Hi
About 6 weeks ago I noticed a few small bumble bees, dark in colour with a whitish bum going in and out of one of my full compost bins. I didn't take too much notice as they are gardners friends, but when I tried to empty the bin next but one, I was stung, it made a bee line, excuse pun, for my head and stung me and now unable to weed near the bins, a likley excuse you are saying. Has anyone any ideas what I can do. In previous years I have had wasps and have been unstung (I take the lids off the bins in May to stop the wasps nesting) I don't really want to get the pest officer in to destroy them.
Thanks
Well today I have learned something new today
Apparently the queen bumble and the workers can sting. They can also sting more than once cos they don't have a barb on their sting.
I count myself very lucky cos I have some in my compost heap that were not very happy with me but I carried on in ignorance thinking they could do me no harm.next time I will proceed with caution.
bumble bees are a bit like wasps, in the fact that only the queen survives over winter.
...so if you can wait until winter, there will only be one bee to avoid ;)
I'm not sure if they reuse old nests, but I know wasps don't.
They certainly can sting, but only do so when provoked. Clearing out their home and their grubs would certainly be treated as provocation! Can you leave that bin till the nest dies out in the autumn?
Robert
I was actually taking compost from two bins away, when I saw the bees comimg out I stepped well back one bee aimed at me, stung me immediatly
thanksyou all for your replies
I discovered they sting when I was three. No one has ever believed me when I've warned them.
I have had a problem in the past with a bumbles bee nest in a compost heap, I just made a new heap in another place and let them get on with the good work they do. They will only usually attack if they feel threatened. I could never allow myself to get stung as that would lead to a blue light hospital run as I`m highly allergic to stings.