# Wild Bee Question



## Jennifer L. (May 10, 2002)

I ran over a nest of bees the other day on the tractor. Hit the outside edge of it and may have dragged some hay off the top (not sure if it was covered, but it probably was). They look like honey bees, but do they nest on the ground? Or are there native bees that look something like honey bees? I was back in the field baling today and checked them out and they are still there. 

If these are honey bees, how do you go about capturing them? I'm just curious, I doubt I'd try it, but just wonder how difficult it is to do.

If left on their own, would they survive a Zone 4-5 winter?

Thanks!

Jennifer


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## suzyhomemaker09 (Sep 24, 2004)

If they were in the ground they were most likely yellow jackets...


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## Jennifer L. (May 10, 2002)

No, I know what they look like and these are not Yellow Jackets. They definitely are a fuzzy looking bee. I would say they were honey bees for sure except I've never seen a wild honey bee nest before. Lots of bumble bees around, but not honey bees. I did have an apiary with bees on the place this year (Hackenberg's left off about 80 hives) about a half a mile from where these bees are. Maybe they are from there? I figured I could ask them about them, but thought you folks might be able to tell me what they were. Whenever I see the Hackenberg's they are usually on the run.  I had to pull their truck out a few weeks ago with the tractor. It's a mile away, and by the time I was pulling into drive up to the barn they were 15 seconds behind me heading out to the next stop! In the time it took me to drive that mile on the tractor they had loaded up their Bobcat on the back of their truck and had caught up with me. They do not let grass grow under their feet! 

Jennifer


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## Bill W. (Aug 2, 2008)

It is not impossible for honey bees to nest in a cavity in the ground, but it is pretty unusual. Is it possible that they are really in the hay? A void in a pile of hay would be a good spot for bees.


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## Jennifer L. (May 10, 2002)

Where they are was mowed earlier this year and I believe there was a tuft of hay missed by the baler on the ground that was kicked sideways the other day away from the nest by the tractor tire. So I think they were under that tuft of hay. The nest area is about a square foot, maybe more like 16" square. The hay was about that size, too.

Jennifer


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## Bill W. (Aug 2, 2008)

It really is hard to say if they would survive without a look at the hive.

Capturing them would require setting up an artificial hive, cutting out the combs, and banding them in place in the hive frames. It would not be an easy job for someone without beekeeping experience, although anything can be done with enough determination and preparation.


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## Iddee (Sep 25, 2005)

Look at the nest itself. If it is wax, it is honey bees. If it is gray paper, it isn't honeybees. It's that simple.

If it is honey bees, put an empty deep hive body, over it and seal around the bottom with dirt. Place a hive body with frames and foundation on top the empty one. Create a top entrance above the second hive body, and under the lid. By Apr. or may of 2009, they will have moved up into the hive with frames. You can take them home at that time. You can also feed them 100 feet from the nest, all winter, as long as the temp. is above 45 F., they will gather it in.


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## BeaG (Aug 21, 2008)

If they are ground nesting solitary bees, then they would be wonderful pollinators. I do not know enough about these kinds of bees to be able to identify them, but here are a couple of links that you might find helpful.

Pollinator Paradise has pictures and explanations galore of different types of solitary bees.

http://www.pollinatorparadise.com/

On Beetberry.com, go first to the "bees" page, and then look at the "bee paper" written by the author of the site. The paper explains how to encourage solitary bees to nest on your property. The paper can be printed or saved (free).

http://www.beetberry.com/

Perhaps this will help.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

My first though is you can't save them if they are honey bees unless you can get 2 deeps mostly full of honey from the Hackinberries.
Northern New York near Ont. means winter cold and snow.

 Al


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## stranger (Feb 24, 2008)

I have seen fuzzy bees that are about 1/4 the size of bumble bees living in the ground, they don't seem mean like a yellow jacket, they were more like a carpenter bee.


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## Jennifer L. (May 10, 2002)

Here's a photo of the bees' nest I mentioned in this thread. I was down baling again today and took the camera with me.

They didn't bother me at all when I took the photos. This is the one that turned out the best and I was standing over them for a couple of minutes.

They appear to work on four or so cone shaped piles that stand over the ground three inches. Can't see what they look like because they are totally covered with bees all the time.

So are these honey bees?

Jennifer


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## Iddee (Sep 25, 2005)

Yes, they are honey bees. In your climate, they will not make it through the winter. About the only thing you can do is as I outlined above, and feed them two parts sugar and one part water.

IE: one gallon water, two gallon sugar. The water must be heated to nearly boiling to dissolve that much sugar, but boiling will cause it to crystallize, so don't let it get that hot. It will take 60 lbs. or more of stores to get them through the winter where you are.


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## Jennifer L. (May 10, 2002)

Thanks for all of the information you folks have supplied. I really appreciate not being told I'm a total idiot for even wondering if I could do something with them. 

Sounds like a lot of work to get them through the winter, but at the same time, might be interesting to try. There always seem to be more new projects to take on, and only so many hours in the day.  I kind of hate to miss the opportunity to do something with bees, though. Hmm.

Jennifer


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## Eaglerock (Sep 17, 2008)

So are these honey bees?

Jennifer, 
Yes... and they have swarmed there and not in a tree. Here is one that swarmed and was put in a nuc hive.


http://beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=222478


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## BeaG (Aug 21, 2008)

Eaglerock,
I checked out your honeybee swarm pictures. Absolutely beautiful! Thanks so much for linking us to those photos of the swarm going into the nuc box. They warmed my heart.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Like I said earlier try to get a couple of deeps from the Hackenbergs. You could possiable save them that way. It is worth a try but you have to hurry as there isn't much time left to get ready for winter.

 Al


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## Jennifer L. (May 10, 2002)

alleyyooper said:


> Like I said earlier try to get a couple of deeps from the Hackenbergs. You could possiable save them that way. It is worth a try but you have to hurry as there isn't much time left to get ready for winter.
> 
> Al



He was here this morning delivering some bottles of honey for letting them use the place for pasture this year. I did ask him about them and he didn't act like there was anything to be done. Said they did get another swarm from off of a fence post over by the hives sometime in the summer, though.

They took the hives a few weeks ago and I didn't see them then or I might have asked them about it then when it was still early in the fall. Thing is, they are always in a hurry and probably wouldn't have wanted to bother with me about them. I mean that in a nice way, though, it's just that when you are in business and always running, the last thing you would want to do is stop and deal with an amateur who doesn't know squat! LOL! Perfectly understandable.

Anyway, they've perked my interest and I've started to get some books on beekeeping to read over the winter . . . Fool! Fool! Too much else to do!!! LOL! Oh, well, it's all interesting. :happy:

Thanks, everyone! Might be some more questions next spring. 

Jennifer


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