The Bees Knees

[Pumpkin Becki]

Sounds good to watch, PB.
I've only ever watched honey bees come and go before and never thought a whole lot about how bumbles do things.
I'm going to have to make some bee-homes/nests here and see if I can get some of my own to pass some time watching.

There are very very absorbing BigShot, you won't be disappointed, I promise.

[Lotsaveg]

It was amazing watching the bumblebees yesterday. The nest has grown to almost fill the plastic hive and many of the workers now spend their rest time inside the roof of the wooden lodge. They don't seem to mind me opening the lid to watch them and the guard bees still sit in the entrance holes completely unaggressive! There's been not even the slightest hint of annoyance from the bees!

The nest has obviously grown quickly since it was set up in mid March as there's been a huge supply of pollen from the forsythias nearby, and I'm sure I now have new queens amongst the colony. These are absolutely massive in size compared to the rest of the colony and were going out for flights yesterday.

However, they always returned without any pollen so I guess their just enjoying the easy life whilst the workers are bringing back the harvest. It's hard to believe how such big bees can manage to fly so well!!

[chris]

So, are bumbles aggressive? Enjoying reading the thread

Like if you woft a wasp away, it seems to get a bag on with you instantly. I've never really attempted to shoo a bumble away before.. do they sting/have stings?

[Hilary B]

Most bumblebees don't sting, although I'm not sure about queens, and I think there are bumblebee types that can sting.

[BigShot]

... I'm sure I now have new queens amongst the colony. These are absolutely massive in size compared to the rest of the colony and were going out for flights yesterday.

However, they always returned without any pollen so I guess their just enjoying the easy life whilst the workers are bringing back the harvest. It's hard to believe how such big bees can manage to fly so well!!

My guess is they were on mating flights... but that's based on a limited knowledge of honeybees, so I may be wrong.

Like if you woft a wasp away, it seems to get a bag on with you instantly. I've never really attempted to shoo a bumble away before.. do they sting/have stings?

Bumbles have stings, and unlike honeybees they are not barbed... so not only can they sting, but they can sting multiple times.

Generally bees will only sting if you are perceived as a threat to the colony (hence angry bees when you open a conventional hive, exposing the brood next) or if you stress the bee directly (wafting it away, putting a hand or bare foot on it and so on). Stingless bees are an obvious exception to this, but they are tiny and - I think - not in this part of the world.

[Pumpkin Becki]

I just thought I'd let you know I've updated my blog (link below), with the arrival of our Beepol

[lizzylemon]

Wow what really interesting thread guys. It's lovely to read about the coming and goings of the various lodges / hives but even more interesting to know how knowledgeable you all are on this subject. I love seeing bumble bees, they always make me smile and despite being stung (and highly reactionary to the venom) I'm never scared of them. Beautiful little bumblers

[BigShot]

Lizzy - if the venom is an issue, keep a fast acting benadryl in your pocket any time you're liable to be stung (or just always, it's easier). One of the ones in the two-part gel capsules. If you get stung open the capsule and dump the powder under your tongue.

It doesn't taste great, but it gets into your system very fast and gives you plenty of chance to get to hospital if the reactions you have are of that degree (and they do get progressively worse for some people).

[Pumpkin Becki]

Ooooh I've just had an exciting email from Ian Bedford, Technical Director at Dragonfli (the company that supply the Beepol). He says that the Beepol will be featured on the Horticultural Channel (Sky 166) this Sunday!! Tune in gang!!

[Lotsaveg]

My Beepol's been going for a month now and thanks to an abundance of pollen the nest has grown at a tremendous rate.

I had a look today and the box appeared to be almost full!




So, I decided to have a go at removing the top plate of the nest box and allow the bees to expand the nest outside of its confines and into the wooden lodge.

Using a thin bladed pair of scissors, I carefully cut through the four blobs of glue that fixed the top plate onto the box.



The bumblebees did get quite annoyed and were buzzing around my hands and head, but none of them stung me as I removed the plate and closed the lodge lid. Probably it was a foolish thing to do, but at least the nest can continue to grow if need be.

They're now happily flying in and out of the entrance holes on the lodge and bringing back all sorts of different coloured pollen.

I was also able to dip the end of my little finger into one of the honey pots the bees had produced and taste it... It was amazing!!! Such a pity there's not enough to harvest and spread on a piece of toasted fresh bread!

[pipscariad]

Wow, Lotsaveg, that it a truly amazing picture - what industry, bless them!

Further to my post on this thread a while ago, I did contact the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, and will post their reply below - or rather their 'policy statement' on purchased bee colonies, as I had several very interesting and informative replies, but this is the definative one that they suggested I used on the forum. It's quite long, but interesting reading.

