Donate SIGN UP

Advice about bees please

Avatar Image
nungate | 16:10 Wed 23rd May 2012 | Animals & Nature
6 Answers
There's a wall to the side of our driveway which has some gaps in the bricks I suppose for a decorative reason, anyway today I spotted a lot of activity around these gaps in the wall and bees (I think) have been flying around and disappearing into hole in the bricks. What I would like to know is can they be mason's bees or maybe something else? I need to know because there are a lot of young children who play outside in our street and I wouldn't like to have any of them stung. If they are harmless I'll let them be, if they aren't I suppose I'll have to have an expert take a look.
I'd be grateful for any help or suggestions
Gravatar

Answers

1 to 6 of 6rss feed

Best Answer

No best answer has yet been selected by nungate. Once a best answer has been selected, it will be shown here.

For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.
If they are mason bees they will only sting if threatened.

I am trying to encourage one of my honey bees out of the house at the moment.......he seems to prefer the cool house the the pollen laden garden grrrr.....
Question Author
The thing is, when I looked up Mason's bees they it said that they were more or less solitary bees, there were an awful lot of these bees (poetry forsooth!) which is why I'm not sure what they actually are
Solitary bee means only that it doesn't form colonies, of course. You may find lots of solitary bees in one place. People are encouraged to make structures which look like a whole lot of drinking straws viewed end on, just to help solitary bees have nest sites in one place.

Solitary bees won't swarm; they're solitary; and have no hive to protect. That's one less reason for a solitary bee to sting, but none of our bees are aggressive if undisturbed. You can get stung by the humble bumble bee, but that won't happen unless you lie on one (as I did as a child) or put it in a similar situation where it is driven to sting you .
I've had these bees in my garden. We have five grandchildren,not one of them has ever been stung.
Bee's aren't really a problem, leave them alone and they will leave you alone.

I had a bee's nest under my sheds concrete floor last year and even when I stood near the entrance they just detoured round me to get in and out. I've had bee's land on my hands when I've been trimming my flower beds. The last time was when I was trimming a lavender, obviously attracted to the pollen on my hands.

Only ever been stung by one bee in Greece, my fault because I put my hand on it unseen.
Question Author
Wasn't sure what to do for best, but I will be guided by the advice here.
Will just let leave them be.
Thanks for all your help

1 to 6 of 6rss feed

Do you know the answer?

Advice about bees please

Answer Question >>