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Ping Terry Coombes

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Ophelia

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Jun 8, 2019, 8:03:50 AM6/8/19
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Have you heard about 'Bee Hotels' for for solitary bees?

It was on our radio this am and was interesting. I think I might get a
couple for my garden:))

If it is new to you, you can find them on Google:))

U.S. Janet B.

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Jun 8, 2019, 9:43:15 AM6/8/19
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On Sat, 8 Jun 2019 13:03:23 +0100, "Ophelia" <OphEl...@gmail.com>
wrote:
They've been offered in seed catalogs for a number of years.
I've read that they attract all kinds of insects not just bees.
Especially wasps. That other insects will enter and eat any
developing bees. That the hotels must be cleaned annually and
replaced every 2 years to avoid disease. I've read they must have an
overhanging roof and placed facing south (I think)

I was going to get a hotel and after reading about them decided not. I
already have too many wasps.

Janet US

Ophelia

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Jun 8, 2019, 10:04:45 AM6/8/19
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"U.S. Janet B." wrote in message
news:jsdnfe9i4tjmp88ih...@4ax.com...
==

They are new to me:)) I want to get just a few I think:)) I guess I will
get instructions on how to care for them:))

Yes, I suppose other insects will try to eat them as will happen anyway,
but at least might give them chance:)

I am very interested to hear how Terry (as a beekeeper) sees them.




songbird

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Jun 8, 2019, 2:03:25 PM6/8/19
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Ophelia wrote:
...
> They are new to me:)) I want to get just a few I think:)) I guess I will
> get instructions on how to care for them:))
>
> Yes, I suppose other insects will try to eat them as will happen anyway,
> but at least might give them chance:)
>
> I am very interested to hear how Terry (as a beekeeper) sees them.

i'm not a beekeeper, but anything that helps the native
bee species will be appreciated.

taking some chunks of wood and drilling various sized
holes into them and putting those out of the weather
will help.

some bees like mud so you can pack a space full of
clay and sticks/straws of different sizes and see
what finds it interesting/useful.

the mason bees and bumblebees are ground nesters
here so leaving pieces of bark on the ground on a slope
might attract them, but be careful not to walk in that
area if you see them taking up your offer (as i think
both can sting like wasps (multiple times)).

the reason why i don't kill wasps/hornets here is
that they eat bugs/bug eggs from garden plants. i do
knock their nests down that they try to start on the
eaves of the house, but i don't bother them any place
else. the raccoons come around once in a while and
search them out.


songbird

Ophelia

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Jun 8, 2019, 3:24:35 PM6/8/19
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"songbird" wrote in message news:jn9tsf-...@anthive.com...

Ophelia wrote:
...
> They are new to me:)) I want to get just a few I think:)) I guess I
> will
> get instructions on how to care for them:))
>
> Yes, I suppose other insects will try to eat them as will happen
> anyway,
> but at least might give them chance:)
>
> I am very interested to hear how Terry (as a beekeeper) sees them.

i'm not a beekeeper, but anything that helps the native
bee species will be appreciated.

My thoughts exactly:))

taking some chunks of wood and drilling various sized
holes into them and putting those out of the weather
will help.

some bees like mud so you can pack a space full of
clay and sticks/straws of different sizes and see
what finds it interesting/useful.

the mason bees and bumblebees are ground nesters
here so leaving pieces of bark on the ground on a slope
might attract them, but be careful not to walk in that
area if you see them taking up your offer (as i think
both can sting like wasps (multiple times)).

the reason why i don't kill wasps/hornets here is
that they eat bugs/bug eggs from garden plants. i do
knock their nests down that they try to start on the
eaves of the house, but i don't bother them any place
else. the raccoons come around once in a while and
search them out.


songbird

Thanks very much songbird:)) I don't know enough to knock anything
down and I don't want to kill anything!!!

I doubt I would be able to make what you suggest, but I am certainly
willing to buy some of the bee hotels described:)) What do you think about
those??


dsi1

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Jun 8, 2019, 3:55:05 PM6/8/19
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I saw a bee yesterday - a rare event. How do the plants get pollinated? I do not know the answer to that and yet, they do.

