I saved a bee today!
Discussion
BoggoStump said:
Not seeing many bees this year lets hope they visit my garden soon
Got loads in our garden at the mo. Wifey is pretty good at planting flowers they like. None in the garden have injured my dog, yet walking into the agility field on wednesday he stepped on one the poor little bugger 
Some piriton and standing in the paddling pools to help cool it and 45 minutes later he was running perfectly.
Hello everyone! Well, I must say I am delighted and even a little bit moved with all your lovely responses. Thank you so much, it's made me smile in the midst of a rather difficult week or so.
It's life-affirming that so many other people gently care for our precious nature, and derive such pleasure from getting up close and personal with all our creatures.
A couple of things - firstly, the posters who mentioned that honey is a bad idea to use - duly noted, and I shall go for the sugar water plan next time. With regard to some people questioning the ratio, apparently according to this website (Backyard Beekeeping) it should be two parts sugar to one part water. Seems that this then mimics the syrupy type consistency of honey.
I've also cleared a ten foot strip of flowerbed in my garden, and planted 'Bee Bombs' - these are clumps of wildflower seeds, especially good for our stripy little friends.
It would be great to see any pictures posted up of bees taken in people's gardens, if you have any!
Anyway once again, thanks everyone for their contributions, and I look forward to reading other success stories too!
It's life-affirming that so many other people gently care for our precious nature, and derive such pleasure from getting up close and personal with all our creatures.
A couple of things - firstly, the posters who mentioned that honey is a bad idea to use - duly noted, and I shall go for the sugar water plan next time. With regard to some people questioning the ratio, apparently according to this website (Backyard Beekeeping) it should be two parts sugar to one part water. Seems that this then mimics the syrupy type consistency of honey.
I've also cleared a ten foot strip of flowerbed in my garden, and planted 'Bee Bombs' - these are clumps of wildflower seeds, especially good for our stripy little friends.
It would be great to see any pictures posted up of bees taken in people's gardens, if you have any!
Anyway once again, thanks everyone for their contributions, and I look forward to reading other success stories too!
Ray -
I've found some of the most bee friendly plants in our garden are also the ones that have the best use in the kitchen/house too
First in our garden is the small apple trees at the end. The bees love all the apple blossom.
Just after that that the Rosemary Bush goes mental with bees as it erupts in a cloud of tiny blue flowers.
Shortly after that the chives get swarmed.
Our garden then goes quiet for about 4-6 weeks for bees.
The lavender is just starting to come out now so hopefully we'll have a few more beds appearing.
I've got a butt load of foxgloves (which should absolutely not be used in the kitchen!) growing in small pots which should be in well into full flower this time next year so I'm hoping that will fill in the lull in future.
I've found some of the most bee friendly plants in our garden are also the ones that have the best use in the kitchen/house too
First in our garden is the small apple trees at the end. The bees love all the apple blossom.
Just after that that the Rosemary Bush goes mental with bees as it erupts in a cloud of tiny blue flowers.
Shortly after that the chives get swarmed.
Our garden then goes quiet for about 4-6 weeks for bees.
The lavender is just starting to come out now so hopefully we'll have a few more beds appearing.
I've got a butt load of foxgloves (which should absolutely not be used in the kitchen!) growing in small pots which should be in well into full flower this time next year so I'm hoping that will fill in the lull in future.
Well done OP!
I too do this whenever possible, ususally end up saving a couple of bees each year when they fly in through the rear of the house and can't find an exit.
It's a tiny act in the grand scheme of things but it just feels like a decent thing to do.
They are cool little buggers too, my last one did the 'suck up some honey, have a quick wash, give human a high-five' before flying off
I too do this whenever possible, ususally end up saving a couple of bees each year when they fly in through the rear of the house and can't find an exit.
It's a tiny act in the grand scheme of things but it just feels like a decent thing to do.
They are cool little buggers too, my last one did the 'suck up some honey, have a quick wash, give human a high-five' before flying off
Carried in a mile and a half from school to her boyfriends then give it some sugar water. It recovered and flew away. She's a good kid. On the subject of rescuing animals I saved this little chap just now.
I was on a tip run and I found him on the floor by a skip and just about to be flattened. I scooped him up and gave him a lift home in the car. He’s just been set free in the garden. Roam free, Sammy!
I usually hate slugs!
I was on a tip run and I found him on the floor by a skip and just about to be flattened. I scooped him up and gave him a lift home in the car. He’s just been set free in the garden. Roam free, Sammy!
I usually hate slugs!
Found a very sorry looking bee today on the compost bin looking like it was for off.
