Bumble bee calls - getting bored repeating myself

[TOBY-3652]

This evening I removed two (!) tree bumble nests in bird boxes from the bungalow of an old lady (on sticks). One either side of her rear (garden ) door and rather aggressive even for TBs.

They apparently attacked and stung here whenever she opened her rear door - the nestboxes were mounted on the house wall.

One was an open robin box - sealed with cardboard/gaffer tape and wire mesh. The other should have been easier being a nest box with a hole - but the back was rotten...(you often cannot unscrew them as the screws are inside the birdbox).. Three stings later and 2 meters of gaffer tape....

When safely installed on trees at home, they showed their appreciation by stinging my wife on the nose: no venom so not dangerous...just painful.

The old lady was quoted £163 (incl VAT) by a pest control company to remove them...

Anyone who says TBs only sting when attacked is not living in my world......

163 QUID BLOODY HE-- PLUS VATMUST PUT MY PRICES UP

 

[Itchy]

Garbage.... TB's can be very defensive around the nest and a sting, with the wrong reaction can be VERY harmful to humans

Agreed

 

[TOBY-3652]

that seems an awful lot of money.

it is wish i could charge that..£ 45. 00 i charge

 

[Itchy]

it is wish i could charge that..£ 45. 00 i charge

For doing what exactly?

 

[TOBY-3652]

for doing what exactly?

what ever needs to be Done

 

[MuswellMetro]

Agreed

we are getting 20 calls a day on the tree bumblebees this week as the drones are dancing infront of their nests courting the virgin queens, if you arenot getting that level of calls just wait until they get establishedi n your area in a few years time, you will stop collecting swarms

most tree bumble at a lower level a than roof eves have stung someone before we get the call , they are much more aggressive than any native bees,the old advice leave alone and they wont sting is now not acceptable The BBKA web site doesn't even memention them & assume all bumbles are ground dwellers

any small vibration of their nest ,so a window opening, door banging, lawn mover near their bird box nest, and wham defensive sting mode

 

[psafloyd]

CHANGE the post code on your BBKA profile to one near your prefered collection area, I used to use my work address as my boss allowed me to collect swarm near my works

I already use the postcode I want, but there is something screwy with the search function.

 

[psafloyd]

I have just asked for my name to be removed after umpteen calls about bees "oh they are definitely honey bees" most knew full well they weren't they just wanted to get me there to deal with it. So the time has come to remove myself from the swarm lists, and pest controllers lists as well.

If you make it clear that you will charge £x for expenses but will not remove bumble bees, they will soon tell you they'll check and call back.

 

[psafloyd]

we are getting 20 calls a day on the tree bumblebees this week as the drones are dancing infront of their nests courting the virgin queens

That explains a lot.

 

[psafloyd]

Sorry but this is utter tosh.

Everyone, beekeeper or not should be doing their bit to help out bees. Like I said in an earlier post, as a beek, you should point blank refuse to kill off any bumblebee nests and try to educate people - whether they listen or not.

And as for your comments on Bumblebee charities and pesticides - don't get me started

I can see the need if aggressive tree bumbles, but I tell them I won't do it.

 

[YorkshireBees]

I am sending out this if we get emailed

Unfortunately we are only insured to remove honeybees swarms not bumblebees nests nor Bee colonies in biuldings (We also are not licenced to use pesticides), We do know of a private company whose ethics are the similar to ours and they are insured and licenced to carry out the any work, if you want to contact them their telphone number is XXXXXXXXX

However to try and help the following is a digest that I have repeatedly being giving callers regarding a new species of Tree Bumble bee which your Bees most probable are that is because they nest in a holes and voids usually above 10ft .We are currently receiving high levals of call up to 20 per day on this new species of bumblebees

1.This species Bombus hypnorum first arrived from France at Southampton in 2000 prior to which it had not been recorded in this Country It was first seen in London around 2005 and has now spread throughout the UK

2.It regularly nests under guttering accessing to between joists in lofts & building a small wax nest under the heating insulation.corrugated shed rooves and bird boxes

3.If it is round & furry & has a white tip to its tail then that's what it is.

4.You will not have noticed them until their mating ritual commences .In this a number of males congregate at the nest hole & dance (up & down in flight ) waiting the arrival of the virgin queens (The Male bees cannot sting but the Worker and Queen bees can) .Following mating the queens leave the nest

5.Lasting a few days the process is repeated some 4 weeks later, the colony dying gradually & finishing their life cycle in late July/early August .This year due to the early Spring they should finnish by mid to late July
.
6.Nesting so high and provided they are not disturbed they do not normally present a Health & Safety Risk.

7.If nesting above a window it has been found that the window can remain open during the day, the bees not being invasive such as wasps & if the room is to be illuminated then shut thewindow in early evening and open again when dark. This will prevent the last returning bees to be attracted to the light .A net curtain is also useful .

8.Bird nesting boxes are sometimes adopted by this bee as a nesting site should the owner forget to clean after the season concludes. Once more provided it is not attached to a shed or door that vibrates when opened they do not present a problem but can be relocated after dark if required.This should only be done by an expert & should be moved at least 2 miles away
.
9.All Bumble Bees are vitally important for theenvironment , particularly this year as many native ground nesting species are in decline following last winters flooding.

I like that ^^^ Can I use some of it on my own page??

 

[madasafish]

MM's point 8:
8.Bird nesting boxes are sometimes adopted by this bee as a nesting site should the owner forget to clean after the season concludes. Once more provided it is not attached to a shed or door that vibrates when opened they do not present a problem but can be relocated after dark if required.This should only be done by an expert & should be moved at least 2 miles away

Is fine but in my experience the two mile limit is unnecessary. Most of the boxes I move are well within 2 miles.. and no apparent returning to original site seen...

 

[psafloyd]

Had one today. Not even sure if they were honey bees.

Easy one, apparently, as they have builders in doing an extension. Only 3m up in a cavity wall...

Sorry, mate, not insured to do it that high.

Funny how so many of these calls are NOT about swarms and even the honey bees have been cut outs. I'll certainly charge more if I get one of those.

 

[domino]

That is without a doubt the most ridiculous statement I have EVER read on this forum.....

Blimey, that's passing a pretty high standard!!!

 

[madasafish]

5 calls for tree bumbles this am, went out for two of them (the £20 callout charge discourages most).. one took 5 minutes of reassurance and the other an hour of sealing up holes in soffits after ejecting most of the inhabitants on a borrowed ladder.....

That's 12 calls in a week.. last year was 5 for the year..

The mild winter warm spring weather seems to have lead to a population explosion: next year is not going to be fun if the same occurs...