Swarm of bees in the garden

Love2love · 10-06-2010 10:48am #1

On Monday I noticed some bees in my mothers garden where the children play. Not alot at first but an unusual amount than normal. On Tuesday this amount seem to double and seem to be coming from the tree in the neighbours garden that hangs over into my mothers garden. We can't actually let the grandchildren out to play now as there is so many and my mother (who tends to exaggerate slightly) said they were attacking her last night. We found 13 dead in the paddling pool last night and the neighbour said she had found 5 dead in a basin of water that she had left out.

We need to get this removed for the kids sake and my own because I am utterly terrified of them! But the thing is.... Rentokil and other pest control companies won't touch a bees nest (not sure if there is a nest in the tree) as they are protected due to dwindling numbers. They can only remove wasps nests. There advice is to get on to a local beekeeper. I have checked the Irish Federation of Beekeepers and they can't really offer any help as they are really only interested in Honeybees and these seem to be bumblebees. I could be completely wrong on that - I am assuming because of size.

Can't really find much advice online, only telling me to contact a local beekeeper. I live in Dublin City Centre so I doubt there is a local one!! Any advice??? Was suppose to be having a bbq tonight for my brother's birthday and we've had to cancel it.

Kalahari · 10-06-2010 2:39pm

I could possibly get a friend to move the nest to one of our hives if they are honey bees. Will ask him when he is finished work, depends on how busy he is this week.

Any chance of a picture of a dead one so I can ID it?

It would be helpful if you have a clearer idea of where they are coming from, in case they just happen to be in your garden in large numbers for pollen and nectar. My garden has no bee nests but it is alive with bumbles at the mo coming for pollen and flying off to their nests. Bumblebees nest in the ground in relatively small numbers so if you can find a nest in the tree it is probably honeybees or wasps. Are they are clearly going to and fro between tree and the garden?

Alun · 10-06-2010 5:38pm

If they are bumblebees then generally they're pretty harmless, and wouldn't be attacking anyone. In my experience you'd have to seriously piss off a bumblebee to make it sting you.

doctor evil · 10-06-2010 9:44pm

Bumblebees are harmless they are social bees and they do not have a queen or honey to protect.

Please don't destroy them.

Blink182rock · 10-06-2010 9:50pm

if there just normal bumble bees don't do anything they will go in their own time if there wasps , burn them outa it !!

Kalahari · 10-06-2010 10:01pm

If they turn out to be wasps and they are really a nuisance you could try get someone in at night to move the nest to somewhere where they won't be. Bumblebees and honeybees only sting if provoked or feel threatened, and even wasps generally won't sting if you stay still though they certainly tend to nose about humans much more than bees. Bumblebees can often fly into people accidentally but this isn't an attack and i've never known them to act aggressively after the impact. They just continue on their way. And if it is a swarm (not a nest) of honeybees tbh they will probably move away themselves after a couple of days.

Love2love · 11-06-2010 1:03pm

Thanks for all the replies!

We went ahead with the bbq last night and the smoke seemed to keep them at bay. Apart from a few that were dropping from the sky and just dying!

Spoke with a beekeeper yesterday and he said that they will die off as there seems to be no hive. That they generally will take up residence in a tree while looking for a place for a new hive.

The neighbour got a spray from the hardware which they sprayed last night but it hasn't seem to work. We are just going to give it another couple of days and hope that they move on or die naturally.

jwshooter · 11-06-2010 7:54pm

Love2love wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies!

We went ahead with the bbq last night and the smoke seemed to keep them at bay. Apart from a few that were dropping from the sky and just dying!

Spoke with a beekeeper yesterday and he said that they will die off as there seems to be no hive. That they generally will take up residence in a tree while looking for a place for a new hive.

The neighbour got a spray from the hardware which they sprayed last night but it hasn't seem to work. We are just going to give it another couple of days and hope that they move on or die naturally.

thats a shame wild honey bees are in decline , you were offered ,to move them .
a well its best to import our honey for new zealand any ,just in case some one might get stung

Kalahari · 11-06-2010 8:13pm

Please don't spray them with any more stuff, bees are in serious decline and like I said if it is a swarm rather than a nest then they will move away soon enough. Plus swarming bees are even more harmless than usual. They shouldn't be dying off just because they aren't in a hive as even if the queen dies the workers will just make some new ones once they start nesting. If you think they are honey bees I can't stress enough how important it is not to destroy them. If you ask your local beekeeper he can put in a trap hive in the garden and once the bees go in, he can seal it up and bring them somewhere more suitable.

Mothman · 11-06-2010 9:35pm

As many others are eluding to bees are quite placid until they feel threathened and they are well able wage war if they feel they're being attacked.
So for safety of yourself and family I would seriously reconsider using spary

dubmando · 22-05-2011 3:53pm

Help, having noticed quite a lot of bees in the back garden within the past few weeks, my husband went to take a closer look at one area where they seem to accumulate the most, it is on a decking area in our (small) garden, he has identified the bees as being honey bees,and he thinks they may have a nest underneath the decking. we do not want to hurt or damage them but having very young children do not think it is a good place for them to live!! And also means they are now enclosed in the house and are looking longingly out to their normal play area, I know the honey bee is not aggressive but unfortunately cannot take the chance a bee sting occurring as had a nasty reaction myself as a child. can anyone help or advise?

weisses · 22-05-2011 4:29pm

doctor evil wrote: »

Bumblebees are harmless they are social bees and they do not have a queen or honey to protect.

Please don't destroy them.

Look at the Name of OP ..... I'm not worried at all

Prowetod · 22-05-2011 7:01pm

Where are you based? If they are honey bees then you will have people queueing up to take them off your hands...

dubmando · 22-05-2011 9:14pm

I am in Dublin 20, would be happy to allow someone to take it and them away

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 23-05-2011 9:57am

This link has phone numbers of peopel only too glad to help if they are Honey Bees:-

http://dublinbees.org/want-help-with-bees/

swifts need our help! · 23-05-2011 9:17pm

bumblebees do have queens

how can people on a wildlife forum suggest spraying bees to kill them! :mad:

Offer them to bee keeper

littlebug · 23-05-2011 9:23pm

swifts need our help! wrote: »

bumblebees do have queens

how can people on a wildlife forum suggest spraying bees to kill them! :mad:

Offer them to bee keeper

No-one on this thread has advocated spraying bees

Also note that the first 10 posts on this thread are nearly a year old.

Swarm of bees in the garden

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