Bumblebee nest

[thistlebloom]

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?

Oh that's so unfair! Dang big brothers, haha!

Actually they are very quiet and you wouldn't know it was full of bumbles if you didn't look in the little hole in front. I am not going to relocate them, I will just refrain from knocking on the roof. See what a fast learner I am?

From what I read (not very much), the nest will die in the fall. Then I may take the house off the post and see about relocating the contents. From what I remember there is no easy clean out, I will have to unscrew the bottom. Hopefully I can remove the larvae (?) and put them in a different sheltered location to hatch in the spring and close the nest box up so nothing can nest in it. But I will miss the chickadees who like to use it.
Obviously I need to do some more reading up on this.

 

[flowerbug]

we may not be British, but i love this article and learned something new (amaryllis flowers give poisonous honey along with some other plants that are toxic to bees or make toxic honey).

but mainly i just loved their bee hotel picture at the bottom.

https://www.countryfile.com/wildlif...-spot-and-how-to-attract-bees-to-your-garden/