Bees in the brickwork

[lizzlebizzle33]

I've noticed a couple of bees (one big one small so possibly male and female) going in an out of a small hole in the brickwork by the back door.

FIL says I should block it up but I feel so mean, I don't want to block them in there but I don't want them building a little home either really with it being by the door.

What would you do?

Bees don't pair up. They are likely to be Mason Bees laying eggs after which they block up the hole and disappear. Leave them to it!

Bees need protecting. I'd leave them alone and put up a bee hotel ready for next season to attract them away. You can block up the hole once they've vacated it, if you must.

Any hole blocking should be done in winter to be sure of not burying anyone alive

If you block it up, bees may find another way out, or the colony will die. Bees are a protected species so a pest controller can’t help. Bee keeper also can’t help as they can’t get to the queen.

We all this last year! The colony left when the really hot weather came.

A couple of years ago we had a nest in the garden, but underground, they were no trouble at all, in and out all day long, never bothered us, when we were sitting on the patio. They didn’t like the lawnmower much, so we had to avoid mowing that part of the garden.

Good luck.

I'd leave them 'be', OP. We share the walls and roofspace of our house with lots of wildlife - like bees, bats and birds - without any issues. They leave us alone and we leave them alone. It's an old place - they've probably been there for many generations and even longer than we have, so it's only fair. We did once have a swarm, which a local beekeeper came along and collected - no harm done. We enjoy spotting our cohabitants, especially the ones that return at about the same time each year, and it's a great way to educate the DCs about nature.

I really want to just leave them to it, FIL has got me all paranormal d that they're building some kind of mega hive and they will get into the house through the walls. In 80% sure that's ridiculous but it have two babies under 2 and just worry all the time about everything 😂

Do you think they will just do their thing and leave?

We have a colony of honey bees living in the porch roof above our front door. They've been there for about 4 years now, and apparently there could be 10,000 or so in there at the peak (we think they swarm at least once a year).

If you put your hand on the ceiling inside you can feel the difference where they are, as it's much warmer.

They're lovely and have been no trouble at all - they just fly in and out. We had someone from a local Bee group round, who reassured us that they would not eat their way through (unlike wasps), and that the honey would not melt!

We have a bat summer roost in the attic too.

So just leave them, and enjoy..

Thank you squashyhat I just looked up Mason bees I have never heard of those. I think that is what I saw in my garden the other day going into a crack in the garage wall. It was just one that I saw. And they are not aggressive. Look them up lizzlebizzle33

I know this is an old post, but I just wanted to point out that contrary to Yogagirl's post (and quite outrageously imho), bees are endangered, but NOT protected in the UK.

I've seen the myth perpetuated several times on Mumsnet, and they should be, but no bee species is protected