Bee or wasp?

[eltax91]

Hi folks

Last couple of days, I’ve noticed what I thought were wasps that have made their way through some sealant in the corner of a window and are busily heading in/out all day.

Wife is bloody petrified of them and the dog is on constant standby trying to chomp one.

Anything I can do about it?

[dudleybloke]

Bees!

[Trophy Husband]

What would you rather bee or a wasp?
That's a bee by the way. Harmless honey making intrinsically important part of our ecology.

[C n C]

Definitely a bee.

[Mr Pointy]

Beeeee.

Let the dog eat one; he'll only do it once.

[eltax91]

So, that’s a summer with all the windows/ door closed then?

Any chance they’ll move on of their own accord? Can they humanely be moved on? Or have I just got to leave them be(e!)?

[Comacchio]

Trophy Husband said:

What would you rather bee or a wasp?
That's a bee by the way. Harmless honey making intrinsically important part of our ecology.

This species doesn’t make honey. Looks like a red mason bee (Osmia bicornis). They create nests in spaces about 10mm wide - pack in lots of pollen then lay a grub, more pollen then pack dirt in and repeat until the space is full of grubs surrounded by pollen. They then become next year’s lot of mason bees.


Let them get on with it, totally harmless.

[Evoluzione]

eltax91 said:

Anything I can do about it?

Get the wife some counselling, the dog will only chomp on one once, after that it'll learn.

[eltax91]

Comacchio said:

This species doesn’t make honey. Looks like a red mason bee (Osmia bicornis). They create nests in spaces about 10mm wide - pack in lots of pollen then lay a grub, more pollen then pack dirt in and repeat until the space is full of grubs surrounded by pollen. They then become next year’s lot of mason bees.


Let them get on with it, totally harmless.

I’m trying not to Google it too much. But ‘totally harmless’ or ‘totally harmless but if threatened can swarm and turn nasty’

Because that’s what I’m reading and I’ve got two little nippers in the garden too. I’d very much like them to not get their mothers fear

[Comacchio]

eltax91 said:

Comacchio said:

This species doesn’t make honey. Looks like a red mason bee (Osmia bicornis). They create nests in spaces about 10mm wide - pack in lots of pollen then lay a grub, more pollen then pack dirt in and repeat until the space is full of grubs surrounded by pollen. They then become next year’s lot of mason bees.


Let them get on with it, totally harmless.

I’m trying not to Google it too much. But ‘totally harmless’ or ‘totally harmless but if threatened can swarm and turn nasty’

Because that’s what I’m reading and I’ve got two little nippers in the garden too. I’d very much like them to not get their mothers fear

They’re solitary bees - usually see a male or two pestering a female going in and out of a hole - they don’t swarm. They’ve also got a really really weak sting in the very rare occurrence that they feel so threatened (read: grabbed and held/squeezed tightly)

[hotchy]

There fine. Iv got those miner bee's digging holes all over my patio in between the slabs, and plenty digging holes in the bit with a missing slab so I had room to grow next years pumpkin...

I'd leave them.

[LeadFarmer]

Please leave the bee to do it’s thing. These bees need all our help they can get. It won’t harm you. It will make it’s tiny nesting chambers, fill with pollen, lay its eggs and leave. The eggs will hatch as grubs and pupate into bees and fly away.

I’ve put solitary bee nest boxes all over my house and am desperate to attract them, so I’m jealous.

Edited by LeadFarmer on Saturday 24th April 17:15

[Boosted LS1]

Kids today, piss weak as weak as piss can bee. I blame the parents. They'll no doubt have an allergy to dirt as well let alone dog shyte or fresh air

[Speed1283]

LeadFarmer said:

Please leave the bee to do it’s thing. These bees need all our help they can get. It won’t harm you. It will make it’s tiny nesting chambers, fill with pollen, lay its eggs and leave. The eggs will hatch as grubs and pupate into bees and fly away.

I’ve put solitary bee nest boxes all over my house and am desperate to attract them, so I’m jealous.

Edited by LeadFarmer on Saturday 24th April 17:15

Nicely put.

Good work on the boxes too, agree, bees in general need all the help we can give them.

[Evanivitch]

LeadFarmer said:

Please leave the bee to do it’s thing. These bees need all our help they can get. It won’t harm you. It will make it’s tiny nesting chambers, fill with pollen, lay its eggs and leave. The eggs will hatch as grubs and pupate into bees and fly away.

I’ve put solitary bee nest boxes all over my house and am desperate to attract them, so I’m jealous.

Edited by LeadFarmer on Saturday 24th April 17:15

There's me thinking I had the trump card for this thread...

[4Q]

Mining bees such as masonry bees are no risk at all. I had to dig a bank back where there were loads of individual nests and they weren’t aggressive in the slightest. I made sure to create more nesting places in the sleepers I laid to compensate them for digging out. Bees (and wasps) get a bum wrap from most people thinking they’re going to get stung but how old are you and how often have you been stung over the years despite coming into contact with them every year?

Edited by 4Q on Saturday 24th April 22:23

[CubanPete]

Bees are fine. We have loads of masonry bees in the walls here.


I got stung on the finger by a wasp a couple of years ago, my arm ached for a couple of weeks. That's was in a ground nest in the lawn, which was treated. The nest in the loft last summer we left as they 'stayed high'

[Evanivitch]

Wasps aren't even that bad.

We had a nest in loft, they didn't damage anything in the loft. A few friends were a bit fussy at a BBQ but they're not much harm. Kept the garden clear of pests. Think the House Martins appreciated them too.

[eltax91]

LeadFarmer said:

Please leave the bee to do it’s thing. These bees need all our help they can get. It won’t harm you. It will make it’s tiny nesting chambers, fill with pollen, lay its eggs and leave. The eggs will hatch as grubs and pupate into bees and fly away.

I’ve put solitary bee nest boxes all over my house and am desperate to attract them, so I’m jealous.

Edited by LeadFarmer on Saturday 24th April 17:15

Is there a potential here for me to put something like this in a more sensible place and they’ll move out and head in there instead?!

[eltax91]

Boosted LS1 said:

Kids today, piss weak as weak as piss can bee. I blame the parents. They'll no doubt have an allergy to dirt as well let alone dog shyte or fresh air

Cheers boosted. I’m going to assume that’s tongue in cheek. Cos otherwise I’ve no idea how you got that from my posts.