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Archive => Archived Boards => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: sgk on May 19, 2014, 08:30:39 PM

Title: Bees nesting in bathroom overflow pipe
Post by: sgk on May 19, 2014, 08:30:39 PM

Discovered bees constantly entering/leaving the 1 inch overflow pipe outside our house, which leads to the bathroom.  Nesting somewhere in there I guess.

Anyone on the Marple website have ideas how to deal with this? ???

Title: Re: Bees nesting in bathroom overflow pipe
Post by: hollins on May 19, 2014, 08:59:05 PM

Keep the cistern valve open and let the overflow pipe do its job for a few minutes. I think the bees will get the message!

Title: Re: Bees nesting in bathroom overflow pipe
Post by: My login is Henrietta on May 20, 2014, 02:22:38 PM

Quote from: sgk on May 19, 2014, 08:30:39 PM

Discovered bees constantly entering/leaving the 1 inch overflow pipe outside our house, which leads to the bathroom.  Nesting somewhere in there I guess.

Anyone on the Marple website have ideas how to deal with this? ???

There are several sites on the web offering advice on bees nests. This one is brief but might be helpful

http://www.channel4.com/4homes/how-to/diy/bees-nests-wasps-nests-dealing-getting-rid-of-them-10-02-12

The following is more bee friendly and gives an argument for leaving well alone

http://www.buzzaboutbees.net/bee-nest-removal-bumblebee.html

You pays your money and you takes our chance, as the saying goes.

Title: Re: Bees nesting in bathroom overflow pipe
Post by: captain marvel on May 20, 2014, 02:29:46 PM

I have had  pest control out today.There was bees in my air vent on the wall ,he said they are harmless and will die off in a couple off weeks ,he said they was called mortar bees.

Title: Re: Bees nesting in bathroom overflow pipe
Post by: the rover on May 21, 2014, 06:58:48 AM

I have the same, bees in an air brick. Had the same 3 years ago, they are Mason Bees and are harmless, they do no damage and there are only ever a few of them. Leave them alone and they will leave/die off in a couple of months, they are valuable to the environment.

Title: Re: Bees nesting in bathroom overflow pipe
Post by: sgk on May 21, 2014, 08:19:10 PM

Thanks for all the advice, more nuggets of knowledge from the Marple website :-)  They do appear to be Mason bees (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mason_bee)

The council even have a page about 'em, advising they're not particularly harmful.  So we'll let them be, so to speak, before they buzz off.

Stockport Council: Mortar/Masonry Bees and Mining Bees (http://www.stockport.gov.uk/services/environment/envhealth/pestcontrol/commonpests/mortarmasonrybees/)

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6c/Osmia_rufa_couple_%28aka%29.jpg/320px-Osmia_rufa_couple_%28aka%29.jpg)