Having a bumblebee nest in your garden can provide a great opportunity to teach children about these vitally important pollinators.
Bumble bee nest in gutter.
Nest sites vary between bumblebee species.
Bees wasps and hornets often look for damp or moist areas to nest as water allows members of their colonies to hunt other insects.
About 3 weeks ago l notice around 8 bees hovering around the corner of the house gutter and l have never seen them there before in 20 years.
Also somehow 5 or 6 dead bees found inside the house.
Obviously no one wants to live in close proximity to a colony of stinging insects but this isn t.
So l looked in the loft and no signs of bees so l have just keep my eye on the gutter for more bees and it s still the same after 3 weeks.
Badgers destroy many bumble bee nests.
Generally bumble bees build their nests in old burrows and holes usually that of a rodent s.
For about ten days now we ve had a collection of bees slowly growing it seems maybe approx 20 30 now buzzing around the guttering outside a bedroom window.
Common places for bees to hide and build nests include overhangs cracks window frames shutters door frames and underneath the siding.
Badgers use their claws to dig up nests and feed on the food stores and larvae.
Most of the more common species prefer dry dark cavities and nests can turn up in a variety of unexpected places.
A solitary queen is responsible for starting a bumble bee nest.
Even though a hive nestled inside the wood aluminum or vinyl siding is hard to actually reach these are in fact some of the easiest and safest types of nests to get rid of because they require no contact.
Environments for invite bees wasps hornets.
The only time when they may act defensively is if something disturbs their nest so it can be a good idea to put some sort of barrier in place a few metres from where they are nesting so that any pets or young children do not disturb the nest.
The bumble bee s main mammalian predators are badgers.
For that reason wasps hornets and bees are known to nest both inside and beneath gutters.
Bees up by the gutters what to do.
Birds are also natural predators of bumble bees.
If you are noticing more of a buzz around your home than usual these critters may be seeking residence under your gutter system.