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

[TallTrees]

This little fella pops up when I put up crushed sunflower hearts for the tiny birds.

@Cleoriff 

[Cleoriff]

How lovely @TallTrees (Getting his food when he can)

I just don't see that sort of wildlife in my garden due to it being enclosed.

We have had a few foxes and hedgehogs at the front though.

[TallTrees]

Nooooooo 😭😭😭😭

'Banned' bee-harming pesticide approved for use, despite expert advice

Please forgive us little 🐝 

January 17th 2022 

[TallTrees]

THE WONDERFUL RED MASON BEES 🐝 

Brought in my sleeping bees Friday afternoon.  A good day.  Cleaned their boxes and now the big job of making sure each bee cocoon is clean. This year I seem to have the pleasure of leaf cutter bees, in these tubes.

The leaf-cutter bees sleep in curled leaves, so I have to be careful with these wonderful bees.

A neighbour, who is a friend of bees in her garden, gave me an RHS magazine Bee edition! In the article was bee I haven't seen, an Ivy bee, well I have loads of ivy, it climbs the Tall pines and the flowers are very pretty. Apparently they love these particular flowers, this made me feel so happy.  

So lucky to have bees, buzzing a sound of happiness 😊 

[Cleoriff]

Lovely news @TallTrees ❤️

Excuse my ignorance but after you have done this gentle cleaning, do the bees go back outside or hibernate in a greenhouse or conservatory until it gets warmer. ?

Never heard of leafcutter bees, only leafcutter ants🤗

Nor have I heard of Ivy bees!

Nature is amazing at times. Since I made the decision to have my old, out of control Lleylandii trees cut down, the bird population in our garden has greatly diminished.

Bit of a shame as we have two bird tables which saw a lot of activity until the trees went. We thought they only housed pigeons (and I dislike these birds) but it's obvious they hid smaller birds as well., Such a shame. 😯

[TallTrees]

Hi @Cleoriff 

After I have cleaned them, they go into a "release box" this box is wooden with 8mm holes along one side. It is stored in the garage until March when I hang up the boxes with new tubes in and then put the release box on top so they then make their mind up when to bite their way out of their cocoon and pop out through one of the holes, after which the females start putting new eggs/pollen into each tube in a series of cells. Mostly averaging about 7 cells in a tube.

Lots of the bees stay "home" where they emerge but many of them spread about in the area and make new nests from holes in trees in masonry etc.

Leafcutters: never had them in a tube so will need to go cautiously. I know that the leaf is a cell but don't know if it will come out of the tube, if not or too tricky, I will put the complete tube back and let the little'uns come out in their own way.

The reason I clean the cocoons is that they are very compact and resilient, can be removed from tubes and even washed as they float in water as they are pure silk cocoons, this reduces mites and any predating insects so more bees are safe for next season.

Commercial producers of these bees wash the cocoons air dry them , pack them and send them to pollinate fruit growing farms.  The farms have release boxes and tubes so that the next generation of bees are ready for collection at the end of the season.

Birds:  they definitely like to sit in a tree or large bush near a bird table, not liking to be exposed to danger.

[Cleoriff]

We have plenty of other bushes in the rest of the garden and a big gazebo with a large bush at the back, so plenty of space in those for birds but I think they were 'upset' when we moved the big trees out.

Fascinating insight into your bees @TallTrees 

A lot of work but so satisfying. 😉

[TallTrees]

Wow a gazebo sounds lovely @Cleoriff 

I'd love that too!