1. Honey dripping from the ceiling. 2. Bumblebees in the tumble-dryer outlet.

[Amari]

1: For a few days, honey has been dripping from a tiny crack between the ceiling of a dormer window and the window frame. The pic shows 24 hours' collection. Water 18%, Brix 80%. There are no bees dancing around outside the dormer (we have frequent tree bumblebee nests in our bird box, under roof tiles etc).
We've no idea where the honey is coming from or its age - the dormer faces due south so it could be melted crystallised honey - it's been very hot and sunny here for the last week. In our 20 years here we've never noticed honeybees in the thatch.
The loft is capacious but of doubtful safety so I'm not keen to investigate - we've not been up there for several years.
Second pic shows the dormer from the outside.
Anyone had similar?

2. Our neighbour across the road heard buzzing when opening their tumble dryer. Bumble bees are entering and leaving the outlet in the external wall. I caught one in my veil. It has a white bum, a yellow band on the thorax and on the abdomen. From the books I think it's a buff-tailed bb, Bombus terrestris. Apols for the unclear pic.

 

[Antipodes]

1: For a few days, honey has been dripping from a tiny crack between the ceiling of a dormer window and the window frame. The pic shows 24 hours' collection. Water 18%, Brix 80%. There are no bees dancing around outside the dormer (we have frequent tree bumblebee nests in our bird box, under roof tiles etc).
We've no idea where the honey is coming from or its age - the dormer faces due south so it could be melted crystallised honey - it's been very hot and sunny here for the last week. In our 20 years here we've never noticed honeybees in the thatch.
The loft is capacious but of doubtful safety so I'm not keen to investigate - we've not been up there for several years.
Second pic shows the dormer from the outside.
Anyone had similar?

2. Our neighbour across the road heard buzzing when opening their tumble dryer. Bumble bees are entering and leaving the outlet in the external wall. I caught one in my veil. It has a white bum, a yellow band on the thorax and on the abdomen. From the books I think it's a buff-tailed bb, Bombus terrestris. Apols for the unclear pic.View attachment 26623

We have a "manna" gum tree here. Not that of course
My first thought is a colony died..I heard of something like that where honey can run out.

In Adelaide where it gets really hot, honey will melt out of hives on hot days. We had 43 here and we've never got hotter, and with that my hives at home didn't leak honey, but in Adelaide when the temperature gets to around the 46 degrees mark (sort of the tipping point), apparently sometimes the honey starts to run out. Would it get that hot in the roof cavity I wonder?

That bumble looks like the one that has been brought here ...the bombus terrestris

 

[user 819]

Humbles don't store honey in great quantities and that which is stored are in small acorn type cup cells, It may be possible that there are old A.m combs up there.

 

[Karol]

It is quite probable that the colony was chemically treated before you moved in. Things were done very differently then and environmental controls on pest control were lax to say the least. The colony could equally well be close to the apex of the roof and it has taken all this time for the comb to break down and the honey to migrate. Unfortunately, it might take years for all the honey to come through. It looks like an awful problem. My heart goes out to you.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

It is quite probable that the colony was chemically treated before you moved in. Things were done very differently then and environmental controls on pest control were lax to say the least. The colony could equally well be close to the apex of the roof and it has taken all this time for the comb to break down and the honey to migrate. Unfortunately, it might take years for all the honey to come through. It looks like an awful problem. My heart goes out to you.

It's not long ago someone in the forum told us bee colonies in the structure of a house wasn't a problem I think.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Apart from that ...... a thatched home with roses. Wonderful

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Apart from that ...... a thatched home with roses. Wonderful ❤❤

If you like mice.................

 

[Gilberdyke John]

If you like mice.................

Mice wouldn't start stamping around in the loft with hobnailed boots at 3 am like the bloody squirrels I've got. somehow they can remove the peanut butter from the traps without springing the mechanism.

