Bumble bee

[vvand111]

I was just out at 1 of my hives and a Bumble bee went into it.  The girls got really upset and after 3 or 4 trys pulled it to the edge and down to the ground.  After a few minutes the girls flew back up to hive and the bumble bee flew away.  I was surprised he did not die.

Is the fact he was trying to get into the hive any indication of  anything I should be looking at or for???

[apisbees]

2 things He is a She and if she is trying to get honey from a hive then there is not any nectar in the area to be brought in so the wasps, yellow jackets and hornets will be hungry also and may decide to attack the hives also so reduce the entrance and watch for robbing and the other insets pestering the hive and be ready to put robber screens on to aid the bees in defending the hive.

[Mikey N.C.]

Vandy, I use #8  wire (hardware cloth) and leave about a 3/8" opening.

[Mikey N.C.]

Instead of wooden reducer, to get air flow cause my bottom boards are solid.

[Jen]

vv - So true what Apis says about robbing, every summer here in upper northern Calif we get lots of robbing. I have robbing screens on all my hives. But I don't have robbing screens on my nucs, so I put my entrance reducers to where the opening is just about 2 bees wide, and if there is still a problem then 1 bee wide. 

[iddee]

Mikey, why not use 1/4 in. hardware cloth and close the whole entrance? The bees can go through it easily, but hornets and mice can't.

[Jen]

That would work for my yellow jackets as well, got A LOT of them this year.

[Mikey N.C.]

Yellow jackets an hornets aren't that bad this year so far, iddee was worried that to small of screen would knock off pollen

[neillsayers]

I found four dead european hornets in one of my hives at last inspection-huge suckers. Closed up the entrance to one bee width.

[lazy shooter]

I have seen more bumble bees than normal this year.  They seem to be more plentiful usual.

lazy

[Wandering Man]

I have seen more bumble bees than normal this year.  They seem to be more plentiful usual.

lazy

Me too. I just assumed it was because I seem to be more aware of all of the flying insects around my house.

[Mikey N.C.]

WM,
I my self have noticed a lot as soon I started beeking.

[Mikey N.C.]

As I started beeking

[Wandering Man]

Once Wife and I made the decision, I was suddenly aware of bumblebees, green bees, hornets, wasps, and anything else that approached our house.

It's kind of a nice side-effect to beekeeping.

[Mikey N.C.]

Had been gardening for years, didn't understand the true pollinators . I always  knew what was pest to the garden, and now  learning more

[riverbee]

"I was just out at 1 of my hives and a Bumble bee went into it.  The girls got really upset and after 3 or 4 trys pulled it to the edge and down to the ground.  After a few minutes the girls flew back up to hive and the bumble bee flew away.  I was surprised he did not die.
Is the fact he was trying to get into the hive any indication of  anything I should be looking at or for???"

vandy, a couple comments;  was it a carpenter bee or a bumble?  they look alike, but slight differences. i see more carpenter bees trying to invade my hives (one at a time) and typically the bees will take care of them, sometimes they are able to fly off, not usually. i think carpenter bees are frequently misidentified and confused with a bumble.

bumbles or carpenters are not a threat to your hives. just because you saw a bumble/carpenter bee trying to get in, is not cause for alarm.  i typically see carpenter bees trying to sneak in all season long (not in droves, only one at a time, here and there).  there is no need for your to be alarmed about a bumble or carpenter trying to get in, and no need to reduce entrances or other extreme measures to keep them out. the bees will take care of them.

the invasive species as apis and others have said are the yellow jackets, wasps or hornets.

mikey, iddee is correct, too small a screen will strip the pollen off the legs of the bees.