butterfly "house" were a new addition last Spring. It seems that bees prefer at least 1 year old houses.
As you can see, the one with the green roof started to fall apart and I had to use cable binder to keep it together.
After reading here in the forum a post about the danger of these hotels, "being deathtraps", I bought a fourth hotel, which can be opened and cleaned. I stored it like the other 3 in the (open) shed over winter.
My idea was that the bees in the falling apart green roof house find their way out at some point and I can take it away.
While sitting yesterday in the garden, I saw that the first solitary bees start to fill the empty tubes, but most of the other tubes are still occupied. I took the picture below yesterday.
I read that post about the deathtrap bee hotels with much interest, and was relieved when almost everybody confirmed that this was not the case.
At the beginning of April, one of the bamboo tubes was quite loose and I managed it to get one cocoon out. I expected that the bee inside had died - and the post about the death traps was correct - when I discovered that the bee inside was still alive, but not ready to survive. I instantly ended its life - a step I have to stress that caused enormous emotional stress as I would never had brought that poor bee into this situation if I had known that it was alive. So, please, don't call me cruel German that kills English bees. That episode is still touching me and I can't forgive myself for being so naive.
I wonder now when will be the moment when the bees in the cocoon from last year start to come out or should I act now. The problem is that these bamboo tubes are stuck to the back and I would have to break them out. If so, I would prefer to do this now, before the new bees occupy the empty tubes.
Many thanks in advance.
If somebody replies, don't wonder that I don't write back immediately, I will be out as soon as shops open.
I ♥ my garden.
1
Posts
Presumably you also mean 'bumble bees' when say 'solitary bees' - don't think I've ever seen so many bumble bees flying around as I did yesterday. I'm trying to teach my 'old dog' the trick of NOT snapping at bees as they fly past his nose! He's done this several times with wasps/hornets which has landed him with an urgent visit to the vets
Cambridgeshire/Norfolk border.
The question is if the bees in the cocoon that are still inside will ever emerge alive on their own or - because I need to take out that house, the roof is open in the meantime - I take the cocoons carefully out and store them in a box with a hole.
I would prefer to take that house away now, before the bees start to fill it up as they did yesterday.
I'm now heading to the supermarket. My friend had occupied the entire fridge before she went to Cornwall into a rented house and I was left yesterday with nothing to eat.
I ♥ my garden.
I ♥ my garden.
I ♥ my garden.
Cambridgeshire/Norfolk border.
@Fire I leave the hotel as it is and will then take care during the winter. I have plenty of bird baths for all animals that are in the garden, and there is a little pond next to the Bee B&Bs.
I ♥ my garden.