bumble bees in trees.....

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

ive gotta say, i have only ever found bees aggresive on one instance, when they had been feeding on nothing but rape on a field edge, and aggresive was not the word, we ended up asking for the removal of the hives.

 

you couldnt get within 100ft without being attacked in a major way. I was told they get this way if they feed on the same thing for too long?

[Saw-sick Steve]

What's going on here then...........interspecies mating or a bit of parasitation?

 

 

saw it in a cemetery at the weekend

 

 

.

That is almost certainly a mating pair, at a guess Bombus lapidarius or possibly B.rudearius.

It's not uncommon for some species to continue to return to the nest they grew up in after mating, to fatten up on nectar and pollen for the long winter hibernation. Late summer is the classic time for Bumble's to mate, queens can hibernate surprisingly early.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

That is almost certainly a mating pair, at a guess Bombus lapidarius or possibly B.rudearius.

It's not uncommon for some species to continue to return to the nest they grew up in after mating, to fatten up on nectar and pollen for the long winter hibernation. Late summer is the classic time for Bumble's to mate, queens can hibernate surprisingly early.

 

This is a great thread with some top info, good stuff:thumbup:

[David Humphries]

That is almost certainly a mating pair, at a guess Bombus lapidarius or possibly B.rudearius.

:

 

Thanks Steve

 

 

 

.

[Gnarlyoak]

HI, was chogging down a dead willow the other day & found a bumble bee nest. Stopped work & left the trunk up (tree is safe for the time being) butb don't know what to do about it. Local council says leave it & hope bees relocate but i've a feeling they'll just burrow deepern into thw tree which won't solve my problem. Killing them isn't an option, I won't do it & the client doesn't want that done anyway..

 

Anyone else come across this before?

 

Spooky, I did just last Friday, chogging down a large lightning struck ash in Cheshire.

 

Had noticed a few bumbles in the vicinity and did'nt really think much of it until I felled the main stem at about 3.5m, revealing a cavity from which several sawdust covered bees emerged. Given that bumble bees are having a bit of a rough time we decided to chog down the remaining stem to approximately the same height but leave the remainder of the trunk as a monolith and therefore save the bumbles nest. The client was more than happy with and supported our decision.

 

So remainder of the tree was reduced, and despite several squadrons of bees buzzing about to inspect progress (yeah they did seem strangley attracted to the "buzzing" of the chain saw) they never really seemed to pose any threat or bear me any ill-will. Or so I thought.

 

All went fine until after the last piece was taken off and I then I came down and had just got my feet on the ground when one of the little swines decided we had far outstayed our welcome and stung me right on the end of my snosch. Ow flippin ow you ungrateful little get. Spent Friday night in the pub with my mates laughing at my bulbous red swollen probiscus.

 

You try and do endangered wildlife a favour, and look at the thanks you get. Grrrr...... next time, petrol and a match go down the cavity....

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Spooky, I did just last Friday, chogging down a large lightning struck ash in Cheshire.

 

Had noticed a few bumbles in the vicinity and did'nt really think much of it until I felled the main stem at about 3.5m, revealing a cavity from which several sawdust covered bees emerged. Given that bumble bees are having a bit of a rough time we decided to chog down the remaining stem to approximately the same height but leave the remainder of the trunk as a monolith and therefore save the bumbles nest. The client was more than happy with and supported our decision.

 

So remainder of the tree was reduced, and despite several squadrons of bees buzzing about to inspect progress (yeah they did seem strangley attracted to the "buzzing" of the chain saw) they never really seemed to pose any threat or bear me any ill-will. Or so I thought.

 

All went fine until after the last piece was taken off and I then I came down and had just got my feet on the ground when one of the little swines decided we had far outstayed our welcome and stung me right on the end of my snosch. Ow flippin ow you ungrateful little get. Spent Friday night in the pub with my mates laughing at my bulbous red swollen probiscus.

 

You try and do endangered wildlife a favour, and look at the thanks you get. Grrrr...... next time, petrol and a match go down the cavity....

 

Im sure it wasnt personal! lol, dont napalm the poor little blighters:thumbdown:

[pedro]

to anyone who thinks the loss of bees is not serious:

“If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man.” — Albert Einstein

 

No bees, no food : Columbia Valley News

for complete article.

If you find wild colony, you must ring the local Bee Sheriff (yes they actually exist) and he will be very glad to take it away. I have 1 hive (wild origin) and they have been doing fine. If you are unsure about whether they are honey bees, try google image, they look like wasps with dark brown instead of yellow stripes. (brown/black). They are very docile until you threaten their home, wouldnt you be?)

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Land management and farming for bumblebees

 

Endangered status

Bumblebees are in danger in many developed countries due to habitat destruction and collateral pesticide damage. In Britain, until relatively recently, 19 species of native true bumblebee were recognised along with six species of cuckoo bumblebees. Of these, three have been extirpated,[21][22] eight are in serious decline, and only six remain widespread.[23] Similar declines in bumblebees have been reported in Ireland, with 4 species being designated endangered, and another two species considered vulnerable to extinction.[24] A decline in bumblebee numbers could cause large-scale changes to the countryside, leading to inadequate pollination of certain plants. The world's first bumblebee sanctuary was established at Vane Farm in the Loch Leven National Nature Reserve in Scotland in 2008.[25]

 

Some bumblebees native to North America are also vanishing, such as Bombus terricola, Bombus affinis and Bombus occidentalis, with one, Bombus franklini, that may even be extinct.[26]

[Bundle 2]

Endangered is not the same as "Protected" though is it?

A surprising reticence by DEFRA or Natural England (or whichever body)

The deseases found in colonies of honeybees that are managed, some are notifiable. American Foul Brood amongst them.

I found some interesting links here....

https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/index.cfm