 

[drdrday]

Looking for the silver lining...
It's an improved version of the flow hive - stick a jar on the windowsill to collect your honey and don't worry about the bees

 

[pargyle]

Mice wouldn't start stamping around in the loft with hobnailed boots at 3 am like the bloody squirrels I've got. somehow they can remove the peanut butter from the traps without springing the mechanism.

Been there ... still there in fact - the little beggars have knawed a fresh hole in the soffit above a drainpipe - getting them out is the devil's own job and being certain they are out of the loft before I block up the hole ... The best traps I've found are the humane cage ones (you have to kill them after you've caught them) but they are getting wise to those as well and ignore even the tastiest morsels I put in the trap.

 

[Amari]

We have a "manna" gum tree here. Not that of course
My first thought is a colony died..I heard of something like that where honey can run out.

In Adelaide where it gets really hot, honey will melt out of hives on hot days. We had 43 here and we've never got hotter, and with that my hives at home didn't leak honey, but in Adelaide when the temperature gets to around the 46 degrees mark (sort of the tipping point), apparently sometimes the honey starts to run out. Would it get that hot in the roof cavity I wonder?

That bumble looks like the one that has been brought here ...the bombus terrestris

No, I'm sure it would never reach 46C in the roof cavity. When I said above that it's been hot and sunny, the max air temp has been 25C! That's hardly enough to melt crystallised honey so it's all a mystery.

 

[Amari]

Humbles don't store honey in great quantities and that which is stored are in small acorn type cup cells, It may be possible that there are old A.m combs up there.

Thanks, I was wondering if bumbles ever store honey in quantity.

 

[Amari]

It is quite probable that the colony was chemically treated before you moved in. Things were done very differently then and environmental controls on pest control were lax to say the least. The colony could equally well be close to the apex of the roof and it has taken all this time for the comb to break down and the honey to migrate. Unfortunately, it might take years for all the honey to come through. It looks like an awful problem. My heart goes out to you.

We're not that despondent yet! I think we'll wait and see what happens when it gets cooler. If it only happens on hot sunny days then that won't be all that often! Might be a problem if/when we go away.

 

[Amari]

Apart from that ...... a thatched home with roses. Wonderful ❤❤

Yes, it's Madame Gregoire Staechelin

SWMBO chooses the roses: and being a modern languages graduate she chooses them for their names rather than their colour. Thus we have Madame Isaac Periére, Veilchen Blau, Gruss am Teplitz, Reine Olga de Wurtenberg, Pierre de Ronsard, Madame Caroline Testout, Madame Alfred Carriere, Leverkusen, Sombreuil, Compte de Champagne amongst others.

I despair....

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes, it's Madame Gregoire Staechelin



I despair....

I hope some of those a simple roses rather than the blousy multi petalled useless for pollinator type

 

[The Poot]

I hope some of those a simple roses rather than the blousy multi petalled useless for pollinator type

I agree Dani.
Heres a couple I admired in the garden today, but no honey bees on them...

 

[Amari]

I hope some of those a simple roses rather than the blousy multi petalled useless for pollinator type

'Fraid not.

 

[madasafish]

Mice wouldn't start stamping around in the loft with hobnailed boots at 3 am like the bloody squirrels I've got. somehow they can remove the peanut butter from the traps without springing the mechanism.

I have one of these
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Easipet-Hu...ocphy=1007121&hvtargid=pla-700115996624&psc=1
Bait it with peanuts.
Squirrels find it irresistible.

6 squirrels down...

 

[victor meldrew]

Humbles don't store honey in great quantities and that which is stored are in small acorn type cup cells, It may be possible that there are old A.m combs up there.

And certainly nowhere near 18%

 

[pargyle]

I have one of these
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Easipet-Hu...ocphy=1007121&hvtargid=pla-700115996624&psc=1
Bait it with peanuts.
Squirrels find it irresistible.

6 squirrels down...

That's the one I have as well ... worked well to start with - seems they are getting a bit too cute of late to take the bait.