Insect id help!

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Discussion

David A

Original Poster:

3,611 posts

252 months

Monday 6th May
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This is inside the owl box (no owls yet)

Beetles, bees, flys, roaches????? They are burrowing into to wood shavings

Sorry for the pic quality.


Simpo Two

85,709 posts

266 months

Monday 6th May
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They look like bees to me though I can't tell what size they are.

Nightmare

5,194 posts

285 months

Tuesday 7th May
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Definitely bumblebees of some flavour love

David A

Original Poster:

3,611 posts

252 months

Tuesday 7th May
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Nightmare

5,194 posts

285 months

Wednesday 8th May
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Well that’s awesome! Bumblebee nest in the making. Admittedly not owls but heh, if they want to move in there’ll be a lots of furry snacks already there (disclaimer I doubt owls actually eat bees but we may now get to find out)

And you weren’t lying about that being a short video hehe

David A

Original Poster:

3,611 posts

252 months

Wednesday 8th May
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Ok here’s a longer vid. Defo a big one and some little ones.

Do need to get them out and re home though!

https://youtu.be/5y_264iNyXI?si=wziRp1kLOjc9hHLn

Simpo Two

85,709 posts

266 months

Wednesday 8th May
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David A said:
Do need to get them out and re home though!
Do beekeepers collect bumblebees? I thought they wanted honey bees.

Nightmare

5,194 posts

285 months

Friday 10th May
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Yeah I don’t think people come and relocate bumblebees for you. And from my standpoint it’s hard to suggest displacing one ‘species that needs help’ for another!

That said - it looks a lot less like they’re actually doing anything worthwhile in the second vid. They may have decided it’s too big for them, fingers crossed

Have you had owls in there previously?

David A

Original Poster:

3,611 posts

252 months

Friday 10th May
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They never moved in though - just house hunting !

To be honest I think the box being black recycled rubber product is going to be too hot for the bees. Re rehoming I was just going to scoop up into an ice cream box and put into the woods nearby. Or rather have some less allergic to bites/stings to do it !

Nightmare

5,194 posts

285 months

Friday 10th May
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That’s a fabulous picture!

Is heat not a concern for baby owls then? I’m slightly surprised anything would be able to live in a rubber box in summer here!

Bumblebees nearly never sting - most of them can’t IIRC. I certainly catch all the ones in our conservatory with my hands anyway and no issues so far. Don’t suppose you have a spare normal wood bird box you could stick on a similar tree and move them into there? (if they’re staying)

David A

Original Poster:

3,611 posts

252 months

Friday 10th May
quotequote all
Nightmare said:
That’s a fabulous picture!

Is heat not a concern for baby owls then? I’m slightly surprised anything would be able to live in a rubber box in summer here!

Bumblebees nearly never sting - most of them can’t IIRC. I certainly catch all the ones in our conservatory with my hands anyway and no issues so far. Don’t suppose you have a spare normal wood bird box you could stick on a similar tree and move them into there? (if they’re staying)
It’s an owl trust box - see the number / label on the bottom right it’s registered etc. wooden ones can rot apparently and owls nest for life or until they want to move hence why it’s a bigger getting them to move in.

Also the bumble bees nearly never sting …… this is where I find out the hard painful way they aren’t bumble bees !

Simpo Two

85,709 posts

266 months

Friday 10th May
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I thought bumblebees lived underground, not in nest boxes... are we sure they're really bumblebees?

Silvanus

5,325 posts

24 months

Friday 10th May
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Simpo Two said:
I thought bumblebees lived underground, not in nest boxes... are we sure they're really bumblebees?
Look up Bombus hypnorum, tree bumblebees. They have a liking for bird boxes and roof spaces. A warm owl box would be perfect.

Simpo Two

85,709 posts

266 months

Friday 10th May
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Silvanus said:
Look up Bombus hypnorum, tree bumblebees. They have a liking for bird boxes and roof spaces. A warm owl box would be perfect.
Good to see the specific name with lower case first letter. Sorts the science graduates from the media studies graduates smile

Common Porpoise

696 posts

171 months

Friday 10th May
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They could be using the wood shavings to build their nests elsewhere perhaps.

Nightmare

5,194 posts

285 months

Saturday 11th May
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David A said:
It’s an owl trust box - see the number / label on the bottom right it’s registered etc. wooden ones can rot apparently and owls nest for life or until they want to move hence why it’s a bigger getting them to move in.
Good to know, thanks smile

David A said:
Also the bumble bees nearly never sting …… this is where I find out the hard painful way they aren’t bumble bees !
Pah, what’s life without a little risk eh?!

They still in there today?

Silvanus

5,325 posts

24 months

Saturday 11th May
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Common Porpoise said:
They could be using the wood shavings to build their nests elsewhere perhaps.
They are most probably tree bumblebees, Bombus hypnorum

https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/learn-about-...