Bumblebees nesting under doorway - Help!

[CBee]

Hello, I am new to the site and, much as I try to live in harmony with nature as much as possible, I am not particularly 'calm' about bugs getting too 'up close and personal'!... I appear to have some bumblebees (?!) living under the doorway of my conservatory in the back garden. Much as I would love to help have them relocated, I can't quite see how this could be an option, since there is no real way of accessing them. Leaving them where they are all summer and possibly part of the autumn is not something I am too happy about, as my 3 year old son's playroom is the conservatory and he uses the doorway into the garden on a very regular basis. My husband has not yet finished the paving or steps around the area, and so the step down into the garden is rather high, which means my son takes longer to get in and out, thus hovering around the entrance to the bees 'home'. Plus, due to the size of the garden, it is almost impossible not to get close to them and I am worried about disturbing them and the repercussions of that (stings, etc.!) I have uploaded some pictures of the area and bees in question, so if anybody would care to take a look, they are at: www.photobox.co.uk/my/album?album_id=123967199
Does anybody have any advice on what I can do about this please?
Yours hopefully,

CBee.

[Adam]

Can you place a piece of wood or such like at the front and let them come out the side?

Adam

[Weatherman1200]

If I could get at the nest I could move it but not in the case of this nest

[CBee]

Wood as redirection. Not a bad idea... I was thinking of trying to redirect their route off somehow, but couldn't think what to use. I will explore this avenue! Keep the ideas coming if there are any more, the more the merrier and thanks to you both so far!

[RoofTops]

They are bumble bees and most unlikely to sting anyone. However, for peace of mind you could build some sort of ramp or steps so you effectively go over a bridge to enter the conservatory. Do this gradually over several days so the bees can adapt to the rearrangement of the scenery.

Come the winter when the bees have gone lay some gravel around the edge of the conservatory to seal up the gaps and discourage further nests.

[CBee]

Sounds like another great idea! Thanks, I will have a look at what wood we have and get something sorted. I would much prefer not to harm them if possible, so these ideas sound like the way to go. (I'm afraid I'm one of those 'Ooh yes, isn't it lovely" kind of people when looking at it from a safe distance or when it's still, but then end up flailing my arms around and jumping 2 feet off the ground if it flies towards me or gets on me. Nothing I can do about it really, I'm just a scaredy cat when it comes to bugs, it's embarrassing! :o )

[Chris]

I think even if your son goes poking a stick down the hole the bees are unlikely to sting. Bumble bees don't come and fly at people, land on them and sting them, like a wasp might or like a honeybee might. To get a bumble bee to sting your son is going to have to catch and squash one in his hand or to accidentally sit down on one.

But the idea of a ramp of wood is a good one. Such a thing might confuse the bees at first, so some kind of marker might help them re-orientate. Like a blob of white paint - some mark which they can aim for in order to make their comings and goings quicker, rather than having them 'bumble' around their hole.

[Poly Hive]

Cbee?

To add to the reassurance on here already might I add some more.

Once upon time I ran an establishment which was so highly attractive to bees it was a paradise and it was a daily occurrence to pop bumbles out of the windows. I must have shifted hundreds of them and only once did I get stung and it was so mild in comparison to a honey bee sting it took me 20 minutes to decide it actually had happened.

Your uninvited guests will very soon be gone and possibly this is a chance to show your wee one a wonder of nature.

PH