Masonry bee query

[WingCommander]

I was called out to a local school on Tuesday with a query about bees in an adjacent building. There seemed to be some activity high up on the outside of a wood clad building - entering through a few knot holes but in two separate places. I went into the building and was surprised to see that it was entirely vaulted so there was no roof space at all. The walls are c. 8 inches thick with boarding on the outside so I decided that they could not be honey bees as just not enough room for them to build a colony. I explained this to the school and said they would probably be harmless but in an extreme position the holes could be filled in and the bees would die off. They called me back and asked if I would come in and do this.

Firstly, do you think that my assumption is right and that they are likely masonry/mason bees? Secondly if I decide to fill the holes in then should I do it during the day or in the evening - I want them to have a chance at surviving and the idea doesn't sit well with me but if i don't do it they will get an exterminator in and it is a primary school so they are nervous.

Any further thoughts most welcome...

 

[.B.]

If it was me I would try to persuade them that killing a few solitary bees that are high up on a school building is madness.

Unless they isolate the entire school under a biodome then insects will fly into the grounds sometimes. They probably think the mason bees are going to rapidly multiply and become a killer swarm, which of course will never happen.

Red mason bees are only active from March to June so the 'threat'(!) will be brief too.

I think it's up to those of us who have any knowledge at all of bees to resist the ignorance and fear that might guide someone else's decisions in these instances.

 

[WingCommander]

Do you think they are likely to be Mason bees then? Hard to tell from a distance...

And I have tried to persuade them, however they want them gone and it's me or exterminator.

 

[kazmcc]

You have to try really hard to get a solitary bee to sting you, and their stings aren't anywhere near as potents as hbs or wasps. They will be using the holes as nests, so if you block them up those eggs already laid won't be able to emerge next spring and will die in there. I wish I was close by, they could use this opportunity to learn about our wild bees and observe their life cycle. The children are in no danger at all!

If you send me a picture of one I can identify it for you, and you can go in armed and ready with info.

 

[kazmcc]

Do you think they are likely to be Mason bees then? Hard to tell from a distance...

And I have tried to persuade them, however they want them gone and it's me or exterminator.

How many are we talking? Although solitary, solitary bees will live in sometimes quite large aggregations at suitable nesting sites. A pic would help. Any dead around you could get a pic of?

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

And the same keyboard that makes the payment to the exterminator will be thrashed with an irate letter to the Grauniad about global warming. Sometimes I'm very glad to be old.

 

[kazmcc]

And the same keyboard that makes the payment to the exterminator will be thrashed with an irate letter to the Grauniad about global warming. Sometimes I'm very glad to be old.

 

[.B.]

Do you think they are likely to be Mason bees then? Hard to tell from a distance...

And I have tried to persuade them, however they want them gone and it's me or exterminator.

It seems very likely although of course I can't say for sure. They are active at this time of year and this is the sort of thing they do.

They nest under and between the tiles on my roof and like kazmcc says there can be a few nesting individually in the same area, which on a warm day makes it look like there's lots of bees up there.

I would read up on their lifecycle online, then have a conversation with whoever it is making the decision. Chances are that they will be open to learning more and rethinking once they understand what is happening up there. For one thing wild bees have been in decline. The children would probably be interested in them and like them being there if they understand they are quite rare and precious.

In a way it doesn't matter if they are mason bees or another kind of solitary bee, they really don't pose any threat and will never multiply greatly or swarm.

When you say you or the exterminator... there isn't much difference really if you are going to block the holes. I would refuse personally and hope that that might give them cause to rethink, but I'd try and explain about the lifecycle first.

 

[kazmcc]

It seems very likely although of course I can't say for sure. They are active at this time of year and this is the sort of thing they do.

They nest under and between the tiles on my roof and like kazmcc says there can be a few nesting individually in the same area, which on a warm day makes it look like there's lots of bees up there.

I would read up on their lifecycle online, then have a conversation with whoever it is making the decision. Chances are that they will be open to learning more and rethinking once they understand what is happening up there. For one thing wild bees have been in decline. The children would probably be interested in them and like them being there if they understand they are quite rare and precious.

In a way it doesn't matter if they are mason bees or another kind of solitary bee, they really don't pose any threat and will never multiply greatly or swarm.

When you say you or the exterminator... there isn't much difference really if you are going to block the holes. I would refuse personally and hope that that might give them cause to rethink, but I'd try and explain about the lifecycle first.

Out of interest, do they have rusty red hairs on the abdomen? Or are they too high up to see?

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

@WingCommander , don't be insulted but I'm not sure I share your confidence that they are not honeybees. An 8" cavity wall in a nice snug building sounds pretty good to the scout bee in me.

 

[WingCommander]

The sites are very high up (2nd floor) so it is hard to see them individually.

I am more and more reluctant to do anything about the bees. In fact I am not going to get rid of them and I will try and explain more about them.

There are a lot however - at a glance it looks like a standard colony, but there just isn't room for it to be that.

 

[WingCommander]

@Tryingtoletthembee. How would you recommend I proceed then? Confirm type? I suppose I could go and have a look close up and see what I can find out. There are two entrances that i can see in use and they are about 15 feet apart...

 

[Cussword]

I would check to see if you're insured to do anything that is not honeybee related. You could end up with a large bill if anything was to go wrong.

.

 

[.B.]

@WingCommander , don't be insulted but I'm not sure I share your confidence that they are not honeybees. An 8" cavity wall in a nice snug building sounds pretty good to the scout bee in me.

Oops. Good point. In my anger with the nature-haters I missed that bit.

Sounds like you will have to have a closer look to see if they are honey bees. What you've now said about the activity being like a standard colony and there being two entrances the bees are sharing, they both make it sound more likely too.

(p.s. thanks kaz)

 

[thenovice]

The children are in no danger at all!

Honestly, except for when you would try to charm a viper or cuddle a wild boar piglet, there are no dangerous animals in the UK. It's the industry of claiming for injuries that are not really injuries that puts everyone with responsibility on edge and rather forbid than run the risk of a legal pursuit.

luckily no one can prove a bee sting came from a particular hive (well, not without DNA sequencing at least) or most beekeepers would give up due to financial ruin

 

[WingCommander]

So if I make the assumption that it is a honey bee hive then what would be the best course of action? I'm thinking it may be beyond my pay grade at that point...

 

[.B.]

Hopefully there's someone at your local BBKA who is experienced with cutouts. Maybe hand it over to them if they'll get involved.

 

[WingCommander]

I will go and have a closer look (up ladder) and see what I can see.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Beg steal or borrow a pair of binoculars


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[WingCommander]

So I have been back to the building, got up my ladder and had a closer look.

Honey bees.

I was only able to look at one 'entrance' as I was on my own and the other is about 25 foot up. I am going to speak to my bee mentor and see what he can come up with.

Do you suspect two colonies or one colony with two entrances? The entrances are on to different walls (at right angles) and approximately 15-20 foot apart.