My garden is completely devoid of honey bees. There used to be hundreds but they’ve all gone. Fortunately we seem to have replacement bumble bees. Not so many but they are doing a job. They must be more resilient to the deadly toxins our couldn’t-care-less agricultural industry is bunging out to up their profits.
I was sitting on my patio and noticed that the bumble bees had taken over a nesting box. I was a bit bemused by a big gaggle of bees hovering around outside the box. They did not fly off or go in. They were just buzzing around.
Liz was worried. She was a bit scared and thought she might get stung. She wanted me to move the nest.
Turns out that the bees are drones hanging about waiting for the female to come out. We’ve all been there, haven’t we? They take forever. She’s most probably in there running a comb through her hair.
But it’s OK. The drones don’t have a sting. As we guys all know it’s the women who have the barbs. We just do what we’re told.
We are so lucky to have a bumble bee nest like this. It’s a lucky bird-box. We’ve had blue-tits in it for the last two years and now a hive of bees! Great!
I just feel sorry for the poor honey bees. The insecticide industry have polished them off along with half of the rest of the insects – goodbye voles, bats, swifts, swallows, hedgehogs, shrews, house-martins, frogs, toads, newts, warblers, lizards and all the rest of the creatures that feed on insects.
They won’t stop until the whole planet is a desert.
But for now, until they bring in stronger pesticides, we have a great colony of bumble bees – fascinating!
And we were warned about the ‘Silent Spring’ right back in the 70s.
I love bees, but we lost our honey bees this winter after four years of tending them, and it was a healthy thriving colony when we last inspected them. I miss them and the great tits who would brave the landing board in hope of a casualty to eat. They are fascinating to watch. You’re lucky to have a wild nest to observe. They are very unlikely to sting unless they feel very threatened. They lose their life when they do.
Sorry to hear the loss of your bees. It’s a story I’m hearing replicated all over the country. The pesicides and lice are wiping them out. We humans are so myopic and stupid. You wouldn’t think we’re supposed to be intelligent, would you?
I find this bumble bee nest absolutely fascinating. I could not figure out what was going on with this cluster of bees just buzzing around and not going in or out. I had to look it up.
We are so privileged to have a nest right by our door. I could watch them all day long. (Better than most of the telly!). They don’t seem at all bothered by me standing close and watching.
I used to be the same, I watched the hive from the steps on my back door. I know about the bee “pubs’ where the drones hang out before Queen Pheromones waft the air. I never got to see a mating flight though, despite watching hard when there was a queen succession. Yup, definitely better than telly. Interestingly, I have more honey bees in the garden now than I did when we had bees. I wondered where they went to. They turned down my marjoram, borage etc in favour of probably poisoned pollen. They tend to operate in a radius of about 3 miles. I have read of cases where colonies go further.
I’ve not actually seen a mating flight but we have a swarm in our drive a few years back. I suppose that is the conclusion. That was quite an adventure. I put up a post on it a few weeks back. It was incredible to stand there with the air thick with bees. Those pheromones are powerful things!
Rachel Carson was right but instead of the overnight crash it is one slow incremental slump into nothing.
I would love to have a few hives Opher…when I hit the lottery I’ve got Plans!!!
We’re tempted Linda.
🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝
I see you’ve already got some.
Ok, I KNOW this is a serious post, but dang it, Opher, you shouldn’t have put this in! It made me laugh and laugh till Drollery asked me what was so funny!
“Turns out that the bees are drones hanging about waiting for the female to come out. We’ve all been there, haven’t we? They take forever. She’s most probably in there running a comb through her hair.
But it’s OK. The drones don’t have a sting. As we guys all know it’s the women who have the barbs. We just do what we’re told.”
I had to lighten it somehow!
I can’t imagine you doing what you are told. I had nests of Honey Bees until last year, every year they came usually in the Chimney or in one of the Bird Boxes on my Barn. I Have some in the garden but not nesting.
I always do what I’m told Anna – I just sometimes have to hunt round a lot for the right instruction to obey.
I reckon you get away with so much. My late husband would either be in the Garage or Porch doing the Telegraph Crossword, pipe in mouth hardly ever lit.
Pushing boundaries is a profession.