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Talkback: Bumblebees in the compost bin
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Hi Richard, I've heard them called the French tree bumblebees, as they're partial to nesting in trees...
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another is leaving. I have counted about 6-8 at any one time. They ignore us although a large bee, probably the Queen buzzed around me for a few seconds whilst i was photographing them yesterday. I dont think that they will do any harm being in the wall and i am very reluctant to do anything until they have finished nesting and have finally departed.
Some are so infested they can hardly fly.
Any advise appreciated.
We do take the boxes in for the winter to keep them dry and block up any infested holes.
I am not an expert but I know that mites on bees is a bad thing as your message suggests. Given that these are wild bees your talking about I am not sure you would be able to do anything to rid the bees of the mites, in managed hives there are various treatments and preventatives for mites which are growing in importance given the huge problems bees are suffering from at the moment, with Colony Collapse Disporder and the Varroa mite.
My advice would be to contact you local beekeepers group or biodiversity officer/conservation organisation to see if they can offer some advice. Also perhaps cleaning and sterlising the bee boxes this winter would be a good idea but again I am not sure if thats the best advice.....contact someone in the know.
Good Luck
Daryl
yes I appear to have a lot of big bees around my pine tree... after close inspection I have found what I beleave is some soft of infestaion of spyder mite on the tree...
is it this that the bees are interested in?
and how does one remove the pest without harming the bees?