Bees during winter?

[ShootingStarMom2]

Hi,

I was giving my 2 year old lunch today and I looked over on the patio curtains and saw a huge bee! I have found a couple in the house since November but just figured they came in with the dog or when I had the door open. I thought they would die with the freezing temps, but here they are.

Does anyone have experience with this? I'm worried they built a nest in the house somewhere. It wasn't a honey bee, it was a big one with black and yellow stripes. I read the queens can survive the cold temps and start a new nest somewhere. I tossed the curtain outside for the time being because I am terrified of bees. Any ideas?

 

[MJMouse]

Do you have a fireplace? If so, I'd get it checked out by an exterminator. . . also may want to think about the attic.

 

[chabs]

They are most likely hibernating inside your ceiling, walls or attic. They will "wake up" and come out if it warms up a bit. We just had to get rid of a nest at work and it's freezing cold here. Every once in a while we would see one crawling around on the ceiling tiles. They also like to come out of ceiling fans or any tiny hole around your woodwork on the windows. I would start looking for a nest. If it's cold where you are, they are not just out flying around during this time of year.

 

[Geoff_M]

If I remember my nature films correctly, bee colonies don't "hibernate" like other animals. They just normally stay in the hives in a tight bunch and use their body heat to stay alive and eat stored honey until it gets warmer. My guess is that a colony is just substituting your home heat for their method.

I've also asked a co-worker that also keeps bees as a hobby. He said that the bees will also normally start reproducing "brood" after the Winter Solstice and in order to do so must get the core of the colony to 90 degrees.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Hi,

I was giving my 2 year old lunch today and I looked over on the patio curtains and saw a huge bee! I have found a couple in the house since November but just figured they came in with the dog or when I had the door open. I thought they would die with the freezing temps, but here they are.

Does anyone have experience with this? I'm worried they built a nest in the house somewhere. It wasn't a honey bee, it was a big one with black and yellow stripes. I read the queens can survive the cold temps and start a new nest somewhere. I tossed the curtain outside for the time being because I am terrified of bees. Any ideas?

Sounds like carpenter bees. I would either hire someone to check it out or check out your home yourself to find evidence. Do a little research.

 

[funkychunkymonkey]

eww I would be moving out. I hate bees LOL.

 

[mhsjax]

Big, with stripes. Sound like Bumble bees to me. The one bee that I am not afraid of. They are kind of big and dopey and really won't bother you. That being said, I wouldn't want them in my house.

Do you have wood nearby or a wood pile for a fireplace ? Bumble bees also love wood for some reason.

 

[catgirl]

A few years ago we were finding bees on occasion in the bathroom light. Didn't think much about it until my husband put his finger through the ceiling into a nest. He thought the paint in the shower area had bubbled and pressed it. The bees had eaten the drywall, but not the paint. He cut a whole in the ceiling, removed the nest and patched the hole. Six months later when the weather warmed we had another nest of hornets eat through the drywall in the hall and enter the house. They come thru our vents. We have since put screens with a fine mesh on all our roof vents and check them often.

 

[ShootingStarMom2]

Hi,
Thanks everyone so far. No, not bumble bees. Although I run from those too. This was a big long black and yellow bee. Much like the kind you see out in the summer (which I avoid at all costs, I hate them!). I told my husband about them maybe making a nest somewhere so he's going to check out the attic this weekend.

Yikes to the PP about the nest in the ceiling. I'm afraid there is some crazy hive building going on while we sleep. We usually get one over the front door and in between the shutters, but never inside randomly like this. Our attic is freezing right now and hasn't been opened since we got the Christmas stuff down. But maybe they found a hole somewhere in the ceiling.

Yes, we have a wood pile but it's not near the door at all. We haven't had any fires yet this year so DH is going to look up the fireplace tonight. Too icy to go on the roof, but if I find anymore I'm going to cry.

Once it got outside on the curtain it fell off in the snow and died. I've been checking the curtains all day for more, but so far none. I hate bugs!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Hi,
Thanks everyone so far. No, not bumble bees. Although I run from those too. This was a big long black and yellow bee.

Those are carpenter bees.