Bumble Bee Nest

[jalongy]

Hi there,

We have a large Bumble Bee nest at the front of our house on the roof which means we cannot open the bedroom windows withough them flying in which is a bit of a nuisance.

I know they are a protected species so does anyone know how I can get the nest removed?

I phoned Southwark Council but they told me they could not help.

Grateful for any advice.

[steveo]

Learn to love it

[fl0wer]

Put up a gauze screen of some kind, so you can have the windows open without any insects getting in. A mosquito net or muslin curtain would do.

In the frosty end of the year most of them die. A few hibernate, these usually fly to other sites by Oct/Nov.

All bees and other pollinator insects are so close to the brink of survival we have to invent ways to tolerate them for this year.

Humans providing better sites for them in future will encourage them away from lofts and porches and sheds, which is the issue really, e.g. some Bumble Bees prefer sandy banks for their nests, where voles have left holes, and wasps want wood so they need to choose old hollow trees.

[Penguin68]

I think you will find that bees (honey and bumble) are not in fact protected (I wish they were) - there have been attempts to get them protected, but not effectively so far.

[Alex K]

The critters are under the eaves of our next-door neighbour's porch; their flight path seems calculated to make one flinch on coming up our walk. But none of us has ever been stung. We've shrugged and said, "They won't be back next year." And it's good to have them around, even if they are close enough to make us nervous.

[v_the_gelfling]

Check this thread:

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?20,1118939,1137270#msg-1137270

[fl0wer]

No, don't bother, because someone with hives only wants Apis Mellifera, the honeybee.

[sk1009]

Ahh. I thought it was only me who had loads of bees flying around in my gutter but then I noticed that they are in my neighbours gutters as well. It seems as though we are being invaded by bees in dulwich this summer. The only worry I have is that I am allergic to bees and so I an keeping all my windows closed.

[Zebedeee]

Hi, I am a qualified pest controller. Bees aren't protected, but when dealing with bees we explore every option before destroying a nest. Usually the best option if the nest is accessible is to remove it which is best dealt with by a bee keeper or pest controller. There are strict regulations when dealing with honey bees regarding access to honeycombs that have been treated with any insecticide. Bees are docile creatures and not aggressive like wasps.

[i*Rate]

jalongy,

We have them bees nesting in our loft and they are going in under the guttering board at the rear of the house. We went along to the Wildlife Centre in Marsden Road with a photo of one of the bees and they identified them as Tree Bees, from Europe, that have only been in the UK for ten years. They are obviously very good for all of the plants and no more dangerous than any other bee. We are just going to keep ours but if you are concerned do get in touch with the Centre and maybe a beekeeper will collect and 're-home' them.

Kind regards.

[fluffy]

We also have bees nesting in our wall so currently keeping living room windows shut, we were told that to remove them they would have to be destroyed so I'll happily put up with shut windows instead. Also I'm guessing it's no coincidence that plants on our roof that hadn't flowered much before are now in full bloom!

[jalongy]

Thanks everyone for all the helpful comments. I will leave them be and then it seems they will move on after the summer.

[fl0wer]

just to add, a week or two ago this was on another thread from the Beekeepers Assoc:

Re: Wasps nest

Posted by lizbells6 June 29, 06:23PM

Please note that the London Beekeepers DON'T collect wasps nests and I'm afraid we don't move bumble bees nests either.

We can collect swarms of honey bees from gardens, trees, outside walls etc up to an accessible height, within a day or two of them arriving. The swarm is then taken to a local apiary to be quarantined and checked for disease and a laying queen. We have a waiting list of members wanting new colonies.

[Dulwichmudlark]

Watch them and enjoy them