Solitary Bee colony?

[Sammo]

Photos (should be) attached. Are these solitary bees of some sort. They are very similar to honey bees. If it wasn't for their nest, I wouldn't have noticed the difference. Will they nest in the same location year after year or do they move on. They are causing a lot of H&S concern for the farmer but if they move on, then he may tolerate them. However, I suspect that the site will be used again. Also any thoughts about how they might be saved?

thanks

 

[Swarm]

They shouldn't cause any H&S concerns at all, places like that should be protected.

 

[Sammo]

The nest area is massive with entrances everywhere. Loads of bees about. I couldn't take a close look as I didn't have my suit with me.

 

[Sammo]

They shouldn't cause any H&S concerns at all, places like that should be protected.

The bank is at the side of their access to the storage area. Just walking past risks flying bees bumping into you.

 

[Swarm]

They aren't a colony like honeybees, just a large gathering. You could sit and watch them without any harm, my dog was fascinated by a load of masonry bees in a bank in our garden and watched them for ages.
Could the farmer be convinced to protect this area of land or is it not feasible? They are only around for a short while each year so nothing to worry about.

 

[Sammo]

How long is a short while and will they return or remain every year? I could explain this to him. As you can imagine, he's is supportive of pollinating bees but not if his workers are getting stung. To get to his storage building they have to past the banks. I don't think there is another access point.

 

[MuswellMetro]

They aren't a colony like honeybees, just a large gathering. You could sit and watch them without any harm, my dog was fascinated by a load of masonry bees in a bank in our garden and watched them for ages.
Could the farmer be convinced to protect this area of land or is it not feasible? They are only around for a short while each year so nothing to worry about.

H&S, should not be a concerned, as the bees are non aggressive and unlike honey bees they are not defensive as they have no Honey to protect

Even with the more aggressive European invader Bombus Hypnorum the gaggle of bees flying around outside the nest are stingless males waiting to mate with the young virgin queen, looks worse than it is , as like honey bees the males Bombus H cannot sting

I have helped on a local farm with ten hives ( commercials) so possibley 750,000 bees just behind the farmers cow shed, so is that classified by them as a H&S problem NO

if you digs them up it will be H&S gone mad

 

[Swarm]

I'm not sure how long their life cycle is (someone on here will) but it's a short span of time. If this is a favourable site, the cycle will repeat itself each year.
They won't harm anyone.

 

[Mart_got_hives]

How long is a short while and will they return or remain every year? I could explain this to him. As you can imagine, he's is supportive of pollinating bees but not if his workers are getting stung. To get to his storage building they have to past the banks. I don't think there is another access point.

They look like the same ones that made a village right below my hives last year. Really placid, I held my phone about 2 inches from the busiest entrance to film them and they just ignored me completely.

 

[Sammo]

I did find them to be very fascinating but the farmer did get stung in the head whilst passing the banks recently. He didn't have much of a reaction though. Whilst I and others on here are fine with them, I'm afraid not everybody would agree.

Swarm - thanks for the info. I will pass this on to him so he can have the info before deciding what to do. I read that they are only active for a couple of weeks.

 

[garlicpickle]

It looks like it might be an ivy bee Colletes hederae, they are quite recent newcomers to the UK.
The adults are active from September until around November.

You can report colonies to BWARS here http://www.bwars.com/index.php?q=content/colletes-hederae-monitoring-underway

 

[abm]

There are over two hundred different types in the UK most do not sting, any that could do not because their stings are too weak to penetrate human skin.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The bank is at the side of their access to the storage area. Just walking past risks flying bees bumping into you.

Suppose you could get a nasty bruise if an exeptionally fat bee wearing a hard hat had a good run up before crashing into you

 

[Skyhook]

I did find them to be very fascinating but the farmer did get stung in the head whilst passing the banks recently. He didn't have much of a reaction though. Whilst I and others on here are fine with them, I'm afraid not everybody would agree.

Swarm - thanks for the info. I will pass this on to him so he can have the info before deciding what to do. I read that they are only active for a couple of weeks.

This is the first report I've heard of anyone being stung by one- they are not at all aggressive. My guess would be that one bumped into him, got tangled in his hair and panicked. Would it be possible to put a bit of windbreak material/scaffold netting on a couple of posts between the nests and the path while they area active, to divert the flight line?

With wild pollinators having all the problems they are, it would be a great shame to give them another one.


.

 

[drstitson]

"With wild pollinators having all the problems they are, it would be a great shame to give them another one."

since they seem to stick to ivy would seem to be of little economic (or environmental) interest!!!!

 

[Skyhook]

"With wild pollinators having all the problems they are, it would be a great shame to give them another one."

since they seem to stick to ivy would seem to be of little economic (or environmental) interest!!!!

Since ivy comes right at the end of their season I think it unlikely that that's all they visit- and is their profitability really the only thing that matters?



.

 

[drstitson]

"The adults emerge late in the year (the males from late August and the females a little later in early September) and remain on the wing until early November."

Well that's basically the ivy season surely.

"The principal pollen forage plant is Ivy (Hedera helix)(hence the specific epithet hederae), but both sexes will also nectar at Ivy flowers too. When Ivy is scarce, other species of plants are also visited. The females supply the larval brood almost cells exclusively with nectar and pollen of ivy flowers. When Ivy flowering is delayed, females may also collect pollen at various members of the Daisy family (Asteraceae)."

and not aware of any economically important crops needing pollination in sept-nov (although our loquats start flowering nov).

 

[MuswellMetro]

from the BWARS web site on the Ivy Bee

Do these bees sting?
Well.... the females can sting, but to get them to do this you'd have to pick them up and squeeze them. I have sat in the midst of nesting aggregations of tens of thousands of these bees and never been touched, let alone stung. The vast majority of the bees in these so-called swarms are males, and have no sting whatsoever. They are swarming over the ground on the look out for emerging females. Basically, C. hederae is all but completely safe with children and pets

 

[Skyhook]

"The adults emerge late in the year (the males from late August and the females a little later in early September) and remain on the wing until early November."

Well that's basically the ivy season surely.

"The principal pollen forage plant is Ivy (Hedera helix)(hence the specific epithet hederae), but both sexes will also nectar at Ivy flowers too. When Ivy is scarce, other species of plants are also visited. The females supply the larval brood almost cells exclusively with nectar and pollen of ivy flowers. When Ivy flowering is delayed, females may also collect pollen at various members of the Daisy family (Asteraceae)."

and not aware of any economically important crops needing pollination in sept-nov (although our loquats start flowering nov).

I think you've rather missed my point. I thought it was accountants who knew the price of everything and the value of nothing.

WHAT is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?—
No time to stand beneath the boughs,
And stare as long as sheep and cows:

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass:

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night:

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance:

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began?

A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

.

 

[HM Honey]

They look like miner bees of some variety (Andrena bees)? They are totally unaggressive and shouldnt cause any issue for the farmer. He needs to tell his workers to stop being babies and get on with it.....