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Old 15-04-2007, 06:14 PM
Seedling
 
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Default Bee in dirt

can anybody tell me why some bees are hanging around new soil thats been freshly dug as when i was digging new patch, i noticed some bees 3/4 keep landing on the damp soil this is ground that is over grown and i am making a new bed, it only seemes to be a small area, they were interested in.?
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Old 15-04-2007, 06:22 PM
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Lots of species of bumble bee nest in underground holes. Your newly disturbed soil may well be interesting them in the off chance that there is a small cavern for them to occupy.

An easy way to make a bee box and far cheaper than the bopught ones is to dig out a small space under a paving slab and leave a couple of gaps an inch in diameter (you can use a bit of pipe) as entry points.
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Old 15-04-2007, 08:24 PM
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I know nothing about bees..but this seems right for this hot weather we are getting!!
http://www.beesfordevelopment.org/in...ed-water.shtml

I need a beer ...they clearly need water!!
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Old 15-04-2007, 09:13 PM
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We have a lot of small bees in the area at the moment. There's a bank near next door's front garden and it's alive with these miner bees at the moment. They hang around our front door! I don't mind - they are fumbling about in my damson blossom too - doing a good job.
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Old 15-04-2007, 11:23 PM
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I have loads of bees. All kinds of bees. And some of the biggest Bumble bees in the world I think. Yes that's normal behaviour you saw Murfe. They would be looking for places with holes they could get into. I saw them doing the same think today in some disturbed soil in the kitchen garden.
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Old 15-04-2007, 11:29 PM
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I swear the bumble bees are getting bigger, and bigger, and bigger! You should have seen the size of the one I released from the kitchen windowsill this morning!
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Old 15-04-2007, 11:36 PM
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Your right rusty, some are so big I am sure that they are flying mice with black and yellow paint jobs.
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Old 15-04-2007, 11:58 PM
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Mine are nearly as big as the wrens ! Well I did say nearly.
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Old 18-04-2007, 08:46 PM
Seedling
 
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Hi, these bees seem to be taking some minerails or something from the soil, they do not seem to mind me digging the area, there are more of them now?
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Old 18-04-2007, 09:20 PM
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They'll either be big Queen bumble bees looking for somewhere to start a nest or digger bees.
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Old 19-04-2007, 09:08 AM
Seedling
 
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Default big bees

So thats why they are getting bigger. so they can carry a shovel
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Old 21-04-2007, 09:42 PM
Seedling
 
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Hi all and thanks for help have now dug patch and they seem to have gone ,have put 2 rows of peas in place where they were interested in , thenks
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Old 21-04-2007, 11:18 PM
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I had a new roof put on my kitchen just before Xmas, and the old roof has resided on my "lawn" until today. Myself and a neighbour went halvers on a skip so the old roof went in it - except that bees had been starting a hive in the heap. We saw the queen fly away. The other bees are still hanging around trying to work out where their home has gone. My son and I gave up trying to eat outside as the bees were so persistant. I do know that give them a cuppla days that they will either go back to the original hive or find their queen and join her wherever she's found a new home.

Janie
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