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These insects make their
appearance in the garden, sometimes to the consternation
of the owner, as their activities may be considered a
nuisance. They are usually harmless unless you
provoke them. However, towards the end of summer, wasps
can be a problem in their search for sugary substances.
Wasps
Environmental services will deal
with wasps’ nests which are made out of a papery
substance and are round in shape. These insects can get
very angry when provoked! However, wasps are
very good at clearing up unwanted pests on plants and
flowers and do have some beneficial effects. At the end
of the summer, the nest will die out.
Bumble Bees
Bumble bees
usually build their nests
under sheds or holes in the ground. When the swarm needs
to build a nest, the queen bee raises workers
at the beginning of the season. The colony is never a big
one, like that of honey bees, and will generally not be of
any trouble, although they can make their homes in
awkward places.
Bumble bees vary in size, some are
large and others are like the size of honey bees. They
are very beneficial to the garden as pollinators. Like
wasps, at the end of the summer the nest will die out
but queen bumble bees will find somewhere to hibernate
during the winter. Bumble bees are no threat
whatsoever, if you have young children then they are
an ideal social insect to watch and learn about. Peg out
four sticks around the nest area to indicate the nest
position, say two foot by two foot or for the children
60cm by 60cm, now look through your natural history
books with the children to identify which specie you
have. Take the children to the library to search through
more books if yours do not have sufficient information.
See what colour pollen the bees carry on their legs.
Bumble
bees are endangered, it is illegal to kill the bees,
anyone found to have poisoned them risks prosecution,
the maximum fine in the Magistrates Court is £25k,
unlimited in Crown Court, average fine imposed at
present is £1,5k.
Solitary bees
The Two most frequently
noticed garden solitary bees:
The Red Mason Bee. The
red Mason bee nests in all kinds of holes or crevices,
frequently in numbers, in crumbling masonry. It's very
unlikely that the bee causes much, if any damage to
buildings, as it only excavates mortar that is already
crumbling.
The Tawny Mining Bee.
Every spring these bees turn up in garden lawns,
triggering minor hysteria in the populace. Tawny Mining
Bees are harmless
There are over two
hundred different types in the UK most do not sting, any
that could do not because their stings are too weak to
penetrate us. If your garden, house or outbuildings
present the right accommodation requirements then you
may be blessed with solitary bees, which come in all
sizes and shapes and colours.
For more
information on swarms, wasps and solitary bees etc
we recommend you take a look around this
site here
OK - but
what does a honey bee look like
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