Feral honey bee nest sites

[Blacky50]

Over the years most of the older trees in much of the country have been removed, thus leaving fewer and fewer sites for bees to call home.

Has the time come to provide bee nest boxes just as many do for bird species?

I'm not suggesting back gardens for these just in case you were wondering!

Surely we can't have a situation where the only honey bees in the U.K. live in beekeeper provided hives. The larger gene pool of the feral population is valuable, as is their pollination services to countless flowers.

 

[wightbees]

Most will say there's no such thing, due to varroa! But saying that, there's a colony up in the sofit of a near by mill that has been there for years?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Over the years most of the older trees in much of the country have been removed, thus leaving fewer and fewer sites for bees to call home.

Has the time come to provide bee nest boxes just as many do for bird species?

.

I have one.

 

[REDWOOD]

I have a colony of bees that was a swarm that came out of a roof, the lady who contacted me about the swarm said that bees had been living in the roof for many years. They are dark bees and very gentle and a pleasure to work with, however not the best honey gatherers and do tend to be a bit swarmy.
So are they feral bees or AMM bees, not too sure, do I care? not really, as long as they are disease free and gentle

 

[Erichalfbee]

Bravo , Paul
Not every colony of bees should be part of a production line.

 

[Karsal]

Most will say there's no such thing, due to varroa! But saying that, there's a colony up in the sofit of a near by mill that has been there for years?

I agree they do survive longer than we think they will. There's one colony in a large beech tree on the next road from me been there three years. Varroa has'nt killed them yet.

 

[Poly Hive]

As of a year ago there was a tree colony close to Castle Donington which to my knowledge has been there for a good 9 years.

If you want to know more pm me please.

PH

 

[Levitt53]

There is a colony in the 4th floor roof of a county council owned residential building just down the road to me that I was shown this summer. They have been there for about 5 years apparently and swarm each year. I collected a swarm in the village before I found out about them and in hindsight I suspect that was where the swarm came from. I intend to ask them if I can put bait hives in their trees after Xmas which I presume they will agree too as they do nothing about it now.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Over the years most of the older trees in much of the country have been removed, thus leaving fewer and fewer sites for bees to call home.

A thought - these 'older' trees have only got to be that age because for the best part of a century this country has failed to manage its woodlands as they did in the past.
Before the first world war and for centuries previously most woodlands were managed intensively, trees weren't allowed to grow old they were either felled for structural timber, ship building etc or coppiced for smaller stuff such as tool making,footwear, domestic utensils firewood or charcoal and such.
So how did the bees survive then seeing as there wasn't that much 'beekeeping' really and it's only the last century's neglect that's afforded them 'ideal homes' ?

 

[REDWOOD]

It is not only trees that a swarm will find a home, I know of a colony that has made it's home in a railway embankment retaining wall, I look at it every day when walking to work. Its been there now for four years and don't think its died out and been repopulated but has swarmed every year in the third week of may

 

[drex]

I do not take every last scrap of honey out of my hives. That is just my style of beekeeping. I believe they will obviously do better on their own honey rather than sugar water. I have not had to feed any of my production colonies this year- we did have good late flows. I have had to give the nucs fondant. Bees will survive on sugar, just like I would on bread and water, but would they thrive? Each to their own.

 

[Poly Hive]

There was a figure of 40 acres of oak trees per ship given last night which is the volume of oak for a man of war in the 18th C and the person who quoted it was a direct descendant of the ship yard family so probably knows her stuff.

Anyone interested in the location of the wild nest in Castle Donington pm me please. Been there for many years and very dark bees.

PH

 

[Swarm]

I don't think we have run out of space, swarms are more often swooped up by a beekeeper.

 

[Eyeman]

Came across a feral colony in a tree when out for a walk this morning. Chosen a location just above ground level (top pic shows the split in the tree) right next to a busy public access road frequented by many walkers.

 

[Vortex]

Acquiring a feral colony next week.. They're 20ft up a beech tree (5ft diameter at base), which is being removed from a small suburban garden because it's become unsafe. The house owner wants the colony preserved if possible so the tree surgeon is sectioning the nest out of the tree. The whole loft has to be lifted over the house in sections and there's a 100ton crane ordered for the job (lift moment at length critera, the crane can't get closer than about 40ft, i.e the front of the house, to the tree).

 

[oxnatbees]

I monitor seven feral colonies in my village. 6 have been continuously occupied for years though one cavity died out a couple of times - I know the householder dislikes them and may be poisoning those ones. They're common round here. Swarms taken from them are fine without varroa treatment. Yes, valuable gene resevoir. Wing morphometry indicates Amm dominated hybrids.

 

[SDM]

They're hybrids, so wing morphometry indicates absolutely nothing.

 

[Gwr]

There are many feral hives sites that have been in trees and old building here in Gwynedd, specifically down towards Porthmadog and Pwllheli, for many years.

Over the years I know of 1 or 2 that have died off ( and the hive site gets replenished during swarm season ) but I have a diary of 18 feral bee sites that I have visited and checked in on every 10 to 14 days (when I have to visit the same site locations with work 12 months of the year) and I’ve been doing that since 1997 and they are mainly going well. I often wonder about the varroa on them as I know my own bee hives from the same areas, become rife with varroa during the year and don’t survive without me intervening.

Members of the local bee clubs here often give talks on the feral bees they have known and visit regularly which is very interesting.

 

[Quevy]

I like the idea very much.

Would you recommend to hang hollowed out trunks in trees ? Small boxes ? Any design you would recommend ?

 

[masterBK]

Anyone had swarms taking residence in Barn owl boxes (those put on top of high poles) ?
I mention this as I know a beekeeper with dozens of hives who for several years has had three of these owl boxes set up on his property but as yet none of his swarms have taken any of them over.