Bee help please...

[Turn7]

Ive got a very persistant Bee. Im pretty sure its a Red Tailed Bumble Bee Queen looking for a nesting spot.

Ive kicked her out of the bathroom for the last three days or so. Tonight, I made sure the bathroom window as tight shut, only for het to come in through the spare room window.

Shut that, and bugger me, she comes in throught he open back door.

Now, I guess she wants a nice home, but so do I.

Any ideas on how to discourage her ? I dont want to kill her. Her persistance is admirable.

[mike-r]

I don't know much about Bumblebees, but assuming they are similar to honey bees, if she is without a swarm then has likely been superseded in her hive and is likely to die. Keep the window shut I suppose.

As far as I'm aware a Queen cannot simply nest and start her own hive by herself.

[951TSE]

mike-r said:

As far as I'm aware a Queen cannot simply nest and start her own hive by herself.

Hi Mike, unlike honeybees in their hives only the queen bumblebee survives the winter, already mated to start again in spring. Same as wasps.

OP this website and forum maybe able to offer you ideas: http://bumblebeeconservation.org/

[Turn7]

Thats a good resource that site, thanks.

I heard her again this morning trying the bathroom window, but nothing since.

Hopefully she has found a new home.

According that site, she was deffo a Queen red tail.

[Nimby]

mike-r said:

I don't know much about Bumblebees, but assuming they are similar to honey bees, if she is without a swarm then has likely been superseded in her hive and is likely to die. Keep the window shut I suppose.

My wife is a bumblebee maven. She says: bumblebees don't swarm. The queen will be nesting now and raising workers. Later in summer she'll raise new virgin queens and males. Supercedure is very rare in bumblebees.

When honeybees supercede they kill the old queen, so you'll never see a superceded one flying around.

[Nightmare]

friend of mine in Leicester had a honeybee swarm move into his spare room - whole lot got in through an airbrick. He just taped up the spare room door and left them to it - they left after a few months of their own accord. The noise you could hear through the door was awesome! sadly he wouldn't let me open it to have a look

[lamboman100]

Nightmare said:

friend of mine in Leicester had a honeybee swarm move into his spare room - whole lot got in through an airbrick. He just taped up the spare room door and left them to it - they left after a few months of their own accord. The noise you could hear through the door was awesome! sadly he wouldn't let me open it to have a look

Good story to hear. Most people would, sadly, panic, over-react and kill them.

[sumo69]

I hope they were polite enough to leave him a few jars of the good stuff in lieu of rent??

David

[Pixelpeep]

Nightmare said:

friend of mine in Leicester had a honeybee swarm move into his spare room - whole lot got in through an airbrick. He just taped up the spare room door and left them to it - they left after a few months of their own accord. The noise you could hear through the door was awesome! sadly he wouldn't let me open it to have a look

That story literally makes me shudder

The noise...

[Nightmare]

David - my first question when they went! Sadly it would appear that when moving on they take literally everything with - certainly honeywise anyway. What was surprising was how little mess they made - and the room smelt amazing for about 6 months....really really lovely honey smell.

[ali_kat]

That's really cool of your mate, something I hope a lot of people would do for bees (ok, maybe not in your house unless it's a room you can do without!)

[Granville]

We had a massive swarm last Summer outside our house. Looks like they had their nest disturbed or something as the Queen was out followed by 1000's of her workers.

Next door rang the local bee folk who came out and popped the Queen who had settled in a small bush into a large box and all the workers followed her in.

He was really chuffed as he said they were rare Italian Honey Bees, possibly from a private collection.

[Nimby]

Granville said:

... Looks like they had their nest disturbed or something as the Queen was out followed by 1000's of her workers.

That's just a normal swarm - the old queen leaves with around half of the original colony (20-30,000) once the raising of a new queen larva is well under way.

[durbster]

This old thread might be of use.

As you'll see, I'm something of an expert in this field.