Have you noticed this year there has been a lack of insects being seen? We haven’t even been called out for a wasp nest to be treated yet and it’s nearly July. Is this due to the long wet winter we had up until a few weeks ago that’s causing it? Or is due to the growth of more pest control companies taking off and tackling around 5-10 nests a day, for the last several years that has hit them this hard?
As a specialist live honeybee and bumblebee removal and relocation company, we have noticed huge changes in 2024 compared to 2023. This time last year we had saved and relocated over 15 honey and bumblebee colonies and may have tackled 15 wasp nests by now, but the long long cold wet months that dragged on this year until recently have caused many wasps, bees, and insects to perish more than normal. I’ve noticed Beekeepers are talking in forums (that we are members of) saying how their colonies have perished over the winter from using up all their resources, from being unable to fly in the rain, and even now when they check the comb there is little to no pollen or nectar stored. The bees have a lot of work to do if they are to survive the next winter!
We have also noticed many calls this year asking us for a quote to remove honeybees or bumblebees from buildings or under decking, but once we gave a price to come out and remove them (Our prices have stayed the same for 3 years) they decided it was too much cost and they were going to kill them off instead as it’s cheaper. This is the same with honeybees and other varieties of bees from mining, and carpentry to masonry bees, all being killed off as the cost of living is getting purses pulled tighter so the bees are not a priority to save anymore. I wonder if their attitudes will change once they realise it is affecting the crops and what is available on supermarket shelves. FYI there are no products that we or you can buy that allow the control and extermination of bees. Any chemical insecticide you can buy does not have bee control on the instructions. However, people are using wasp and fly sprays to kill bees.
So, unless the bees, wasps, or hornets are really affecting you this year, take a second to think, could you just let them live instead of killing them this year? Some customers l have are allergic to bee or wasp stings but on the whole most people aren’t allergic. Bumblebees are super docile and will not attack or sting any human or dog unless provoked, or you try to remove their home. Honeybees will defend their home if they feel threatened by noise or vibrations and wasps generally avoid people until the Queen dies off around September and then they are a nuisance for a few weeks. Most wasps, bees, and insects live only for 30 days. Wasp and bumblebee colonies all die off around September/October.
So how will the next 3 months go l wonder, will the flying insects become more visible, will wasp nests make any queens this year and will there be enough bees to thrive next year if this year stays warm long enough for them to recover?
How can we get more people on board to save the bees from being exterminated as it is cheaper than saving them? If you cant afford to relocate them, then please just let them live if you can.