Free Bees in Berkshire!

lauraaurora

Hope this helps someone, because I hope it helps us!

We went to our compost bin this morning only to find it overflowing with bees:eek:

On consultation with the local pest control man they're a protected species. He thinks they're Honey Bees from my description, and by the description on the internet I'm inclined to agree with him. Does anyone want to take them off our hands?! They're heads are covered in pollen, so I think they're very productive little things. There is an awful lot of them too...

If no-one wants them, or they're not easy to just take out of a compost bin and move home, can someone confirm this;
We may have them for years?! The internet says the drones die in autumn/ winter, but the Queen and others don't... It also says colonies can get up to 35,000-50,000!!!
Please help before we get kicked out of our garden by our new bee friends

Thanks, Laura

Oh, we're in Winnersh by the way.

Biggles

Don't worry, the compost will be even better next year.

What makes you think you might get kicked out of your garden? It's not as though they'll harm you.

lauraaurora

Biggles wrote: »

Don't worry, the compost will be even better next year.

What makes you think you might get kicked out of your garden? It's not as though they'll harm you.

It was a joke, but it does mean I can't use the compost bin any more because they might not appreciate having bits of cucumber and watermelon dropped on them

Biggles

So was mine, I was really trying to ask what the problem was. If it's the compost bin, you could start a compost heap for this year?

lauraaurora

You haven't seen the size of our garden, we'd never get a compost heap in as well! My main concern is that I want them to go to a professional beekeeper if he/she wants them. That way any honey the bees make will go towards that beekeeper's supply, as opposed to making my compost fragrant and sticky. All bees should get the chance to have their honey go to good use

lauraaurora

Woo-Hoo, someone's coming to pick them up on Tuesday. And the best thing? He lost his honeybees in the floods, so I'm so glad we helped someone