queen bee in my bedroom!

[Becka]

Hello, Just found the hugest bee wander sluggishly along my curtains, presumably a queen as she's a good inch long, obviously I don't want a beehive in my bedroom, but i don't want to put her outside to certain death in the cold either, any suggestions?

 

[Becka]

all acedemic now, she seems to have taken flight whist i was downstairs writing the 1st message, will keep an eye out cos she's unlikely to be out of the house but don't fancy my chances.. quite gutted really, she was absolutely fascinating to watch, huge, over an inch long maybe almost 2 and her abdomen was pulsating, like maybe she was working up to laying eggs? and she had the largest, brightest eyes i've ever seen on an insect, looked almost intelligent..

 

[Jocelyn]

May have been a hornet. Get to your bugs reference book!

Either way, she has come out of the warm hibernation spot during the 'heatwave', suspect she will find another now its colder. They love lofts and under the eaves.

 

[Becka]

looked typical bumblebee.. very fluffy with yellow stripes.. just much bigger.. if it looked waspish it'd have been straight in the bug vac and out the window, i'm not fond of wasps.. :O( not sure how she'd get to the eaves from my bedroom, but then i'm not sure how she got in there in the first place..

 

[Lime]

Bumble or humble bees are often quite large and overwinter wherever they can find a dry safe place.
They are one of the only insects that are able to generate some heat to fly so that they can fly in cold weather when other bees are torpid.
They are the gardeners' friend and should not be killed because they are able to pollinate fruit tres etc in cold weather.
In my area honey bees are very uncommon now and most of my garden plants rely on bumble bees and similar insects for pollination.

 

[Becka]

don't worry, no intention of killing her, i share my house with bee's most spring's as theres obviously a nest somewhere and they all wake up and make their way to my kitchen windowsil waiting to be let out.. i assume she's crawled under the bed or wardrobe to wait it out till it's a bit warmer, bit worried about getting lots of baby bees in my bedroom still tho.. :OP

 

[Penners]

Bees are precious! And bumble bees do most of our pollenation nowadays. They're not at all aggressive, and sting very rarely.

Here's a website that might interest you.

 

[Becka]

I know, i have hundreds on my honeysuckle each summer, think they're wonderful.. :O) theres no website attached??

 

[Penners]

Just click on the word "Here's"!

 

[Becka]

ahhh, the colour definition on my laptop's obviously a bit duff, looked the same as the otrher words.. interesting site.. :O) will keep an eye out for her and see if i can rehome her somewhere slightly more suitable, the pollen sources in my bedroom are pretty minimal..

 

[Becka]

found her and put her outside in a bush with dense folliage (for a bit of cover) not quite as big as I'd remembered, think was that she was all stretched out clambering over curtains made see her bigger than she was.. there is actually a climber in bloom next door with a few bees already visiting it so hopefully she'll be fine..