A swarm of bees!!

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Spreckly
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A swarm of bees!!

Post by Spreckly »

I heard buzzing in Ted's workshop a few days ago, and assumed a bumble bee had got in, but to my horror, there are bees in the roof cavity.

Yesterday a friend who is a bee keeper came to have a look, and put a bait box outside for them to go into. But they haven't, and are still buzzing outside.

This morning early I went out and got water from the water butt near their residence, thankfully it was too early for the critters, but they are out now, and my friend is coming shortly to have a look, before I phone a number which she has given me. I want them gone, they are too near the greenhouse, and my tomato plants require at least a daily watering.

It is so annoying, and as soon as I get one thing sorted, another problem appears, this is one I have not dealt with apart from the odd wasps nest years ago.

One of the problems is that the hardboard ceiling will have to be taken down, and a neon light strip is attached to it. yike* yike* It has been bad enough seeing Ted's abandoned workshop without any of this disruption.
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Mo
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Re: A swarm of bees!!

Post by Mo »

{hug} {hug}
They don't usually sting unless you disturb them, but if you want them gone then the sooner the better before they get an established colony going. Swarms are usually easy to take because they are looking for a new home.
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wendy
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Re: A swarm of bees!!

Post by wendy »

Please look for a local bee keeper online. They should come and get them.
Please, please do not let anyone destroy them. Bees are very precious.
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Spreckly
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Re: A swarm of bees!!

Post by Spreckly »

I have a local man coming tomorrow afternoon, hopefully he will be able to take the swarm away. The joiner came this morning to renew a rotten gatepost, and when I mentioned about the bees, he told me that his Dad is a bee keeper.
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wendy
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Re: A swarm of bees!!

Post by wendy »

)like(
http://www.busheyk9.co.uk

If you can't be a good example........
you will just have to be a horrible warning
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Mo
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Re: A swarm of bees!!

Post by Mo »

Stay indoors while he does it.
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Sunny Clucker enjoyed Folk music and song in mid-Cheshire
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Spreckly
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Re: A swarm of bees!!

Post by Spreckly »

The bees turned out to be bumble bees, and the bee man couldn't find the queen. The nest was revolting, it put me off my tea, which doesn't take much doing. So most of the have cleared off as their home, which was in the ceiling of the workshop had to be taken down. There are around half a dozen still flying about outside their entrance area.

It has been a difficult few days, and once the small number clear off, the bee man and his joiner son will return to replace the ceiling and neon light, and also fasten up the entrance.
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Re: A swarm of bees!!

Post by Gwenoakes »

When the ceiling and light is sorted, Spreckly you will hopefully have a more peaceful time. Take care. {hug}
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Re: A swarm of bees!!

Post by fabindia »

Spreckly wrote:I want them gone, they are too near the greenhouse, and my tomato plants require at least a daily watering.


Sorry to hear of the inconvenience to you. On the other hand bees close to the greenhouse and tomatoes are a real bonus. Commercial tomato growers often import bumble bee nests from Eastern Europe as their wings vibrate at exactly the right frequency to dislodge the pollen.

If you were so inclined, and you could live with them, bumble bees will die in the autumn when the new fertilise queens fly off to find a hole somewhere to over winter. The same goes for wasps - so in the past I have just left wasps nests in my shed until the winter when I simply cut the nest out. Difficult I know if you are not comfortable with tthem.
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Spreckly
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Re: A swarm of bees!!

Post by Spreckly »

Thank you Gwen.

That is interesting Michael re bees being useful with tomatoes. Oddly enough, even though the greenhouse door is only about six feet away from the bees, I have not seen any of them in the greenhouse.

Looking forward to everything being back to normal!
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Spreckly
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Re: A swarm of bees!!

Post by Spreckly »

Not content to have the bee swarm, it rather looks as if wasps have a nest on the outside of the workshop! There are several buzzing around, and the odd bee was inside yesterday.
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Spreckly
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Re: A swarm of bees!!

Post by Spreckly »

I am still sweeping up a few dead bees from teh workshop floor, and the bee man has not been back yet to put the ceiling back up. This is now propped up under the carport yike* There are no bees flying around their entrance hole now, thank goodness.

The wasps are still there. I gave the area a poke with a clothes prop a couple of days since, and out they came!! I had a can of spray at the ready, and they got quite a blast, but today my can of foam wasp killer arrived. So far I have not had the courage or inclination to use it.
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Re: A swarm of bees!!

Post by Gwenoakes »

I am glad the bees are no more, Spreckly.
Do be careful with the wasps though, as they will sting just for the sake of it unlike the bees.
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