I found masses of baby bumble bees in clumps of grass around a tree once. gave me a hell of a fright when I put my hands around the grass to pull and it buzzed :)
peter148,
Feb 15, 1:23pm
-1
Had a nest somewhere inside my house, they were getting in and out through a crack in the plaster cladding.Reluctantly I had no choice but to poison them with Mortein spray.
You can make them, OP. I just leave some biscuit tins about the secrion, with a smallish hole in them. Put them under the eaves, in a porch or woodshed/whatever, with some sheepskin scrunched up inside. We have a 50-75% occupancy rate most years. Poster #3 - it is never necessary to poison bumble bees, they would've have left of their own accord, (leaving no mess) and that's when you block up the hole.
figjamto,
Feb 15, 7:11pm
Really ! I must try this.goes off to search in kitchen cupboards for old biscuit tins.
brucet3,
Feb 15, 8:35pm
Sounds great. Is it really that simple!
tarant,
Feb 16, 6:25am
cool!
I disturbed a huge ground nest in some agapanthus roots releasing masses of Bumblebees, who all returned 'home' within about 20 minutes, spectacular sight, completely innocuous and welcome in my garden
astroflight1,
Feb 16, 7:42am
OMG me too.I just have to try this.I have just been out watching my guests on my beans, and commented to the cat that the bumble bees never miss a day's work.So lovely!
junie2,
Feb 16, 8:07am
Yes, really that easy.And although they don't winter over( like honey bees -we have a hive of them too ) they do seem to come back to the same vicinity - so once you've got'em, you should always get'em! We got on to the sheepskin lark when the cats' beds kept getting invaded - LOL.
russ18,
Feb 16, 6:07pm
Came across a nest under a house once, avoided it but one of them stung me anyway - my one and only time stung by a bumble bee,
pickles7,
Feb 17, 6:34am
I will try your approach, the elaborate one I built from untreated wood with a feeding chamber as well as a nesting chamber along with an enclosed front porch, did not attract one. LOL. An old tin and sheep skin, sounds nice and snug. We do need to treasure bumble bees, they are the bees that have set most of my beans this year.
amasser,
Feb 17, 7:33am
Programme was on Choice TV this morning about loss of pollen-plentiful plants suitable for bees and butterflies, leading to reduced pollination of the plant crops that we rely on. Might be repeated.
junie2,
Feb 17, 1:36pm
Bumping for new poster.
pickles7,
Mar 14, 2:24pm
We are going to plant lots of lavender and rosemary near our beans next year.The bees were very busy on both of those plants last year, the problem was they were both on the other side of our house. We ended up with plenty of beans, but not as plentiful as usual.
smoocher,
Mar 14, 3:48pm
We have two separate nests on the property at the moment. One is down by the fish pondinside an old preserving pan that was left leaning up against thehouse wall, and the other is behind the aviary, in the potting corner inside a large terracotta pot. Both positions are very sheltered, no rain gets to them and the bumbles have worked all summer in my garden.
kattagee,
Apr 17, 10:00am
we've had heaps of bumble bees this year including a hungry baby who came into the kitchen last night.I gave him some honey syrup which he sucked up and left this morning when he had warmed up. I will try the nest advice,they are so staunch and brave, need every encouragement
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