Bees in my garage

[Hendrik]

I wasn't sure where to post my questions, but since I'm not a beekeeper (yet - or am I? ), and since I'm new to the forum, this is probably as good a place as any.

So, I've been having some visitors in my garage - that's what my questions relate to. I love seeing wildlife in my garden and previously had mason bees (I assumed) living in the ground (a dry area of grass underneath a trampoline). Lovely to see them all out & about working hard.

This year though I saw some bees going into my garage, and discovered that they were going underneath one of the bottom shelves of a storage unit. They seem to be happily going in and out, and I'm happy for these lodgers to be there. However, I'm wondering if there's anything I should or shouldn't do?

I was in the middle of a garage clear-out and clean-up, so I'm wondering what I will find when I eventually move the shelving unit to clean behind and underneath?

More importantly, when can I safely move the shelves (and by that I mean - in a safe manner for those potentially living underneath it), i.e. when I stop seeing activity, or leave it longer?

I may not be a beekeeper, but since it seems I now keep bees on my property I feel a bit responsible!

Many thanks in advance.

 

[pargyle]

They are unlikely to be honey bees ... they will either be bumbles or if there are a lot of them they could be wasps ? Can you get a photo of them ?

 

[enrico]

Lovely post but as Pargyle says....we need a bit more info. A photo, or identify the flying things yourself and get back to us for more help

 

[blackcloud]

Get some marigolds and a fleece on and put your camera phone under there.
If they're bumbles they will be gone by winter
If they're honey bees they won't!
Wasp paper nest can be removed in winter.

 

[ericbeaumont]

anything I should or shouldn't do?

Nothing, preferably, because whether they're wasps or bumble bees they'll be gone by September and you can have your garage back. Just don't disturb anything in the area of the nest and you can continue to use the rest of the garage.

now keep bees on my property I feel a bit responsible!

Well said!

 

[Hendrik]

They are unlikely to be honey bees ... they will either be bumbles or if there are a lot of them they could be wasps ? Can you get a photo of them ?

Sorry for the delay, I ended up away from home, ran out of data, and without the WiFi I was promised... I tried to attach a short video which failed, but this is one frame of it. Definitely not wasps, but I did notice different sizes of bees

 

[Hendrik]

Lovely post but as Pargyle says....we need a bit more info. A photo, or identify the flying things yourself and get back to us for more help

Now I'm back home I'll have a look tomorrow if there's still activity, and try to take some pictures (or a video, but my phone keeps complaining when I try to take them... )

 

[pargyle]

Now I'm back home I'll have a look tomorrow if there's still activity, and try to take some pictures (or a video, but my phone keeps complaining when I try to take them... )

My guess, although it's a bit of a blurred image - Bombus Hypnorum - Tree bumbles.

 

[Hendrik]

Nothing, preferably, because whether they're wasps or bumble bees they'll be gone by September and you can have your garage back. Just don't disturb anything in the area of the nest and you can continue to use the rest of the garage.


Well said!

Thank you, I have done exactly that so far. They enter the garage through the small gap underneath the garage door, which I do occasionally need to open and use myself, which seems to temporarily confuse them a little! They've always come back so far

 

[Hendrik]

Get some marigolds and a fleece on and put your camera phone under there.
If they're bumbles they will be gone by winter
If they're honey bees they won't!
Wasp paper nest can be removed in winter.

Thanks! I'll keep an eye on any activity and in the meanwhile I'll try to get some pics to identify them, so I know what to do. The gap underneath the bottom shelf is only a few millimetres from the ground (or rather, the metal frame is, where the MDF shelf rests on), so I have no way of seeing what they're up to underneath it!

 

[Hendrik]

They are unlikely to be honey bees ... they will either be bumbles or if there are a lot of them they could be wasps ? Can you get a photo of them ?

Not a lot of activity this morning but I did see one bee - see video. A very small one; there have been bigger ones.

 

[Hendrik]

Lovely post but as Pargyle says....we need a bit more info. A photo, or identify the flying things yourself and get back to us for more help

Just happened to catch this little one leaving!

 

[Swarm]

Bombus Terrestris, buff tailed bumble by the look of them. I once had a nest in the wall below a barbecue and they would come and go as I was cooking.

 

[enrico]

In the winter they will disappear and the queen's will overwinter elsewhere. The wax will be eaten by wax moth as there isn't much of it. In the winter just clear it all out. They are loveable little creatures.

 

[BoStor]

Have a bumble bee nest under the floor of my small henhouse which I disturbed when changing the bedding. 100’s of them and was glad of my beesuit so as to finish the job but wife got stung while having a look.