Bee's

[farthing]

The big ones are probably queens coming out of hibernation and looking for a good nest site. I saw my first one yesterday, it was like summer here.

[dinahsmum]

I heard a really clever way to encourage bumble bees to nest in your garden.
First - take an old teapot (!). Sorry, but the teapot is necessary; I suppose you could easily pick one up at a jumble sale or in a charity shop. It will need a lid, or if it hasn't got it's own lid just fix something across the top opening - maybe an old jar or can lid, taped down.
Anyway, when you've found your teapot, you just bury it in a suitable part of your garden but leave the spout sticking out. Apparently that is just bee-heaven!

[dandysmom]

What a clever idea! Sadly as I'm a bit allergic to bee stings, don't want to encourage them.

[Kazz]

Thats a good idea you should tell people that at the allotments...DM....

[angieh]

I suppose it would be silly to ask if bumblebees have any preference as to the sort of tea that's been brewed in the teapot beforehand? Orange Pekoe, Lapsang Souchong????

Or just good old Yorkshire tea (my favourite!)

[calismum]

Originally Posted by dinahsmum

I heard a really clever way to encourage bumble bees to nest in your garden.
First - take an old teapot (!). Sorry, but the teapot is necessary; I suppose you could easily pick one up at a jumble sale or in a charity shop. It will need a lid, or if it hasn't got it's own lid just fix something across the top opening - maybe an old jar or can lid, taped down.
Anyway, when you've found your teapot, you just bury it in a suitable part of your garden but leave the spout sticking out. Apparently that is just bee-heaven!

Do you need to drill a hole to let rainwater out do you think?

It's just we have an old teapot lying in the shed, I'd quite like to give it a go.

[dinahsmum]

The drainage hole sounds a good idea to me - I hadn't thought about inundation

[calismum]

Yes, had a look on the internet last night. Other suggestion is to put in some chicken wire in a ball and loosley stuff it with straw. There were also ideas using an upturned clay flowerpot, but buried the same way as you suggested for the teapot.

I'd like to try this and do my bit for protecting this special bee.

[dinahsmum]

Have you seen this news article - Natural England is exhorting us all to keep bees!
The company that makes the Eglu chicken house (undersized and overpriced, methinks) is offering a trendy plastic 'Beehaus' at something over £400 and bees at 0.5 - 1.5pence each!

[SageCat]

I shall try the teapot trick as I love bees. They fascinate me and have loads of folklore surrounding them. I could watch them for hours. Unfortunately I've not seen so many this year as I had last year, but now that I've got loads of marjoram flowering (it self-seeds like crazy and is now all over my garden) they are flocking to it! Normally when my catnip bush is in full flower they used to cover it, but not so this year. It's such a shame that their numbers have been hit so badly.