Mortar Bees

pollyskettle

annie123 wrote: »

they wont die if you block up one vent, they will find another vent to get out of, a new build should have plenty.
You cant block up the holes made in mortar with out killing them.

one of my jobs many many years ago was working for a wildlife trust, and I still do voluntry work for them.
I spent a lot of my time on wildlife gardens and know and love bees.

excellent home made bee homes:

http://www.foxleas.com/bee_house.htm

Thanks for the link, Annie. I'll take a look when I'm actually properly awake! As for a new build having plenty of vent things - you're quite right, I counted 18 round the back door and kitchen window yesterday and I've probably missed some. They seem to be favouring one hole in one particular vent - typically the one directly above the back door!

melanie22 wrote: »

Sounds to me like she wasn't being mean or anything. She just doesn't wish to share her house with them. Doesn't mean she wouldn't mind them around.

If a certain spider endangered spider started nesting in my house i wouldn't want them there endangered or not but i also wouldn't kill them.

by the by i didn't know there were such a thing as non stinging bees hmm. Learn something new everyday

Thanks Melanie. You're quite right, I DON'T WANT TO KILL THEM (thought I'd clear that up!). Funnily enough, spiders don't bother me at all, but your analogy is perfect. I didn't know before yesterday that there was such a thing as non-stinging bees either.

ixwood wrote: »

From the link: "The natural habitat of mortar bees is earth banks and soft exposed rocks into which the female bee burrows.". Do you have a little sunny area you can leave for them?

ixwood - the only real south facing part of my garden is the back wall of the house (new build/postage stamp garden!). I have read on here somewhere about burying teapots and the such-like so I shall research that a little more and I'm looking into building them their own home a little higher up the house so they're not near the downstairs doors/windows. I'm hoping to give them a couple of sites to choose from next year so that they are discouraged from the vents round the door as I'd like to move them NOT KILL THEM!

~jules~ wrote: »

A few years back bees were nesting in a friends cavity wall (they only realised because of the buzzing noise):eek:
and they were advised to spray Jeyes fluid around the vents etc. ( They had to wait until the end of summer though)
This seemed to work but I don't know what sort of bees they were.

Thanks jules. Whilst I could be tempted to try the jeyes fluid thing, I won't as I fear it may do them harm and my intention is to NOT KILL THEM. Plus there will be baby ones in there over the winter before they apparently 'chew' their way out of the mud plug the female will create. I'll leave the babies well alone as I'll need them in the garden next year. Thank you for the advise though

And, for the reason I keep typing about not killing them in caps. From another thread:

Lotus-eater wrote: »

This is typical of the uk population today, lets kill all the horrible little insects that might sting us (or scare us) (that we rely on for a working ecosystem) and let the cute little squirrel and the fox run around and cause mayhem.

LE - I don't want to kill them, I'd like them to move away from my doorway, but I'm not about to massacre them, I promise. I'm going to live with them where they are for now and then, next March or so, erect them little houses they can choose from which will hopefully encourage them away from the door. I don't go in for the cute thing as a defense either - rabbits/foxes/pigeons are all vermin in my book, but I can't comment on squirrels as I have never had to deal with them so know very little/nothing about them or the damage they can do, much like these bees before this!

My thinking on this is that, if they are going in through a vent, they are not damaging any part of the house as they only damage the mortar to make access, they already have this through the vent - I would like clarification on this damage issue, please, as it affects the next part of my thinking. I have googled it and come up with a couple of answers. Whilst google is indeed a fountain of knowledge, I'll go with personal experience all the time as I don't believe everything I read on the internet!

If they are not damaging the house, I do not need to call the HA (who might come and do them some damage, I have no control over what they will do and I don't want the bees killed).

If I give the little flying critters some choice of houses next year, they might move away from my back door. If it doesn't work and they come back to the vents next year I shall just have to live with them. It's only a few weeks in spring, I'm sure I can be a big girl about it and manage!

Does this now sound OK to everyone?

Mortal

Also if you're wanting to stop them using that particular part of your home, I wouldn't wait until after dusk as then they'll all be inside. Far better to wait until daylight. Would citronella work to dissuade them do you think?

pollyskettle

I can incorporate that into the master plan, Mortal. Being soft of mind regarding flying things, I keep industrial amounts of citronella in the house!

I could maybe apply some citronella oily stuff to the vents early next spring (March or so) and hope they find the houses. Does citronella kill them though as I know there's something it kills, but I can't remember what - is it wasps? Speaking of wasps, I willing admit I would kill them

Thanks, Mortal

Mortal

I shall look forward to seeing what works

annie123

Lotus-eater wrote: »

OK my strong point isn't house building, but if the cavity were filled, wouldn't that stop them getting to another vent?

No, you have a big open gap under any building to let air flow through, it stops damp setting in. Think drafty floorboards, the air coming up through them is from the vents in the property, thats how spiders get in too!

Many old houses were only built with 1 or 2 front and back, and these days when a property is surveyed for sale the surveyor will often recommend or insist that additional ones are added.

Vents should never be permanently blocked, even by decking (in case anyone is thinking of doing it!), as it slows down or stops the flow of air, and within a few years you can have wet or dry rot.
Sorry off topic now, will shut up!

pollyskettle

annie123 wrote: »

Sorry off topic now, will shut up!

Please don't shut up, Annie, you've been very helpful to me on this thread! Do you think my plan looks like a go-er?

Lotus-eater

pollyskettle wrote: »

Does this now sound OK to everyone?

I'll think about it :rotfl:

pollyskettle

Lotus-eater wrote: »

I'll think about it :rotfl:

:rolleyes: Thanks :rotfl:

(Addition of lots of smilies to illustrate that this is tongue in cheek!)

annie123

Dont worry they are not damaging the house, they will have found some soft mortar to make holes in, (Its not nice neat pointing underneath the house, bits hanging over everywhere!) the eggs will hatch soon and they will be gone.

If you really dont want them back in there next year, then yes, provide other spots for them but I would also put cardboard over that vent they are using at the end of March, just in case!!;)

Lotus-eater

I think the problem here, is the intent, is the frame of mind, is the rapid conclusion that many people come to.

pollyskettle wrote: »

I have learnt, from the fountain of knowledge that is google, that they have no sting, but I still don't like them lol.

alemap20 wrote: »

Someone said they are called mining bees and apparantly don't sting but i still would like to get rid of them.

I don't particularly care about these bees, I'm not a "lets save every little insect" bloke. Its the attitude I care about, teaching people that we do need to look after them.

I think, contrary to someone else on another thread, that much of the population of the UK has come so far from the understanding of the way nature works, that it's a "them against us" type of thing.
That's what I object to, not the killing of a few bees