Description
There are over 250 kinds of bees in Britain. The honey
bee and bumble bees live in colonies and belong to a
group known as the social bees, but the majority of other species
do not live in colonies and are solitary bees, such as
mining and masonry bees.
Honey bees are easily distinguished from wasps, being
finely banded in orange and brown, with brown and furry strong hind
legs, compared with the yellow shiny and slender legs of wasps.
Bumble bees are larger and hairier bees, frequently with
the top of the abdomen coloured brightly in ochre yellow or a rich
tawny brown.
Biology and habitat
A honey bees’ colony survives the winter
whereas a bumble bee colony only lasts for a single season.
This means that all the workers die in the autumn and only a few
young mated queens survive and hibernate through winter. Bumble
bees seen in March flying low over the ground are usually these
young queens, searching for suitable places in which to establish
new colonies. Once the queen has selected the site she starts to
build her nest out of dry plants, moss and hair up to about the
size of a clenched fist. Later on in the summer a bumble bee nest
is well established with larvae, cells and stores along side each
other. It is not as large as a honey bee colony and does not have
the same neat arrangement and regular cells.
Solitary bees
In the case of mining bees, each female will make a pencil sized
nest hole in a suitable position in the ground and it frequently
happens that sandy domestic lawns' are a suitable site. There may
be many individual nests grouped closely together. They sometimes
cause a minor nuisance until they disappear in mid-summer, but
their stings seem unable to penetrate human skin.
Masonry bees prefer to make their nests in suitable cavities in
buildings and will even excavate soft mortar from brickwork to make
their individual nests. Their damage to soft mortar in older
properties may be quite severe over several seasons. Their stings
seem unable to penetrate human skin. Masonry bees may need to be
controlled on occasion but the real answer to the problems they
cause is to re-point with good hard mortar.
Importance
Bees are extremely beneficial to the economy both in the
production of honey and the pollination of all our food crops and
flowers. The numbers of honey bees and bumble bees are under
threat because of loss of habitat and, in the case of the honey
bee, the varroa mite. Therefore many pest control companies
will not remove bees and will often refer customers to a local
beekeeper who can re-house a honey bee swarm.
Control
Honey bees should only cause a problem when they swarm in
the summer months. When this happens thousands of the insects form
a visible cloud, or when settled, a solid cluster of bees as they
look for a new home. When honey bees are actually swarming (flying)
no appropriate treatment is available. When the swarm has settled
and is easily accessible, you can inform a local beekeeper who will
attempt to collect the swarm. Details of beekeepers are available
from the Council. It is almost impossible to remove honey bees from
a chimney or cavity if they have been there more than 2/3 days, as
in that time they will have started to build a comb and establish
themselves. They will probably survive until the winter but because
of lack of food or disease will die before spring.
Bumble bees do not swarm, but will often be found to nest
in gardens. The nest itself does not survive beyond late summer and
is not re used. Bumble bees are harmless and will only get agitated
if the nest or its entrance is disturbed.
Solitary bees are non-aggressive and are not
considered pests. It is almost impossible to remove them and it is
illegal to poison them.
Safety
Bees can sting and this can be serious for the small proportion
of the population who are allergic to them. You should always check
anyone who has been stung by a bee for an allergic reaction.
Symptoms of which include headache, fever, loss of consciousness,
swelling of the face, tongue lips and body, rashes and possible
breathing difficulties. When you have been stung by a bee, it
leaves a stinger in your skin, which looks like a small splinter.
It is important to try to remove the stinger as soon as possible as
it continues to release venom for up to 20 minutes after the
initial sting. The best way to avoid a bee sting is to stand still
and even let it land on you. In most cases it will simply fly
away.
