Small colony in house or something else?

[WingCommander]

Hi

I was at my sister-in-laws for lunch yesterday and they mentioned having lots of bees outside their loft conversion. I had a look and at any time there were a dozen to 2 dozen bees but I couldn't see them landing anywhere. They were just congregating around the top of their single story kitchen - 20 foot up, next to the window to the loft conversion. From the loft I could see them pretty clearly - there were too many to spend too much time with the window open but oddly if I was there for any prolonged period (5 mins plus) they seemed to dissipate.

I'm a total newbie but my thoughts were:

1. Small colony established somewhere in the roof space - couldn't see an entrance though
2. They mentioned that they had seen more previously so perhaps left overs from a swarm - but they have been there for some weeks apparently.
3. Bees getting confused en route back to hive and congregating in this spot.

I really couldn't get a great look but considering finding a long ladder, suiting up and having a poke around. Anyone else got any ideas...

 

[pargyle]

1. Small colony established somewhere in the roof space - couldn't see an entrance though

Could be ... entrance only needs to be a very small hole.

2. They mentioned that they had seen more previously so perhaps left overs from a swarm - but they have been there for some weeks apparently.

Not likely, more likely a caste swarm if there are only a few of them - are you sure they are honeybees and not bumbles or wasps ? If it's a caste there may have been a virgin queen, if they are honeybees and they have been there for some weeks you will see comb built somewhere in the loft but it's unusual for bees to set up home in somewhere that is not a defined or restricted space. Wasps, however, will build their nests just about anywhere.

3. Bees getting confused en route back to hive and congregating in this spot.


Definitely not. Doesn't happen. Honeybees will congregate where the queen is ... they will hang about outside the hive 'fanning' if they need to cool or warm the nest.

I really couldn't get a great look but considering finding a long ladder, suiting up and having a poke around. Anyone else got any ideas...

If you can get close enough to get a photo then you should be able to identify what they are ... if they are wasps then it's either a pest controller or leave them alone - they'll be gone in autumn. Bumbles - leave alone will be gone in autumn.

Honeybees .... best read up on 'cut outs'. Not for the faint hearted unless you can get up close and personal with the comb and can contain it when you have cut it out ... and then have to sort out the flying bees and get them all into a hive/box/nuc etc.

Good luck - we are all waiting to hear the next chapter !

 

[Chris Ibbo]

Masonry bees I bet! They can look a lot like honey bees. Look them up on google images. I get loads round the front of my house and when they visit my garden they do make me look up for a sec till I see their hairy rounded bum lol

 

[WingCommander]

Definitely not wasps or bumbles. I could get close enough that to me they looked like honey bees - could well be masonry bees however, they were flying so hard to tell the difference.

The odd thing is that I watched them for some time and didn't see any landing anywhere - even following a single bee visually few mins, in the end they just flew away...

I will ask the in-laws to keep an eye on them and may try and return to inspect if I can get a long enough ladder...

 

[victor meldrew]

Had a similar experience at row of terraced houses (called there by a couple of the neighbours there)
I diagnosed scout bees looking for a billet!
Turned out to be correct as they dissipated in the manner you describe
Other scouts obviously found a more attractive spot
VM