Bees' nest in the compost heap

[WigWamBam]

Just out in the garden turning over the compost heap - and there's a bees' nest in it. We've covered it back over for now, but does anyone know the best thing to do? I don't want to destroy them, if we leave them there until the Autumn will they go away so that we can destroy the nest then? Would pest controllers get rid of them for us without killing them?

[tiffini]

you could try ringing your nearest bee santuary, they might collect it FOC, after all they do make money from them

[WigWamBam]

I didn't know there was such a thing as bee sanctuaries!

[tiffini]

i dont know what exactly they are called, but where they breed them,

[WigWamBam]

I've tried Googling, and the only information I can find is from a pest controller, who recommends poisoning them. I'd rather not, because they're so beneficial to the garden, but still don't want them where my dd plays.

I don't know what to do or where to find out what to do!

[tiffini]

iv'e tried looking too, will keep trying.

[SaintGeorge]

British Beekeepers Association might be able to help - maybe give you the phone number of a local beekeeper.

Haven't studied the link myself - phobic about bees and there are pictures on there, I can't possible look eeeeeekkkk

[purpleturtle]

here it says just keep filling your bin till the winter when you can shift the nest without getting stung

[WigWamBam]

An endangered species and it's illegal to kill them ... this just gets better and better!

[tortoiseshell]

My Dad used to be a beekeeper and regularly used to go and collect bees nests/swarms - your police station may well have a number of the local beekeeper, or the beekeepers association. It's quite normal to call out a beekeeper - my dad used to get phoned up day and night to collect them - he even had to get one off a railway signal on the North East main railway line (the London to Edinburgh one) - he was on the news for that!

[WigWamBam]

Thank you, I'll call on Monday and see if I can get someone to come out and deal with them.

My sister has also noticed that there's several of them gone underneath the shed as well, so I think we may have more than one colony.