Bumblebee nest

[thistlebloom]

I have a bird house by the front door that is intended for decoration but has been used by chickadees now and then. Yesterday I noticed a bumblebee going in under the roof, and tapped on the roof when I went by. I know. I'm a genius .

Several bumbles came out sounding not very pleased and started looking for me. Fortunately they aren't as zeroed in on maiming like a hornet or a wasp and was able to walk away far enough that they gave up and went back to the bird house.

I took a picture and tried to look up what kind of bumblebee it was, Forest bumblebee I think, since it was the closest I could find on the PNW identification site.

So far they have not been bothered by us going in and out the front door, and Kid#2 gave me some valuable advice: Don't bang on the roof, mom.

 

[flowerbug]

the only time i've had them come after me was when i grabbed one by accident when it was on a flower and i was harvesting seeds and didn't know i'd grabbed it. ouch. they are otherwise very mild bees. considering how close i am to as many bees as i am here when i'm in the gardens i'm surprised by how little i get stung. seems like most of the time when it happens it is because they get trapped in my clothes somehow. even the hornets/wasps/etc i knock down off the house don't usually get me (some try but i have a long stick and get away fast enough ).

my other run in, which i encouraged by spraying them with poison was a nest of the smaller bumble bees when they tried to nest in the wall of the shed. when i sprayed i had a very determined few bees that were not in the nest figure out who was the source of trouble and one of them managed to sting my shoe so from then on they were chasing me and trying to sting my shoe even more. that was an interesting day... they can sting more than once (as i think those forest bumblebees can also sting more than once).

 

[seedcorn]

Knowing where it is at, I’d relocate them at night. Hate to think they get irate because of ? (Weather change, bumped, it’s Thursday) and someone gets stung multiple times. They are bees, not rational thinking beings.

 

[thistlebloom]

Good thought, but I'm not sure how I'd accomplish that smoothly. The birdhouse was hard to get on the post and may be even harder to get off. I'll see how it goes I guess. I'm going to put a sign on it to remind us to be careful around it (not with nails ).

 

[Carol Dee]

the only time i've had them come after me was when i grabbed one by accident when it was on a flower and i was harvesting seeds and didn't know i'd grabbed it. ouch. they are otherwise very mild bees. considering how close i am to as many bees as i am here when i'm in the gardens i'm surprised by how little i get stung. seems like most of the time when it happens it is because they get trapped in my clothes somehow. even the hornets/wasps/etc i knock down off the house don't usually get me (some try but i have a long stick and get away fast enough ).

my other run in, which i encouraged by spraying them with poison was a nest of the smaller bumble bees when they tried to nest in the wall of the shed. when i sprayed i had a very determined few bees that were not in the nest figure out who was the source of trouble and one of them managed to sting my shoe so from then on they were chasing me and trying to sting my shoe even more. that was an interesting day... they can sting more than once (as i think those forest bumblebees can also sting more than once).

I am so sad to hear you sprayed a nest of POLINATORS ALL bees are good. O.k. they should not build in your walls. Call someone in a bee club etc... they will come and remove them. DH does this for people. He takes the bees and any honey as his fee. Also pretty sure No bee can sting twice. Could have been a wasp ?

 

[seedcorn]

Good thought, but I'm not sure how I'd accomplish that smoothly. The birdhouse was hard to get on the post and may be even harder to get off. I'll see how it goes I guess. I'm going to put a sign on it to remind us to be careful around it (not with nails ).

Close their exits, so if they get mad, what can they do? Open next day or next night. One day of confinement is not the end of their world.

 

[flowerbug]

I am so sad to hear you sprayed a nest of POLINATORS ALL bees are good. O.k. they should not build in your walls. Call someone in a bee club etc... they will come and remove them. DH does this for people. He takes the bees and any honey as his fee. Also pretty sure No bee can sting twice. Could have been a wasp ?

bumblebees, smaller bumble bees, squash bees, mason bees, are commonly called bees, but some of them can sting more than once. honey bees cannot. these were not honey bees or hornets or wasps. i do know roughly my bee species.

it was in the wall of the shed, which we used many times a day, it was not a choice i wanted to make, but as it was it turned out to be the impetus for me to finally fix that shed up so that no more mice or bees could get in the walls or ceiling.

we provide all sorts of habitat and food for bees here and i'm very aware of the good things they do. we provide so much habitat that a local bee farmer sites 50-60 honey bee hives out back along the property line.

today when i was out in the gardens watering i was watching a lot of bees scurrying around of many species. i'm pretty sure we do more for bees in this area than the surrounding monoculture farm fields provide.

 

[Carol Dee]

bumblebees, smaller bumble bees, squash bees, mason bees, are commonly called bees, but some of them can sting more than once. honey bees cannot. these were not honey bees or hornets or wasps. i do know roughly my bee species.

it was in the wall of the shed, which we used many times a day, it was not a choice i wanted to make, but as it was it turned out to be the impetus for me to finally fix that shed up so that no more mice or bees could get in the walls or ceiling.

we provide all sorts of habitat and food for bees here and i'm very aware of the good things they do. we provide so much habitat that a local bee farmer sites 50-60 honey bee hives out back along the property line.

today when i was out in the gardens watering i was watching a lot of bees scurrying around of many species. i'm pretty sure we do more for bees in this area than the surrounding monoculture farm fields provide.

Thank You and the bees thank you

 

[flowerbug]

Thank You and the bees thank you

we planted different kinds of annual cosmos this year, in the past i've grown them because they are a later summer flowering annual that the bees just love. it is fun to sit and watch who is visiting when they start blooming. last winter i was giving away seeds for them and was getting low in my supply of seeds. i'm hoping this year i'll have a good crop of seeds to give more away.

they are one of the best flowers i've ever seen for the large variety of bees. if you (or anyone) would like a sample of seeds PM me and i'll send some for planting next year. they are also available on the seed racks at the stores, but i am quite happy to send some out since they are light enough to go by regular mail. all i ever ask for in return is that you keep passing them along to anyone who wants them...

 

[so lucky]

When I was about 8, I was at my grandma's in the country. My older brother and cousin found a ground nest of bumble bees, the big kind, about an inch long, and threw rocks at the nest, getting them all stirred up, and ran away. Then I come along, tagging after my brother, and the bumble bees got me. One stung me on the ankle, three times. It swelled up so bad I could hardly walk. I still have three little scars on my ankle, 62 years later.
Thistle, as long as no 10 year old boys throw rocks at the bird house, you'll probably be ok.
I wonder what bumble bees do in the winter? Would it be safe to move the nest then? Do they hibernate or fly south, lol?