moving bumblebees

[justsmith]

A friend of mine phoned to say he has a bumblebee nest inside his lawn mower, what would be the best way of moving them?

 

[snelgrove]

A friend of mine phoned to say he has a bumblebee nest inside his lawn mower, what would be the best way of moving them?

Leave them there. I no I would

 

[Millet]

I would just leave them, the lawn mower has obviously been there for a while so it can not be that important to cut the grass.

 

[snelgrove]

I would just leave them, the lawn mower has obviously been there for a while so it can not be that important to cut the grass.

 

[justsmith]

It's in a racing lawn mower which he has sold so i don't think leaving them will be a good option for him

 

[Millet]

It's in a racing lawn mower which he has sold so i don't think leaving them will be a good option for him

How does that work, ? .. is it a case of who can run the fastest while cutting the lawn, lol .
If they 100% have to be moved and there is no other option i would personally really carefully put them in a 1ft square box, with a 6in long 1in diameter piece of pipe coming out of it and then cover it with grass cuttings with the hole at the end of the pipe left clear, all that to be done at the original location, then prey that the colony has not been destroyed by the move.

 

[snelgrove]

The nest will probably be gone by mid September, can the sale be put off till then, bumbles are becoming endangered through nest destruction. If the bees must be removed. Simply placing the nest in a box and leaving till night time and all the bees have returned. Move to a new site. Not sure if the 3 mile rule applies to bumbles. A good distance I would say.

 

[Millet]

Leave them there. I no I would

I have a bumble nest in the garden, it has however chose a dangerous place which is in a green house water but full of plant pots and other bits and bobs, i was that paranoid about the rain filling it up and drowning them i decided to ruin the water but by drilling a load of holes in the bottom to drain the rain water away, the things we do for these little insects in danger of extinction.

 

[snelgrove]

I have a bumble nest in the garden, it has however chose a dangerous place which is in a green house water but full of plant pots and other bits and bobs, i was that paranoid about the rain filling it up and drowning them i decided to ruin the water but by drilling a load of holes in the bottom to drain the rain water away, the things we do for these little insects in danger of extinction.

 

[chrisb]

bumblebeeconservation.org
look at above, they have pages dedicated to moving bumble bees

 

[wessexmario]

... by drilling a load of holes in the bottom to drain the rain water away...

wouldn't just one hole have done?

or tip the butt on its's side while they're there?

 

[Millet]

wouldn't just one hole have done?

or tip the butt on its's side while they're there?

I'll bite my tongue.

 

[justsmith]

Turns out they was just wasps in the end when i went to look at them which made me happy in a weird way.

 

[MartinL]

i decided to ruin the water but by drilling a load of holes in the bottom to drain the rain water away, the things we do for these little insects in danger of extinction.

Wouldn't it have been easier to just open the tap & disconnect the feed pipe??

If the feed pipe is still connected, surely a storm will destroy the bumbles when they get washed out!

 

[MartinL]

Turns out they was just wasps in the end when i went to look at them which made me happy in a weird way.

Can't tell the difference between Bumbles & Wasps?

Sounds like an advert for Specksavers!