Many wasps/bees entering sleepers in garden

banchang

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In the last few days I have had dozens of these wasps/bees flying in to try to crawl into the cracks between railway sleepers in my garden. They're not all going for the same entrance (so don't appear to be trying to nest, I think!) but trying to crawl into the gaps along a stretch of the sleepers (see pics). Perhaps its the sap they're attracted to in the war weather ?

They are a real nuisance & I'm concerned as we have children coming to stay & if weather is good they'll obviously be in the garden playing.

Can anyone advise

- what kind of wasps/bees are these
- how do I get rid of them !
 

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They are not wasps, they are bees. Possibly solitary bees.

From Biodiversity Ireland
http://www.biodiversityireland.ie/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/The-state-of-Irelands-Bees.pdf

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/editorial/decline-of-the-bumblebee-1.3500293

I'd suggest just leaving them alone to do their thing.

And what's to stop bees from everywhere else coming into your garden when the children are playing? Hopefully there are enough flowers planted to attract them (doing your bit for biodiversity :) )
 
Funny enough I was out in the garden yesterday and I usually have never noticed wasps/bees etc I just let them do their thing but the garden was full of these kind of wasp like things, definitely not bees, but they were hovering around unlike wasps. I swear one of them was actually motionless in the air staring at me for ages!

I never have a problem with excess insects but these guys were everywhere yesterday in the garden.
 
I also am seeing alot of wasps flying into my house and they are very large ones :eek: usually see them come in during August/Sept, never this early. I have large gardens surrounding the house and I am beginning to dread the summer coming as I will be inundated with them:(
 
Well, I bought 2 boxes of wildflower seeds from Lidl and threw them all out in the garden over the weekend. in all the beds and some of the grass (that we'll leave uncut). My wife (amazingly!) has said not to cut the rest of the grass until the end of the month so that the bees can get at the dandelions (which is apparently a big source of food for them).
I remember reading that if all the humans died out, the world would come back stronger within 50 years, whereas if all the insects died out, the world would die in 4.

I don't want to get on my high horse too much :) but I really believe our attitude has to change regarding all other species. Everything else isn't there for our benefit, and the sooner we learn to live with it and not keep trying to eradicate what we don't like, the better chance we have of surviving.

Now look what you've started ! :D
 
Funny enough I was out in the garden yesterday and I usually have never noticed wasps/bees etc I just let them do their thing but the garden was full of these kind of wasp like things, definitely not bees, but they were hovering around unlike wasps. I swear one of them was actually motionless in the air staring at me for ages!

I never have a problem with excess insects but these guys were everywhere yesterday in the garden.
Probably hover flies from your description. There are a number of different species in Ireland. They have yellow and black stripes similar to wasps and bees, but are really beneficial in your garden as they eat pest insects.
 
Hover flies, sheep in wolves clothing.

There does seem to be a good few real wasps around at the moment but they won't bother you generally at this time of year.
Only issue is them looking to start a nest somewhere.

I do like your 4 story insect hotel though...............why wouldn't they want to stay there?
 
I also am seeing alot of wasps flying into my house and they are very large ones :eek: usually see them come in during August/Sept, never this early. I have large gardens surrounding the house and I am beginning to dread the summer coming as I will be inundated with them:(

The large wasps you see at this time of year are new queens, who were born last year, and hibernated somewhere cosy over the winter. They're emerging around now and looking for nesting sites. They are not particularly aggressive. Gently shooing them towards the window, or using an upside down glass and paper works fine.
 
Ah thanks for that I was thinking they were Queens alright. Oh, yes I just shoo them out with my dish cloth when I see them :)
 
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