It is actually lots of males buzzing about waiting for the queens to emerge so that they can mate with them.
Tree bumble bees in roof.
The main part of the nest is made of honeypots or wax cells produced by the bees.
Compared to honey bees their stores are much smaller.
I had them under some roof tiles above my front door a few years ago.
If there are nests in the wall you may hear buzzing from all the bee activity.
During may and june tree bumblebees can be seen swarming around their nest entrances which can be alarming if they are nesting in your roof or garden.
These bees collect and store nectar.
Put on some protective clothing and start pouring the soap and water mixture down the nest with a hose or a pipe.
It is common for them to use a bird box.
Mix two cups of water and 2 3 cups of peppermint castile soap and keep a kettle of hot boiling water handy.
If bees are making nests in your walls or attic you may find dead bees in windowsills or near doors.
Bumble bees don t produce honey but they do have their own version of honey.
Social bees including bumblebees and honeybees typically build their hives or nests in hollow or abandoned areas.
Where do bumble bees build their nests.
Sink the upturned flower pot into the ground and use the slate tile to cover any drainage holes to keep the rain out.
Where they build their nest is dependent on the species.
Run a hose or pipe underground to the pot leaving a prominent entrance.
But it s not a cause for worry.
This is not a swarm it is known as a drone cloud which is a group of male bees competing with each other for a chance to mate with a new queen as she emerges from the nest.
Unlike other bees in the uk which nest at ground level this species nests above ground in cavities such as holes in trees and roof spaces and indeed last year at leeds university a nest was observed in a gap in one the buildings in the biology department.
If you have tree bumblebees bombus hypnorum nesting in a bird box or your roof eaves you may see large groups of bees flying around the nest in the summer.
Like all bumblebees the queens do nest searching flights looking for somewhere snug to set up home.
You are more likely to find these hives in rodent burrows thick grass wall cavities sheds or in trees as you can see in the photo above.
The tree bumblebee is one of the first bumblebee species to be seen in the spring.
Be sure to make drainage holes in the pipe.
The males do not have stingers so are harmless.
Buzzing noises in the wall.
Finally fill with a generous handful of nesting material such.
Nests under roof eaves or in the ground.
They will move on and then you will be able to clear out the box for hopefully a different resident next year.
