Convincing bees to move their nest

[sprout10408]

I have some bumble bees that have taken up residence in my bird house next to my walk way. Is there a way to convince them to move? I wouldnt normally mind but my kids play on their bikes right there & I'm afraid their noise will get them riled up.

[applestar]

I'm wondering if they might be carpenter bees? Are they going in and out if the birdhouse opening or flying in the vicinity? Are they big and black? Do they tend to hover above your head and buzz menacingly?

Can you post a picture of the bird house? You don't have to get too close.

[sprout10408]

I can't post pic, file is too large. The bees are the big round black & yellow. They are loud & are feeding out of the crab apple tree out front. I didn't realize they were in the bird house until I moved it to put down some mulch & it started buzzing at me. It stopped after about 30 seconds

[sprout10408]

How do I at least put the birdhouse back without being stung? It's in the middle of my driveway right now lol

[applestar]

[applestar]

Bumble bee are scarier imho than carpenter bees. I've never been stung by either one but I've bothered carpenter bees more and only ever had them headbutt me. Carpenter bees are solitary or only about half dozen in one location at a time, unless you have a colony from several years of returned offspring.

How big is the birdhouse? I might put a bucket over it then slide something flat like a cardboard under it -- adapting basic "cup and paper" trick for catching bugs in the house, only bigger.....

...I tend to think these are carpenter bees because all the times I've had bumblebees nesting in my garden, they were underground....

[applestar]

I was curious and had to look this up --

Bumblebee nests | Bumblebee Conservation Trust
https://bumblebeeconservation.org/about ... ebee-nests

What bumblebees look for in a nest site

Nest sites vary between bumblebee species. Most of the more common species prefer dry, dark cavities and nests can turn up in a variety of unexpected places.

Some nest underground, in places such as abandoned rodent holes, under sheds and in compost heaps. Of those that nest above ground, some make nests in thick grass, while others make nests in bird boxes, lofts and in trees. One of the species which nests in bird boxes and lofts is the Tree bumblebee, Bombus hypnorum. With this species you may often see 'swarms' of bees flying around the nest (see the video at the bottom of this page). This is perfectly normal, and these are male bees, which often fly around nests, waiting for queens to come out so that they can mate. Male bees cannot sting, so please don't be alarmed if you see this.

Oh! This was available from a link further down that page. It sounds like you need to be very careful if they are indeed bumblebees.

Moving bumblebee nests | Bumblebee Conservation Trust
https://bumblebeeconservation.org/about ... ebee-nests

To move a nest safely it is best to do it in the dark - when all of the bees will be in the nest and docile. They might buzz a bit but they won’t fly in the dark, so it's safest to do it then.

Please follow up and tell us what you have and what you did. Others may be facing the same dilemma... I might, too at some point.

[sprout10408]

That is actually pretty cool information! I haven't seen the worker bees actually go all the way into the box! They hover around the opening but never go all the way

[sprout10408]

It's nighttime here now & my husband will put the birdhouse back when he gets home. I've decided that as long as the bees aren't aggressive I'll let them stay where they are & if they become a nuisance later on I'll just move the entire birdhouse to another place in the yard. They've been here about 3 weeks & weren't a bother until I unknowingly moved their home! I've read that some humble bees are endangered so we'll just have to be neighbors for the time being! I will however fill in the opening this winter! Thank you for your help, I greatly appreciate it!

[john gault]

Bumble bees are like barking dogs, they just bark, no bite. I would move the birdhouse without concern.

[imafan26]

If you move the house at night it is better, but close up the entrance first just in case somebody wakes up.

When we moved the honey boxes, we moved them at night. We blocked the entrance and waited until the next day to let the bees out. Bees have to orient themselves to find their hive. Still about 20,000 bees tried to go back to the old location and we had to set up another box there and move them a couple of miles away.

[ID jit]

There is a lot which can be said about repeated light application of a garden hose. You don't really have to blast them, just keep it to wet for them to not want to live there and they will move on their own.

[jal_ut]

Quote: Still about 20,000 bees tried to go back to the old location and we had to set up another box there and move them a couple of miles away.

Yes, if you are going to move a beehive, you can move it about one foot per day, but that takes a long time to move it vary far...... or move it 2 miles and leave it for ten days then move it back home to its new spot.

Foraging bees may travel a bit over a mile looking for goodies. So they are oriented in that area to get back to the hive. This is why you need to move them two miles so they will re-orient in strange country.

[jal_ut]

"How do I at least put the birdhouse back without being stung? It's in the middle of my driveway right now lol"

Ever heard of wasp spray? Just get a can and spray the heck outa them.