Bee's nesting in the way of paving

[Gregg]

Hi all,

im in the middle of turning over my garden to pave the lot, when i discovered a mound in the middle of my lawn with two bees weaving cut grass to cover the hole in the mound. They are fairly small and have little white marks on their back legs.

I need to turn that bit of ground over, but i don't want to harm the bees as i am sort of aware that they are an endangered species (or something like that).

It there any way i can move the nest (without getting stung!)? is there going to be hundereds of bees under my lawn or just the 5 that i can see at the surface? Just for info, the mound is about 5 inches in diameter and sits about an inch off the ground.

Your help would be much appreciated.

Thanks

[Chris]

Well, some people just like concrete. Paving slabs, block-paving, stone mulches, you name it.

[Gregg]

You mean just pave right over them? :eek: Thought you guys liked preserving bees and such??

[Moggett]

Have a look at this...

http://moraybeekeepers.co.uk/solitary_bees.htm

It may be possible to move the nest once the adult leaves, the young will hatch next year. Honey bees don't nest in the ground and cover the entrance with grass.

Could they be bumblebees? If so there could be a small nest of them under the mound.

Solitary bees and bumblebees are pretty gentle so try and live and let live.

[Gregg]

Thanks for that,

the only problem is i need to move them this week as im laying sand and cement down there next weekend.

If i dug a perimeter around the mound and lifted it out as one, do you think they would be bothered? or would the nest go really deep?

[Moggett]

Sounds like you just need to do your best if you have to pave that area. Just take care to reduce the disturbance to a minimum and keep your fingers crossed. Try and relocate close by and keep an eye on them. Maybe do it late evening when they have stopped flying and hope for the best. Try and dig a reasonable depth - not sure what you have - try doing some research on the net.