T
Junior Member
Posts: 94 
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Post by T on May 29, 2015 9:55:10 GMT
I decided to clear out an old hedgehog box, thinking the old hay might be why none have used it in a while. While scooping out the old stuff I suddenly had a handfull of angry bees (not pleasant). Luckily there were only a couple removed and I popped them back in, one was dead though and kinda crispy, so not my doing. I noticed a cluster of egg/cocoon type things, which I covered over again. I put in some new straw but made sure it wasn't packed down on the nest or anything. Do you think they will be ok or will abandon the nest? I did see one or two bees flying back into the box, through the entrance. They were very small bees too, not sure of the species.
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Post by lizb on May 29, 2015 12:35:50 GMT
I'm not an expert but I think they should repair and continue to use it. Some sort of bumblebee. Any chance of a picture?
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T
Junior Member
Posts: 94
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Post by T on May 29, 2015 15:14:52 GMT
I'm not an expert but I think they should repair and continue to use it. Some sort of bumblebee. Any chance of a picture? I hope so. I didn't think to get a picture. I just wanted to get everything put back together quickly and it had started raining. |
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T
Junior Member
Posts: 94
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Post by T on May 29, 2015 15:22:25 GMT
Ok so the dead one was still there. Any idea what type of bumble it is?  |
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Post by lizb on May 29, 2015 16:37:29 GMT
I'm still a learner, but based on what I have identified so far I would say
depending on colour of tip of tail (which does not show in your picture)
if orange then Bombus pratorum (Early Bumblebee)
if white then Bombus terrestris (Buff tailed bumblebee) or Bombus lucorum (White-tailed bumblebee). These two are difficult to distinguish between for the workers.
You are lucky finding the nest. I have them in my garden but I do not know where they are coming from. |
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Post by aeshna5 on May 29, 2015 18:21:06 GMT
Looks like B. terrestris to me.
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Post by kateizzy on Jun 17, 2015 10:35:20 GMT
I'd say B.terrestris (buff tailed) too but can't be sure without seeing the tail. When I've heard of people accidentally uncovering them in compost heaps then they have normally repaired the nest. Worker bees only live for a few weeks so dead bees are common to see at this time of year. They are small compared to traditional bumble bee size because they are worker bees and grow according to how much food they were fed as babies. The first lot are only fed by the queen so don't get as much, the later broods are fed by the hive so get more food and grow bigger (once they are adults, they don't get any bigger). Here's a link from Bumble bee conservation about nests, which shows what I think you're describing by egg/cocoon things bumblebeeconservation.org/about-bees/habitats/bumblebee-nestsand one about finding dead bees bumblebeeconservation.org/about-bees/faqs/finding-dead-bees/You've done the right thing by putting things back as well as you can, the nest will naturally die off over summer (you won't see the bees coming and going anymore) and it should be safe to clean out the hedgehog box (July/August) before it may be used by wildlife as shelter in bad weather in autumn/winter. |
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