Terry Coombs

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Jun 8, 2019, 4:14:26 PM6/8/19
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  I've not seen anything on these , and have no opinion - at this time
. As for "eating any developing bees" , that is not possible . Bees
emerge as adults from the cell in the comb . And that's the ONLY place
you'll find "developing bees" . Bees first leave the hive when a few
days old , on what are called "orientation" flights . They fly around
close to home , looking at the hive and surroundings . This is how they
learn what home looks like and how to find it . An interesting thing ,
if you move a hive you need to partially obstruct the entrance with
leaves or grass or something . This makes the bees re-orient themselves
because of the changes . If you don't , they will return to the old
location after a foraging flight . Oops , your foragers all just
disappeared . Who's gonna feed the kids now ?

--
Snag
Yes , I'm old
and crochety - and armed .
Get outta my woods !

Ophelia

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Jun 9, 2019, 4:25:04 AM6/9/19
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"dsi1" wrote in message
news:15894cf6-7edb-48db...@googlegroups.com...
====

I could respond but Terry would do a much better job:))

Ophelia

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Jun 9, 2019, 4:30:56 AM6/9/19
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Terry Coombs

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Jun 9, 2019, 10:13:54 AM6/9/19
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  OK , yeah I've seen those . They are aimed more at certain wasps and
definitely at carpenter bees - those are solitary and we do have them
here .

Ophelia

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Jun 9, 2019, 2:10:42 PM6/9/19
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"Terry Coombs" wrote in message news:qdj46v$16i$1...@dont-email.me...




Do you see many, or even one 'solitary' bee?


OK , yeah I've seen those . They are aimed more at certain wasps and
definitely at carpenter bees - those are solitary and we do have them
here .

Snag

===

Are you saying they are mostly used by wasps???

I would be happy to get some for bees, but wasps ....


Terry Coombs

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Jun 9, 2019, 2:26:02 PM6/9/19
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 Not necessarily , it depends on what lives where you are . BTW , some
wasps are pollinators too .

Ophelia

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Jun 9, 2019, 2:58:55 PM6/9/19
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"Terry Coombs" wrote in message news:qdjivm$hne$1...@dont-email.me...

On 6/9/2019 1:05 PM, Ophelia wrote:
>
>
> "Terry Coombs" wrote in message news:qdj46v$16i$1...@dont-email.me...
>
>
>
> Do you see many, or even one 'solitary' bee?
>
>
> OK , yeah I've seen those . They are aimed more at certain wasps and
> definitely at carpenter bees - those are solitary and we do have them here
> .
>
> Snag
>
> ===
>
> Are you saying they are mostly used by wasps???
>
> I would be happy to get some for bees, but wasps ....
>
>

Not necessarily , it depends on what lives where you are . BTW , some
wasps are pollinators too .

Snag

===

Ahhh so it is all good??? Thanks very much, Terry:) That is what I
needed to know:))


Terry Coombs

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Jun 9, 2019, 3:44:08 PM6/9/19
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  There is a niche for every living creature . I'll be damned if I can
figure what good ticks and mosquitoes are though . <In the middle of a
round of antibiotics for a suspected tick-borne disease - probably
Lyme{again!}>

songbird

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Jun 9, 2019, 9:19:57 PM6/9/19
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Terry Coombs wrote:
...
>   There is a niche for every living creature . I'll be damned if I can
> figure what good ticks and mosquitoes are though . <In the middle of a
> round of antibiotics for a suspected tick-borne disease - probably
> Lyme{again!}>

mosquitoes are food for some amphibians and they are
also pollinators.

ticks can spread diseases, but right now the newest
tick issue is because it is introduced from overseas
and will be a major problem if we don't get rid of them
now while we can still do it.

in the wider scheme of things, diseases become issues
when the population density increases to make the spread
more easy of that disease. population controls can keep
diseases in check much easier than spending a lot of
money developing treatments which bring on resistance.


songbird

Ophelia

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Jun 10, 2019, 3:31:31 AM6/10/19
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"Terry Coombs" wrote in message news:qdjni4$cm8$1...@dont-email.me...
Snag

===

Oh dear. I am sorry to hear that:( Hope it clears up very soon!

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