Yesterday I caught a swarm, but I’ve not got the photos yet so that story will have to wait. Today, I was called to a swarm, but the lady said it was in a bird box. I suggested it probably wasn’t a swarm as it was in a bird box, but I went anyway.
When I got there there were some tree bumble bees in the bird box and larking about near the children’s swing set, etc.
I took the bees away and emptied the box in some undergrowth. It was a shame to see all the eggs come out in a clump, but I think had I left them there they would have suffered a worse fate
From this site:
http://bumblebeeconservation.org/Garden_bumblebees.pdf
Tree bumblebee Bombus hypnorum
Queens, workers and males all have a black head, brown-ginger thorax, black abdomen with a white tail. The proportion of white on the tail does vary significantly but is always present. This species was first found in the UK in 2001, but is now found throughout most of England and Wales. It prefers to nest above ground, often inhabiting bird boxes.