Bees
About bumblebees
There are about fifty different species of bumblebees in the UK. They are semi-social and will live in a colony for part of their life. Bumblebee colony nests may be set up in old trees or lofts. The nest will grow in size during the spring and summer to about the size of a cricket ball. When the weather cools, many of the bees die and the queen goes into hibernation for the winter.
Although bumblebee stings are painful, bumblebees will only sting as a last resort when they feel themselves very threatened. Bumblebees are important crop pollinators and their numbers in the UK have declined to the point where there is serious concern for their future survival. Because of this, we will happily give you advice about how to live with and accommodate these gentle creatures for the short time they will be staying on your property. We will not intervene or interfere with them unless we think that there is an immediate danger from their presence.
About honey bees
Honey bees are social insects and build nests of wax in cavities to store honey. They are the bee species kept by beekeepers.
Worker honey bees have a barbed sting which they leave behind in the flesh after stinging. A sac of venom also stays attached to the sting and continues to deliver the venom through the sting.
Whilst swarms of Honeybees can be alarming, a competent Beekeeper can usually sort them out. They should be left undisturbed until he arrives. We can remove swarms and colonies from chimneys and airvents but the process is slow, difficult and expensive.
About solitary bees
Solitary bees, as their name suggests, are not social insects and do not live in colonies. Instead, individual female bees will dig tunnels in walls or soil and lay their eggs inside.
Solitary bees are not a problem but are sometimes percieved to be one. The main worry is caused by the females digging tunnels in brickwork, however there is little evidence that they could cause structural damage.
It's almost impossible to get a solitary bee to sting you. They try to look as dangerous as possible to scare off predators but they really are harmless.
What happens during our visit?
Our biologists are happy to come and look at and advise on all bee problems. Usually we try to help you understand why the bees are there, what attracts them, how long they will stay and what to do if you are worried about pets or children. Of course, we are a business and cannot do all this for free but we believe that for a modest charge, most people are happy to help to do a little something to help conserve our native wildlife and protect the environment.