Mixed up a bit of sugar water in a jar lid and scooped it up on a leaf. It immediately started drinking and sat there for about half an hour. Then drank a bit more before flying off on its merry way.
Shouldve taken some photos really dowh.
Mixed up a bit of sugar water in a jar lid and scooped it up on a leaf. It immediately started drinking and sat there for about half an hour. Then drank a bit more before flying off on its merry way.
Shouldve taken some photos really dowh.
I've spent all my spare time this year on my hands and knees ripping up a very overgrown 200sq m 'lawn' by hand, it's so long with such a dense thatch that even a petrol brush cutter couldn't get through it.
I'm intending to reseed it as a bee friendly native wildflower meadow this Autumn, buggers had better appreciate it.
I'm intending to reseed it as a bee friendly native wildflower meadow this Autumn, buggers had better appreciate it.
Chubbyross said:
On the subject of rescuing animals I saved this little chap just now.
I was on a tip run and I found him on the floor by a skip and just about to be flattened. I scooped him up and gave him a lift home in the car. He’s just been set free in the garden. Roam free, Sammy!
I usually hate slugs!
A Leopard Slug, very useful in the garden as it only eats rotting vegetation not live plants, and it will attack and kill other species of slugs that do eat your plants.I was on a tip run and I found him on the floor by a skip and just about to be flattened. I scooped him up and gave him a lift home in the car. He’s just been set free in the garden. Roam free, Sammy!
I usually hate slugs!
mike74 said:
Chubbyross said:
A Leopard Slug, very useful in the garden as it only eats rotting vegetation not live plants, and it will attack and kill other species of slugs that do eat your plants.A few weeks ago we had (everyday) about 4-6 bee's (think honey type) in our front living room, when returning from work.
Some dead, some dying. We manage to save most of them with sugar water but couldnt fathom where they were coming from, as the windows weren't open very far. Then they just stopped after 4-5 days.
Also had a bumble bee nest, which started last year, in the roof. They seem to come for about 2-3 weeks then disappear.
I saw a bee struggling, I left it. Survival of the fittest, nature kills some off, it decides.
If there was a man made reason for it to be struggling, then yes help it, but otherwise bee population is doing fine and this genetically weak bee has been deselected.
Something will have come along and eaten it and so not gone hungry.
My garden is full of them, as have some plants they love.
If there was a man made reason for it to be struggling, then yes help it, but otherwise bee population is doing fine and this genetically weak bee has been deselected.
Something will have come along and eaten it and so not gone hungry.
My garden is full of them, as have some plants they love.
Edited by hyphen on Tuesday 3rd August 16:39
As a complete contrast to the friendly bees, we've recently discovered a wasp nest around the wall that joins our garage to the neighbors.
As the windows are usually kept open during the day for air flow, we've had loads of the horrid b
ds flying in..
Wouldn't be so bad (though I do hate them with a passion) but I'm always worried the dog will eat one or get stung.. I was making breakfast the other morning and caught one crawling across the kitchen floor, so it'd been in there all night and was half dead on the floor..
Can nests actually be destroyed or do we have to just put up with it?
As the windows are usually kept open during the day for air flow, we've had loads of the horrid b
ds flying in..Wouldn't be so bad (though I do hate them with a passion) but I'm always worried the dog will eat one or get stung.. I was making breakfast the other morning and caught one crawling across the kitchen floor, so it'd been in there all night and was half dead on the floor..
Can nests actually be destroyed or do we have to just put up with it?
I've just ordered a Bee saver kit. It should also be interesting for young children.
https://friendsoftheearth.uk/bees/donate-save-brit...
https://friendsoftheearth.uk/bees/donate-save-brit...
smithyithy said:
As a complete contrast to the friendly bees, we've recently discovered a wasp nest around the wall that joins our garage to the neighbors.
As the windows are usually kept open during the day for air flow, we've had loads of the horrid bds flying in..
Wouldn't be so bad (though I do hate them with a passion) but I'm always worried the dog will eat one or get stung.. I was making breakfast the other morning and caught one crawling across the kitchen floor, so it'd been in there all night and was half dead on the floor..
Can nests actually be destroyed or do we have to just put up with it?
Wrong thread As the windows are usually kept open during the day for air flow, we've had loads of the horrid b
ds flying in..Wouldn't be so bad (though I do hate them with a passion) but I'm always worried the dog will eat one or get stung.. I was making breakfast the other morning and caught one crawling across the kitchen floor, so it'd been in there all night and was half dead on the floor..
Can nests actually be destroyed or do we have to just put up with it?
but as it's August not only a couple of months before they are gone and they don't return to the same nest again I think.But yes, you can destroy it, either yourself or by getting a man in.
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