I live in North Yorkshire,& so far this year I have only seen 1 ladybird! This is strange,I usually have lots,as I garden organically,anyone else noticed the lack of these pretty insects?
There are hundreds of [bumble?] bees in our garden over the last couple of weeks, mainly around the plum tree. The flowers are long gone and the fruit not yet developed. It has a huge aphid infestation (helped by ants). Are the bees after the honey dew or any chance they're picking off some aphids?
We have just found a bumblebee nest in our 'fallow' compost bin. We usually start using this bin again at the end of Autumn. What do we do about the nest?
We have bees going in an out an overflow pipe so we think they are nesting in the wall, they are common bees not honey. We really want to get rid of them and my neighbours keep asking us what we are going to do as they are concerned they may chew their way through. Any ideas on what we can use to flush them out or are we best off waiting I've read they should go by the end of the summer is that right?
The bees won't chew through anything, they don't have teeth! They'll be gone by October at the very latest, some are gone by July. Bumblebees are very endangered so it would be great if you could put up with them until the autumn, when they'll die off. Then you can block the hole to prevent any other bees making a nest next year. They really won't do any harm. If you'd like more information/advice about them you can get in touch with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust: http://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/
Thanks for the advice, they aren't bothering us at all, more my neighbours worrying that if we block up the hole they will find a way into their house. I will reassure them that by autumn they will have gone and we will block the hole up then.
My 3 yr old granddaughter was stung last year by a bee which terrified her now with her sitting with me watching the bees on my alliums and talking to the bees she is fine infact she gets excited when she sees them in the garden I have been surpised at how many differant colouerd bees there is as i have never really paid much atention to bees before. Patsi i to have not seen any lady birds this year.
I have had the good fortune of having a bees nest down the bottom of my garden for nearly 4 months now. On average their are 10 to 20 bees in and out every hour.It is situated in a bank of soil which i have put a wooden supporting barrier ,two foot high, against. The bees took advantage of a knot hole in the wood, and have been going about their business day to day without fail. To my horror , i have not seen hide nor hair of them since last friday. It is very secluded where it is situated, so they would not have been disturbed by any humans, could someone explain the disapperance please.
I too have bumble bees in my compost. I really want to distribute some of the compost around the garden now! I've taken some away without disturbing the nest or the entrance hole. At first the changed shape of the heap confused some of the bees, and some of them took several attempts before they found the hole again. What can I do to avoid disrupting the nest too much whilst using my compost as intended - distributing it around the garden now rather than in Autumn?
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BF In Oxted, Surrey
Bumblebees do lick the spilled honeydew from leaves. They're not interested in aphids though.
The bees won't chew through anything, they don't have teeth! They'll be gone by October at the very latest, some are gone by July. Bumblebees are very endangered so it would be great if you could put up with them until the autumn, when they'll die off. Then you can block the hole to prevent any other bees making a nest next year. They really won't do any harm. If you'd like more information/advice about them you can get in touch with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust: http://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/
I have been surpised at how many differant colouerd bees there is as i have never really paid much atention to bees before.
Patsi i to have not seen any lady birds this year.