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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be fucking upset that my neighbours

141 replies

PisforPeter · 26/04/2015 16:24

Have started keeping mason bees??
They look like wasps but are mason bees apparently. We live in new build houses so gardens are small & our patio area is now full of these insects. I'm so upset & have 2 young dc's. What can I do??Sad

OP posts:
catsrus · 26/04/2015 22:20

Sorry you need to get a grip. The neighbours have not started beekeeping in their garden, they have simply put up a habitat to help support a harmless native insect. I would suggest you do the same and encourage your dd to take an interest.

Stratter5 · 26/04/2015 22:22

FFS bees are really important, ecologically. You're just going to have to educate yourself, and your DC. Why not make a thing of it, and get your own, best way to teach is to involve.

The more people who keep bees the better. We've got masonry in our garden; I hate wasps, but these are dear little fuzzy things.

Original poster
PisforPeter · 26/04/2015 22:23

They are not 'dear little fuzzy things' when you have 3 buzzing round your head eating dinner??

OP posts:
FyreFly · 26/04/2015 22:23

Oh God, Nature! It's all over me, get it off!! Grin

a) It's their garden, and they're not breaking any laws.

b) You don't keep bees, bees choose to stay if they want to. (You can lead a swarm to a hive but you cannot make it stay!)

c) Mason bees are non-swarming, non-aggressive and harmless as long as you don't go interfering with them.

And actually you could keep chickens in your garden. A cockerel however is a different matter with regard to noise pollution and anti-social behaviour. And if you're worried about aggressive animals, a cockerel is something I would advise against. Strongly.

You also don't need a special place for them to nest. What exactly would you do if they started living in another neighbours wall? Demand they tear it down??

We don't keep bees, but our early apples are in full bloom at the moment - swathed in beautiful blossom. They're also covered in bees Grin and I'll wager we have far more flying round our trees than your neighbours have in their little bee-house!

Nature happens, you'll have to get over it, sorry!

SugarOnTop · 26/04/2015 22:24

they cannot be more annoying than having to live next door to someone who has bought a house with a very small garden where you can hear their toddler screaming shouting playing regularly, have to put up with listening to toddler tantrums and screams during the day and evening/night when all you want is a bit of peace and quiet and to enjoy your home, and knowing that you have to put up with it for years to come or until they move............you know, just giving you another perspective to ponder on!

FyreFly · 26/04/2015 22:25

Then close the window OP.

Original poster
PisforPeter · 26/04/2015 22:26

We like to eat in the garden.

OP posts:
NightsOfGethsemane · 26/04/2015 22:31

My old neighbour had a mason bee habitat. DD loved watching the bees so much we built one for our garden too. Sadly only 1 or 2 moved it.

YABU OP.

FyreFly · 26/04/2015 22:31

Then you'll have to put up with it. In my experience, whenever you eat in the garden you'll be accosted by lots of things far more unpleasant than mason bees. Wasps and ants spring to mind, flies, midges... Now if your neighbour was keeping those they would be VU!

Original poster
PisforPeter · 26/04/2015 22:33

That's what we will do Fyrefly
And contemplate getting a cat or 3, they hate cats Grin

OP posts:
Sallyingforth · 26/04/2015 22:38

Sorry OP but the natural world was here before you and me, and we should try to live with it rather than destroy it.

Particularly when it's harmless.

SuburbanRhonda · 26/04/2015 22:38

Who hates cats? Your neighbours? Surely you wouldn't be that petty?

LilQueenie · 26/04/2015 22:38

you like to eat in the garden, the bees like to live there. Its a natural habitat for them. The world and nature will not revolve around you.

FyreFly · 26/04/2015 22:39

I wouldn't argue that's a very good reason to get a pet or three that could live for up to 20 years (or more) with all the associated food, medical and insurance costs...

Pangurban · 26/04/2015 22:45

I understand how you are very wary of them. There is a hive somewhere near us as the local garden centre sell honey from our road. The honey bees are really interesting. At first I thought they were big wasps and got the jitters. Then I noticed they didn't take any note of me and were solely dedicated to going from flower to flower. Not like blasted wasps which scare the heck out of me.

Original poster
PisforPeter · 26/04/2015 22:55

It's a joke about the cats. I really like them but have my hands full at present with dc's. Will get one in a few years.

OP posts:
FyreFly · 26/04/2015 23:09

Glad to see you're joking about the cats :) The bees honestly aren't bad. When you initially posted I thought you were going to say your neighbours had installed full-on beehives (VU in close proximity to other people's houses), not a little insect house. It can't be housing more than 30 of them surely? I doubt you will be bothered by them honestly. If I was you, I would be more worried about wasps when eating ourside!

Devora · 26/04/2015 23:10

OP, how many bees are you actually seeing? I'm curious because a couple of years back our neighbour (modest suburban gardens, so close by) got a bee hive. I wasn't best thrilled, but swallowed hard and tried to think of the environment. To my great surprise, I've barely noticed the bees. Perhaps it's because I'm a bit of a crap gardener and there's not many flowers in my back garden - are you eating your lunch by a lavender bush, perhaps?

JoanHickson · 26/04/2015 23:14

I have decided to use this thread as an example of two people having different ideas on the severity of a problem.

I nominate for classics.

Op decribes swarms of bees and a bee keeper. There are actually a few dozen bees living in a six inch by six inch straw insect hotel.

whattodooo · 26/04/2015 23:20

LOL at all the bee lovers coming out of the hive woodwork! Who knew MN was home to so many? Grin

VanitasVanitatum · 26/04/2015 23:21

The world for human beings will end without bees. That's a simple bloody fact and your worried about a few buzzing round your head while you eat.

You won't have any food to eat without bees.

Bloody selfish human-centric ignorance will be the death of this planet.

VanitasVanitatum · 26/04/2015 23:21

*You're

Stratter5 · 26/04/2015 23:27

Garden = outside = nature = tough

kali110 · 26/04/2015 23:39

Plenty is that what they live in??
We have a butterfly house in our garden tooSmile

BlueStringPudding · 26/04/2015 23:49

We had honey bees take up residence in our front porch roof space last summer, and they have been no trouble at all - there are probably several thousand there by now, and they are constantly coming and going right next to our front door. DS, 8 often just watches them (quite high up and on a set flight path as others say). So really you shouldn't worry about the Mason bees - just teach your DC to observe and learn to love them..

We get adders, grass snakes and slow worms in our garden as well, and we don't find those a problem either.