Solitary bee 'keeping'

[bjosephd]

Hey all,

I know this is a bee 'keeping' forum, so therefore this post is officially 'off' topic I guess...



So... there's tons of info on the internet about encouraging solitary bees etc but I was wondering who here had made it a serious 'project' and what tips tricks and mistakes and things they've learned from their endeavours.

So far I know piles of wood, drilling lots of different sized holes in logs, and bamboo canes of varying widths (or those purchasable cardboard tubes).

Or anything really... any thoughts on solitary bees and encouraging other non mellifera bee species, bumbles etc etc...

Also, are there any 'contraindications' so to speak with having a thriving solitary bee community in your apiary?

Cheers!

Ben

 

[Dishmop]

They die in winter..Only the queen is left.
It seems as if they like compost bins and bird boxes.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

They keep themselves to themselves

 

[bjosephd]

Haha, the clue is in the name huh!

I'll drill some holes, set up some tubes and see what happens then.

Now then... how do I lure in a wasp nest?

 

[YorkshireBees]

Stick a few bird nest boxes up in trees, you will either get birds or tree bumbles judging by the number of call outs I had last year for them!

 

[bjosephd]

YorkshireBees...

Great! Any size bird box?

I'll put them in my non apple trees, as I think harvesting apple around a box of bees is not ideal! Although I have it in my head that insects tend to avoid horse chestnut and walnut trees? That leaves me with an oak.

So how did you respond to all the call-outs? Just tell them to wait out and tolerate them until the season ends and they all die off?
Or did you end up with some kind of bumble apiary with all the rescued bird/bee boxes?

 

[bontbee]

They die in winter..Only the queen is left.
It seems as if they like compost bins and bird boxes.

That sounds more like bumbles than solitaries. I think that solitaries overwinter as larvae/pupae....

Some species like dry friable soil to burrow in, others with burrow into soft mortar. As mentioned, small tubular cavities. I know of a nest in a screwhole (minus screw!) of a velux window that had been left open during an extended good spell of weather last year. Unfortunately the young didn't emerge this year - probably got baked.

There are some useful and interesting info sheets at http://hymettus.org.uk/information_sheets.htm

 

[Dishmop]

They keep themselves to themselves

are they unsociable then?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

are they unsociable then?

well, apart from the gregarious bees, I assume so - but then again, would they be solitary and gregarious?

 

[REDWOOD]

Solitary bee keeping
It's the way I like it

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

You're not alone there Paul

 

[YorkshireBees]

YorkshireBees...

Great! Any size bird box?

I'll put them in my non apple trees, as I think harvesting apple around a box of bees is not ideal! Although I have it in my head that insects tend to avoid horse chestnut and walnut trees? That leaves me with an oak.

So how did you respond to all the call-outs? Just tell them to wait out and tolerate them until the season ends and they all die off?
Or did you end up with some kind of bumble apiary with all the rescued bird/bee boxes?

Tit boxes mainly. In some cases I talked people into leaving them alone and moved a few and also have a few on my back garden fence.

I believe the bumbles prefer used boxes that haven't been cleaned out but I would guess of the 50+ calls during the year they can't all be old boxes.

I have the 1st box that I 'rescued' from a garden on my fence and it has been repopulated 2 years running now by tree bumbles. I couldn't clean it out even if I wanted to as when it was made, they left no way of opening it without destroying it.

 

[bjosephd]

Ah ok cool..

I've found some pretty cheapy (£4 or £5) very simple bird boxes online... I'll maybe buy a few and whack them up here and there. Probably a bit cheap and nasty, but what's to lose.

I'll try and face them at varying heights, prob a few in the same tree, and away from the prevailing weather.

Did you notice if the tree bumbles have a preferred height? If not, I'll try and put them pretty high up.

Worth baiting them do ya think? Do queen tree bumbles go for that? Or will that just get me mini honey bee swarms in a baby box!

 

[The Drone Ranger]

Mason bees like an air brick about shoulder height

 

[Goran]

I just cut some common reed ( 15-20cm), wrap together, sheltered above ( stick somewhere beneath the roof). And full of Osmia rufa ( mostly) in spring. I just to do it, to say I tried it by myself, also to interest our kid for nature and importance of life itself..