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Contact Information
Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council
Tel: 024 7637 6376
Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm
One Stop Shops:
Nuneaton Town Hall
Coton Road, Nuneaton,
Warwickshire, CV11 5AA
Bedworth Area Office
High Street, Bedworth,
Warwickshire, CV12 8NF
Contact Us
Maps and Directions
Tel: 024 7637 6376
Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm
One Stop Shops:
Nuneaton Town Hall
Coton Road, Nuneaton,
Warwickshire, CV11 5AA
Bedworth Area Office
High Street, Bedworth,
Warwickshire, CV12 8NF
Contact Us
Maps and Directions
Bees
Advice on Honey Bees
Honeybees have a banded orange and brown abdomen. The thorax is brown and furry, unlike the wasp which is black. The honeybee can sting humans, but this is normally only under extreme provocation. They are useful creatures, promoting the pollination of plants. It is for this reason that the Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council is reluctant to treat for honeybees.
They are social insects that cannot survive alone. To start a new colony, a new queen needs to be produced and when this happens, the old queen leaves with some of the workers resulting in a swarm. Swarming mainly occurs during fine weather in May and June, but the honeybees are normally harmless, provided that they are not interfered with.
If you think a swarm of honeybees has arrived on your property, it is likely that they are just resting, usually on a tree branch, before they move on to form the new colony. They should move on within 24-48 hours, so unless they are causing a problem - leave them alone. If they have decided to make a new nest site, often in chimney-breasts, then you will need to contact a beekeeper or private pest control company for professional help.
Contact details
For further advice and information or to book a treatment telephone 024 7637 6405, fax 024 7637 6214 or use the following Email customer.services@nuneatonandbedworth.gov.uk. To book an appointment in person visit the Customer Service Centre at the Town Hall, Coton Road, Nuneaton, CV11 5AA or the Bedworth Area Office, High Street, Bedworth.
Advice on Masonry/Miner Bees
The Borough Council does not offer a service for the treatment of masonry bees. Details of pest control contractors can be obtained from the yellow pages or via the British Pest Control Association (BPCA) who can be contacted on 0870 609 2687 or visit their website at bpca.org.uk
Although the Borough Council do not provide a service for the treatment of masonry/miner bees the following information may provide assistance: -
Masonry bees are similar in coloration to the honey bee. They do not swarm, their stings do not penetrate the skin and they are beneficial in promoting plant pollination. They can, however, cause damage to buildings, which can be quite severe over several seasons.
Habitat
The bees tend to bore holes in lawns, flowerbeds, rockeries or any soft suitable material in order to lay eggs. They sometimes bore into perished or friable mortar of brickwork or stonework where the joints are sufficiently soft (sound hard mortar is unaffected).
The walls concerned tend to be south facing, as they receive more hours of sunlight, which enhances germination of any eggs which are laid. After laying the eggs the hole is left until the larvae hatch the following spring.
Treatment
The advice given by the Building Research Establishment, Princess Risborough, Bucks is:
- The only effective treatment for masonry bees is for the mortar joints in the affected area of the property to be raked out and repointed with a HARD mortar of a cement and sand (not lime) mix.
- Proprietary insecticides may be used, but the degree of success is limited and cannot be guaranteed.
- It is also recommend that the whole of the property is surveyed for further penetration, and further treatment carried out if necessary.
- The only sure remedy is to have the mortar joints raked out and repointed, as this will prevent either larvae boring out or adults boring in.
For further advice and information from the BRE contact them on the following address BRE, Bucknalls Lane, Watford WD25 9XX or contact them on 01923 664000 or alternatively visit their website at BRE
Advice on Bumble Bees
The Borough Council does not offer a service for the treatment of bumble bees. Details of pest control contractors can be obtained from the yellow pages or via the British Pest Control Association (BPCA) who can be contacted on 0870 609 2687 or visit their website at bpca.org.uk
Although the Borough Council do not provide a service for the treatment of masonry/miner bees the following information may provide assistance: -
During the spring and summer many people find the small round grass nests occupied by bumble bees in compost heaps, garden refuse or under buildings. They are sometimes mistaken for honeybee swarms but bumblebees do not swarm; the number of bees in the largest bumble bee nest does not exceed several dozen.
Bumblebees often occupy old mouse nests or use bird-nesting boxes. Bumblebee nests are rarely a nuisance but if necessary they can be destroyed with wasp or ant powder. Remember to always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when applying household insecticides.
Also if you are not sure which species of bumble bee you have in your garden it is always advisable to check with a specialist as some species of bumble bee are protected by law and should not be destroyed or harmed.
