Bees

teenie1 · #1 (**permalink**) 13-09-2009, 04:26 PM

Hi

I am new to this site and wondered if anyone could tell me about a bees nest that has been made in one of my bird boxes. I have noticed they are not flying in and out anymore and wonder if they leave the nest in autumn. It looks like the entrance to the nest has been opened slightly but I do not want to disturb the bees if they are still in it.

Please can someone help!!!!

Teenie

eucera · #2 (**permalink**) 13-09-2009, 04:38 PM

I suspect that the bees have long since gone. I would also expect the nest to have been largely degraded by the activities of Wax Moth. It should be perfectly OK to open and clean by now.

Beekeeper · #3 (**permalink**) 13-09-2009, 05:44 PM

It may well be a colony of Bumble bees in which case they will all be gone fairly soon now, probably not Honey bees as they do need quite a large space to live in unless of course the nest box is a lot larger than normal, there are other species of bees which may set up home in a nestbox but they will probably have vacated it by now, as eucera has said, it is almost certainly safe to clean it out.

BK