Bee's Nest in the most inappropriate place on Allotment

[MarkHackwell]

I was clearing up on the plot yesterday and was moving some wood and pieces. I wanted to shift a raised bed but it appears I have a bee's nest in amongst some broken up weedliner. They look like bumble bee's going into a nest however bumble bee's usually live in hives I thought? Could it possibly be the mining bee?

I poked the nest with a stick and had a bit of a hiss from the bee so it didn't seem to happy

The problem I have is I want to use this part of the plot so what is the best option for me to get rid of this nest? and if I was to try and move it would I get stung? and kill the larve inside?

[nickdub]

Almost certainly a bumble nest - some types nest at or near ground level.

It's not impossible to move them if you can get at them, but they do sting and the nest itself is likely to be fairly fragile. On the up side its unlikely that there will be more than say 20 adult bumbles around as its early in the year. If I was attempting it I'd want a good light source and protective clothing as you can only really be sure to get them all at night.

The workaround is to put up some sort of barrier like an old curtain or a piece of plywood, which means they have to fly above it to get to their nest entrance, so leaving the space in front of the barrier to you.

[Snoop Puss]

Are you able to post a picture of the bees and nest to confirm identification?

[MarkHackwell]

Are you able to post a picture of the bees and nest to confirm identification?

I will try and get a picture shortly

How close could I dig to it? as I really want to try to leave it there but I need to move most of the raised bed as I need to plant some potatoes! What a place for them to be!

[smallblueplanet]

I'm not sure how long they nest for at one time but I think it's a couple of months?

https://www.bumblebeeconservation.or...ked-questions/

[Plot70]

I have seen a large bumble bee come into the kitchen several times during a spell of warm weather.
It went under the washing machine while it was switched on at one time.
It just kept on coming into the kitchen and got stuck on windows several times.
The weather cooled and we have managed to get it out now.

[nickdub]

I will try and get a picture shortly

How close could I dig to it? as I really want to try to leave it there but I need to move most of the raised bed as I need to plant some potatoes! What a place for them to be!

Bumblebee nest this time of year will be a good deal smaller than a football in size. As for how much you need to move to get it intact its impossible to say without seeing it really - they are pretty fragile things and often are made in abandoned mouse nests in a dry bank. Digging round it like an archaeological excavation with a small trowel and say a carving knife would be what I'd try - a good large terracotta flower pot would make a decent replacement residence for them if laid on its side after the bees were in it and dug into a sunny bank somewhere or even put on a shelf in a poly tunnel.

[Plot70]

I don't thing wild bees would take to being moved like captive honey bees do.

[nickdub]

I don't thing wild bees would take to being moved like captive honey bees do.

It's been done before, one quite famous writer/scientist kept a bumblebees nest in their study for a while, can't remember who off-hand. Also, I believe a lot of large tomato producers use Bumblebees kept in boxes to pollinate tomatoes in their Greenhouses.

It has to be said however that the chances of successfully moving a bumblebee nest like this if you've not done it before is pretty low - I only mentioned it as often people see the other option to an inconveniently sited nest as killing off the bees - not that I would imagine any members of this forum would do that.

[veggiechicken]

Please don't harm the bees and the nest - welcome them because they'll be helping you to pollinate your plants.

If you know where the entrance is, you'll be OK working up to it from behind. I put a sort of tunnel over the hole (big broken flower pot laid on its side) so that they have to fly into the tunnel to get to their nest. You can see exactly where the nest is and avoid it.

The more you poke them with sticks the more likely you are to irritate them and be stung. They won't harm you if you leave them in peace.

[Madasafish]

Bees orientate to the nest entrance.
So unless you move them at least 1 mile away, they will fly out and come back to the site of the original nest .

The nest will be empty end August.

As a beekeeper my advice is always to leave if possible.

Bumble bees are pretty inoffensive if left alone and do a great deal of good..They are also in decline due to a combination of chemicals, lack of forage and garden decking over etc.

[woodlouse]

I can understand the frustration of having bees - or almost any animal - deciding to settle down in the most inconvenient of places or spots. I have had/hopefully will continue to have this year... I don't even know what (mortar bees, wasps) doing their thing above my kitchen back door. This will be my third year, and they do cause some minor frustration when I have to go on a dancing jig with a tea towel and open windows to overtly try and corral them out. I just put some music on an make the most of it. Turn it into a game where no injury and out the window are a hi-score.

Sorry, it probably doesn't help you in a genuine sense, but I try to enjoy and turn it into a game. Same with ants: So easy to coerce them, if you apply a little knowledge... and so much fun too, when you can genuinely see them react to your inventive and non destructive shenanigans.