sleeping BEEuties

[TallTrees]

Autumnal Bucket

Talking recently about the autumn bucket list ~

This is part of my October must do

Clean my Osmia Rufa  (Red Mason Bees) 

Solitary bees nesting in tubes (or naturally in holes in brickwork/trees etc.)

I keep them as a hobby and they are great early pollinators for apple, pear, plum trees 

They are sweet and gentle do not sting

I take each tube and carefully remove each silk cocoon one by one for cleaning (34 tubes this year)

average bees in tubes 7

Each Cocoon now contains a fully developed bee in hibernation/sleeping for waking up in Spring.

This is one of nature's miracles

I clean them to save as many from pollen mites or may have fly predators putting in their eggs in the tube.

They have a sand bath in kiln dried sand to remove dirt and debris

This year they had a mild bleach bath because they all have to stay in one box so can't

let any other cocoon be infected with anything as I would lose the lot.

Photos of the bees

The female bee puts in a mud plug between each of the cells she puts in pollen and lays her egg. Finally she plugs the end with mud.   It looks impossible to get out but they do.

Everyone having a sand bath

Everyone in clean and ready for Spring in their wood box

See you all in Spring when I put you all out in the release box.

Happiness is Bee Shaped

[Martin-O2]

Great thread @TallTrees! I've learnt so much about the Red Masons and they sound adorable! 

I'm looking forward to the spring update when they come out of hibernation. 

@dgilbert2 Don't get me started on the wasps! I got attacked by a swarm once.. 31 stings!! Lucky I'm not allergic or I could have been in big trouble.

[TallTrees]

Hi @Martin-O2

I have really enjoyed all the discussions on this.

Best time Spring when they come out ~ I look forward to that.

In the meantime we can all have a rest!

WASPS  

read your wasp horror story ~ I can't believe it ~ you surviving that is amazing.

Last year we had aggressive ground nesting wasps ~ sting in leg not nice

had to take steps to remove them as on path to main garden area so used 

regularly ~ wouldn't bother if they had chosen out of way place.  

[dgilbert2]

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@Martin-O2 wrote:

@dgilbert2 Don't get me started on the wasps! I got attacked by a swarm once.. 31 stings!! Lucky I'm not allergic or I could have been in big trouble.

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OMG, my 3 were bad enough never mind 10 times that. Sounds like you were lucky 

[Martin-O2]

@TallTrees, @dgilbert2 it was quite nasty. Their nest had fallen to the ground and I stepped on it and they all flew straight up my t-shirt! 

The stings hurt a lot but I had no other reaction and some ointment on them did the trick. 

[Anonymous]

Off topic, but on topic..

When I was about 9 I was terrified of the stupid things (thanks mother) we were on Paignton beach, me with dinghy in hand and this thing attacked me, so in a flap I do the dance trying to get the thing out of my airspace. One hand flying about wasn’t enough, so I flung my other hand out to get it, missed the thing and hit a woman directly behind me in the face.. with the dinghy.

Needless to say she wasn’t impressed and neither were my parents who gave me a clip round the ear and made me apologise to the lady!

I’m still a bit of a dancer but not half as bad as back then!

[dgilbert2]

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@Martin-O2 wrote:

The stings hurt a lot but I had no other reaction and some ointment on them did the trick. 

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OMG that's awful, makes me feel ill just thinking about what happened to you 

[Martin-O2]

That story did make me laugh @Anonymous 

It was quite the experience @dgilbert2. I'm still pretty wary of wasps to this day even though this incident happened over 20 years ago! 

[Anonymous]

What an interesting thread @TallTrees & all other posters

I once had a bees nest in the top of my very old fitted wardrobe accessed via outside wall vent

A chap used a smoke gun & said the bees wouldn't go back to the nest as they would consider it contaminated

It cost me about £150 cash, it was at a weekend, I hope the bees didn't suffer

You probably consider I did the wrong thing

My roof is of Yorkstone with no underfelt ... a group of bees / wasps got in there ... they were left to their own devices ... my son found the remains of the nest a few years later when he was boarding out the loft

I always wrap a bumble bee found on the pavement in a tissue, take it home, make up a sugar solution, put it in a teaspoon, put bee to teaspoon = then off it flies

THAT GODDAMN AWFUL PRESIDENT TRUMP DOESN'T CARE FOR THE LAND / ENVIRONMENT WHAT-SO-EVER ... ... ... @Bambino

[TallTrees]

Hi @Anonymous

Mostly likely you had wasps in your wardrobe and they definitely needed to be dealt with as they can be and are very dangerous (see Martin-O2 comment in thread)

Wasps often nest under roof tiles. Can be left if not in your way.  Must not be allowed to get into lofts though.

Taking care of the Bumblebee was commendable!  If I see them like that I place them out of the way in a quiet spot.  I think they drop down from exhaustion.

I am glad you enjoyed my post re my dear little bees.  Looking foward to Spring to see them again!

The saddness is all bees are in decline ~ but NOT in my garden if I have anything to do with it!!

Flowery garden make happy bees.

@Bambino

is upset because of Trump ~ don't worry Bambino there are many people in the US who feel the care for the Land and environment ~ they will defeat Trump's lack of care ~ he can't last forever.  

[TallTrees]

Hi @Bambino

I am glad you "say it" Bambino ~ Thank you