underground bees

[atolhurst]

I saw some bees going in and out of a hole in my garden. I'm assuming they'd made some kind if nest down there and I pour hot water down it as my cats where trying to play with them and it would all have ended in tears (and stung paws).

I've noticed that not too far from where the entrance hole was, a largeish expanse of grass is saggy (about a foot square) . Is it likely that all those little bees would have dug out a big hole to build their nest in? Annoying, I can't remember if the grass was like it before or not - one of those things i never really noticed at the time.

Has anoyone else had any experiences of this. And if so, what will I find it I dig up the grass. And do they adopt existing holes or diug their own from scratch?

I'm very curious about them.

[Clanad]

Here in the U.S., there are two types of ground nesting bees, the solitary bee, such as the burrowing (sometimes called mining) bees and the social nesting bumble bees. Since bees tend to be the same world-wide, I suspect the species you see are similar. Both are beneficial and both are not aggressive. having said that, if surprised, cornered or aggravated (such as by a relentless cat) they may sting. The bumble bees are the largest of the ground nesters. If possible, I'd ignore them and (sounds hearltess, i know) let the cats learn a valuable lesson. If you have to eradicate them, wait until evening and use a powder version of an insectidcide such as Sevin... By the way, the bumble bee nests can be fairly large underground chambers... say 6 inches to a foot in diameter... Best of luck!

[felinechums]

I think that was a terribly cruel thing to do, to pour hot water down the bee's nest. We have two holes under our shed, where bees make a nest every summer. The bees come and go from the same exit every year. We have nine cats, who swipe at the bees and chase them, but we have never had a single sting. If you kill the bees, who will pollenate the flowers in your garden - and the crops, the fruit bushes, the herbs and other plants that the bees are essential for?
Besides, cats have to learn to live in the real world. You can't protect them from absolutely everything that might hurt them, and killing everything that might do them harm is not a valid way to prevent harm.

[KRUSTY]

I am shocked and appalled at your actions - I was going to call your actions stupid and thought twice about it, but now I've had another think and about it and you are without doubt quite stupid! I can only hope that as a result your whole garden sags. If you were that curious about them why didn't you ask about them before you destroyed them? Had your problem been with wasps I may have understood your actions but bees are reknowned for only stinging as a last result - you should be ashamed of yourself.

[Orangesauce1]

Hi Atolhurst.

I kinda agree it was a little cruel to kill them but do understand the reason behind it. I have a huge phobia of flying stinging insects but have a lot more tolerance for bees as krusty says they only sting if they have to as they die not long after!! My mum has some in her garden but they live in plant pots and we call them leafcutter bees?? is this correct?? they cut small circular holes in the leaves on the hedge then hold them under there belly and fly them in the small holes at the top of the plant pot..... it looks like a pencil sized hole... the plants still live though so assume they are living in the roots. Does any one know what they are doing with the leaves and what they are actually called?? Atolhurst....

I would leave them be and watch them as they are amazing and the moggy will have to do what we all do and repect them and learnto leave them alone.... think of how beautiful your flowers will be

[edwardian]

If you telephone your local police station, they keep alist of registered bee-keepers and will supply you with numbers that you can ring.There is currently a shortage of bees ,because many have died as a result of disease, and most bee-keepers would be only too happy to come and remove your bees. Please, please don't kill them.

[Clanad]

Leaf Cutter bees, at least here in the western U.S., tend towards the solitary, although several can build nest in the same general area. Leafcutter bees do not eat the cut pieces of leaves that they remove. Instead, they carry them back to the nest and use them to fashion nest cells within the previously constructed tunnels. Then they provision each leaf-lined cell with a mixture of nectar and pollen. The female lays an egg and seals the cell, producing a finished nest cell that somewhat resembles a cigar butt. A series of closely packed cells are produced in sequence. A finished nest tunnel may contain a dozen or more cells forming a tube 4 to 8 inches long. The young bees develop and remain within the cells, emerging the next season.
Again, here in the U.S., the bees prefer to build their small nests in excavated woody plants, rather than in the ground, but have been known to do so... (Partial Help from Colrado State University Extension)

[Clanad]

That's a good thought edwardian, except, being a bee-keeper myself, only hives of honey bees are of any interest, or for that matter, presenting any possibility of removal, since all ground dwelling bees have no commercial value and the honey they produce is inedible to humans and produced in very small quantities compared to honey bees...

[Thunderbird+]

Not wishing to be judgmental re your question but from a bumble bee's point of view, it really has " ended in tears" and I think its a crying shame that you only became curious about their babits after you killed them.Bumble bees are of crucial importance as pollinators of both wild, domestic and comercial crops, some have already become extinct and a further 9 native species are on the criticaly endangered list!
I do understand that you acted in the best interests of you cats and I wonder if it could have been possible if you felt you needed to intervene in a more invironmentally friendly way ie but a loose ring of chichen wire around the hole, so that the bee's can fly through but the cats would be safely out of the way, maybe this is still possible if some bee's have survived ?