Many environmentally minded members and bee supporters have been in contact with us this year regarding the potential purchase of a live bumblebee colony. It is now possible to buy an established colony of bumblebees of the native subspecies Bombus terrestris audax. This will last for a few summer months before naturally dying. There are excellent opportunities for the educational use of these colonies and pollination benefits in some circumstances.


Some people have expressed concerns about the potential negative consequences of using these colonies. Bombus terrestris audax is a species which can be found in most places throughout the UK so it’s introduction will have little or no ecological consequences through competition. There are a few places where this species does not occur however, including the Outer Hebrides and other Scottish islands, and it would be prudent not to release this subspecies in areas where it is not naturally present. If large numbers were released in areas where rare bees occur then there is the slight possibility of competition with these more specialised species. However, given that most of these live colonies will be placed in urban or suburban areas (where rare bumblebees tend not to occur), this is not a major concern for us. Our greatest concern is over the potential for spreading disease. Although the bumblebees are native to the UK they are reared overseas. There are risks, which we are not yet able to eliminate, that either bumblebee or honeybee diseases could unwittingly be imported with the colonies. This is an area in which research is currently being conducted. It should be noted, however, that bumblebees such as these are imported commercially on a large scale for use in glasshouses and polytunnels. The choice of whether or not to purchase a single live bumblebee colony will make very little difference to the total risk of disease importation, relative to the risks associated with the use of live bumblebees in horticulture.


When deciding whether or not to purchase a live bumblebee colony, individuals will need to ask themselves a few questions:

1. Am I using this colony for educational purposes – to teach children about bumblebees and how to help them, for example?

2. Am I keen to boost the pollination of fruits, vegetables and wildflowers in my garden or allotment?

3. Am I concerned about declining bees and wishing to help their populations


If the motivation for the purchase is primarily for educational use then this is something that we would support. We would be happy to provide factsheets and other materials to help with raising awareness of the importance of bumblebees and how to help them. Any risks and very small, relative to the existing risks from the much more widespread horticultural trade in live bumblebee colonies.

If for pollination, there are some situations for some crop species that an increase in pollination may be expected. Bombus terrestris audax is a short-tongued species and will be especially effective in pollinating tomatoes, peppers and fruits. It is less well suited to deep flowered crops such as peas and beans. The Bumblebee Conservation Trust does not oppose the sale of live Bombus terrestris audax colonies for these purposes. The sale of these colonies, under present legislation, is in our view legal. When these colonies are used in both educational and pollination contexts we would encourage people to ensure that the colony has access to plenty of suitable flowers throughout the spring and summer to ensure that it (and other bumblebee colonies in the area) remain well fed and healthy. A list of recommended plants can be found on our website.


If the motivation underlying a potential purchase is to help stop the decline in our bumblebee populations then in our view it is more important to address the primary cause of these declines, which is the dramatic drop in wildflowers in the wider countryside. Planting cottage garden flowers in your garden, managing community green spaces to encourage wildflower or joining the Bumblebee Conservation Trust would be a more effective method of helping our wild bees. In much the same way as you wouldn’t stock a dried out riverbed with fish and expect them to thrive, it seems unwise to place live bumblebee colonies in an otherwise sterile environment. The UK needs rivers of flowers.

I for one am busily planting foxgloves, and have sown some Borage and plan to have Vipers Bugloss for my bumbles too.

Here's to a lovely, Bumblebee filled summer for us all!

[Lotsaveg]

Thanks Pipscariad,

It's nice to hear that the Bumblebee Conservation trust are now actually supportive of the Beepol hive!

I might even invest in a second one for my greenhouse when the tomatoes begin to flower

[Lotsaveg]

Bumblebee Superstars!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVIVr...layer_embedded

[Lotsaveg]

Thought I'd show you what I found less than 24 hours after removing the hive lid.. The bumblebees have been busy building a roof to the nest chamber!

[BigShot]

Lotsaveg - I see they had already started with the covering when you removed the lid, but I wonder... have they focussed on covering the nest since you removed the roof? Were they happy with the tighter space or what?
So many questions!
I'm loving the updates though. So different to honeybees.


Pipscariad - thanks very much for the copy of the BCT's email. That strikes me as a very well worded reply.

A few hives won't make much difference.
Importing bees when the real problem is a habitat issue is a waste of time.
They are fascinating and educational things.

I think the point that really stood out to me is the same as I made earlier though, that importing bees is lunacy when considering the threat of importing new diseases that currently haven't reached these shores.
As they rightly pointed out though, it's a much bigger problem than a few boxes brought in for the garden.

There are people calling for an outright ban on bee imports to the UK though, so be aware that these things may not be available (unless they move breeding operations to the UK) forever.