Awakening Sleeping BEEuties

[TallTrees]

hthttps://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Off-Topic/sleeping-BEEuties/m-p/1160526/highlight/true#M116627tps://...

From last year they were Sleeping Beeuties 2018 to

This year 2019  again these little kind and sweet bees have caught me unaware and when I opened

the sleeping box there were a few anxious looking faces!  So up went the boxes sharpish

and they were put on top to feel the fresh air and off they flew ~ they'll be back always

to the same spot they first remember.

These are the boxes facing South in the hot sun.  

This is a box with                                                                                 an emerging bee under the release box top.

Wildlife have no respect for photographers!

[jonsie]

[Cleoriff]

Seems fair enough sez me, a Sherlockian not a beekeeper...

[jonsie]

Yep seems legit 🤔

[Anonymous]

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@TallTrees wrote:
Hi @Anonymous
It depends where it was rough, you mentioned the tubes...
The tubes need to be smooth so as not to damage their wings. The holding box is not too important but better finished smooth.
Pity that a good idea spoiled by bad workmanship. Disappointing that it was from the Eden Project though 😡

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hello @TallTrees 

The entrances to the tubes were very rough ... the holding box was painted duck egg colour

As you say disappointing that it was from The Eden Project

[TallTrees]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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hello @TallTrees 

The entrances to the tubes were very rough ... the holding box was painted duck egg colour

As you say disappointing that it was from The Eden Project

Hi @Anonymous 

The tube entrances should not be rough at all, hurt their little wings....very bad.

Hope you had a great day ~ I spent sometime in the garden to-day and enjoyed it

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[Anonymous]

hello @TallTrees 

I'm upset at the thought of the roughness of the tubes in the insect hotel mentioned would hurt the little bees wings ... I shall not be buying one of them 

Glad you enjoyed some time in your garden today

I have a deal going with a young male friend who is to 'flower up' my yard ... I have been 'paying' him in advance with pints of Fosters at a local watering hole ... I wish to attract some insects into my 'home space'

Marty brough in a dead shrew, still floppy with 1/2 tail, he was enjoying playing with it in the yard, he must have hidden it because when I went outside to dispose of it I couldn't see it in the yard 

My previous cat Wispa used to enjoy 'ragging' butterflies, she was too fast for me to put her off the inevitable 

Any particular pot plants which would be good for my yard or do I just go what is in B&Q / Morrisons ?

[TallTrees]

Hi @Anonymous 

Just as well you have looked carefully at the insect Hotel.  Look out for a hotel  at B & Q I was in B & Q early this morning they seem to have everything!  Great to get your yard set up. 

(I saw a shrew too a few weeks ago it was a tiny one probably dropped by one of our Owls)

Pot plants for your yard? well which way does it face? North/South/East/West?

Is it sunny or has just a sunny spot?  It would be nice to get pot plants that flower in spring and some for summer flowering and that would last through each year.

Are you going to grow these plants in pots or transfer them to a border?

Bye for now TT

[Anonymous]

hello @TallTrees 

Thank you for the info about B&Q having lots of good stuff

(There are owls to be heard along the canal night-time)

My yard bakes late afternoon / early evening ... faces south west

I'd like to start small ... a centre pot full of flowers ... I only have a yard so will buy plants straight to pot ... I can only think of winter flowering pansies atm ... arn't I daft ? ... I know it's late to plant summer flowering bedding plants

I have on my to-do list a visit to the rather large insect hotel in the Quakers meeting house walled garden to see how it's going along

[Cleoriff]

@Anonymous 

You can plant polyanthus, pansies, snowdrops, crocus, alyssum in pots for winter colour. Tete-a-tete daffs etc. etc.

If you have a wall or fence you can plant a winter flowering jasmine (nudiflorum). Most of my plants are in pots and have winter and summer plants in all of them.

[TallTrees]

Hi @Anonymous 

Yes I think that's a good idea. Take time now to get your yard ready, for autumn  winter and spring, then summer.

I like pots, they can be used for different seasons and interest through the year without taking the plants out, but moving the finished ones to a different area to rest until next time. 

Summer bedding is once only,  use one larger pot for a pretty variety. 

Winter pansies are very good, great colours.

Plant on the top of tete a tete small daffs ready to come up in spring. I use these daffs in my pots.

Very reliable.   Also mentioned by @Cleoriff 

That pot would last for a very long time not being changed  and this is what I do.

Then a spring pot with the long lasting polyanthus with  bulbs under them.

So keeping the costs and work down build up your pots kinda like that🤔

Finally your summer pot with a variety of summer bedding plants.

Yes,  B & Q do have a very good variety of plants usually for all seasons.  Quite a lot of supermarkets have plants too, as you mentioned. 

Let us know how it goes bye for now TT