Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: chillimummy on September 17, 2018, 16:35

Title: Bees nest
Post by: chillimummy on September 17, 2018, 16:35

Have a bees nest I think in some ground that still needs digging on my plot.
Covered it with black plastic last year and when I pulled some of it back and tried digging it over earlier this year, few bees around.
They seemed to be returning to the same area under the plastic and one stung my face  :ohmy:
Presumed it was a nest so re covered it and left well alone  :lol:
Wondered when they will be gone as this is my last big bit left to tackle since taking on full plot?
Very nervous about pulling plastic back  :lol:   

Title: Re: Bees nest
Post by: sunshineband on September 18, 2018, 15:51

Are these bumble bees? They often nest in holes in the ground, but the colony reduces right back, often to just the queen, over Winter, so if you leave it for a while you should be safe to deal with that bed without getting stung.

What will you do about the queen though? Will you let her be so she can hibernate in safety?

Title: Re: Bees nest
Post by: chillimummy on September 19, 2018, 20:20

So should I leave that whole patch without digging it over?
Will they return and I have another nest next year then?
Just concerned that it is in middle of my plot although obviously I don't want to harm the queen so will she leave after the winter is over?
Sorry so many questions  :D

Title: Re: Bees nest
Post by: londongardener on September 20, 2018, 11:43

Quote from: sunshineband on September 18, 2018, 15:51

Are these bumble bees? They often nest in holes in the ground, but the colony reduces right back, often to just the queen, over Winter, so if you leave it for a while you should be safe to deal with that bed without getting stung.

What will you do about the queen though? Will you let her be so she can hibernate in safety?

Actually the whole colony dies including the queen apart from new queens which hibernate and then form new colonies in spring. 

http://www.bumblebee.org/lifeMate.htm

So the colony will be gone soon and you will be safe, if you dig up the soil, it should not be a good place to nest and you will not get a new colony next year.

Title: Re: Bees nest
Post by: chillimummy on September 23, 2018, 15:48

Thanks for all your advice.
Will wait until October time then carefully pull back the plastic for a peek  :D
Am happy to have a nest on my plot it's just that this one was right in the middle  :D