Bees nesting in pots

[Astrophyto]

Hello all. Since a few weeks ago, i´ve been noticing in three pots with cactus bees coming in and out, sometimes with cuttings of grass (i dont know where they take that grass, it must be far from my home!). They get inside, sometimes upside from the border of the pot using the space between the cactus and the pot and sometimes downside using the holes of drainage.

I´ve tried to cover the upside "door" with little stones but they remove them...

I´m scared because i don´t like bugs in general, even more if they are stinging ones.... Otherwise i would like not to kill bees, but i can not hold a bees colony in my cactus, i have two childs and it could be some sort of danger (i know the bees don´t sting radomly, but how could you id if they are thinking you are disturbing them...).

The three cactus needs repoting, but i don´t feel comfortable with the idea...

May you give some advice of how could i manage this situation?

PD - Hope my english it is at least, "understandingble"

Thank you very much

Jorge.

[FredBW]

If they need repotting,I would probably first lightly spray them with a garden hose to make sure they aren't in there. Then unpot them. And lightly clean the roots with the hose to be certain they are clean. Let them sit a few days with no soil. Then repot them and relocate them inside for a couple weeks. They should move on from whatever was attracting them. I also read they don't like garlic or Citrus. I am going through a battle right now with carpenter bees in my gazebo rafters,and have been reading up on it.. But a cheap method to try would be cut up some garlic and put on top of the soil to repel them.
You don't say what kind of bees you think they are. But if you have Yellow jackets in Spain. That would be high on my list of suspects. They are small but mean. And make nests underground. If there actually is some sort of nest in any of the pots. Hitting them with spray from a few feet away should draw them out. If spraying them with water doesn't promote activity it should be safe to unpot them without getting stung.

[Holunder]

First, I would try to figure out what kind of bees you have. Where I live (Germany), most wild bees live alone or in smaller groups, are friendly and usually don't sting you.

[Astrophyto]

IMG_20230619_143016.jpg (63.51 KiB) Viewed 1818 times

Hello, seems to be this one, a cutting leaves bee, I've seen them coming inside with leaves

[Mrs.Green]

https://www.thespruce.com/leafcutter-be ... en-5120866

Personally I would have let the bees raise their young ones in the pots and used the opportunity to teach my children the wonders of nature

[Holunder]

We have a "insect hotel" occupied with wild bees just beside our entrance door. They never made any trouble or were interested in us or our food. They are just doing their own business.

[DaveW]

I have heard of leafcutter bees invading pots in the UK. The question really is do they damage the plants roots doing so? I had an ants nest under a Ferocactus in my greenhouse bed and the plant never thrived since presumably they cut off the invading roots and almost buried it from the soil they excavated. In the end I had to dig it up and clean off the roots and then kill off the ants. You can get insecticides to kill ants but I don't know what you would use for bees since they have clamped down on anything that kills off bees here in Europe because they are valuable pollinators for crops.

Had a "Google" and found this on the internet.

https://www.insectsplanet.com/how-to-ge ... tter-bees/

You cannot fill in the drainage hole, but small mesh over it may help. Otherwise its a case of discouraging them with some substance they do not like or maybe a small piece of shade netting over the plant until the bee gets fed up and goes elsewhere?

[nachtkrabb]

Hi,
as said: Wild bees usually do not sting. Mainly honey bees sting when defending their hive (or their life). Yes, they often fly incredibly far to get wht they need. They have a very good orientation using colours we don't see and the wandering of the sun.

We do need bees! They pollinate our fruit, berries and vegetables. Without them we are going to die. In China where bees were dying on an infection, they sent myriads of pensioneers with small brushes into the orchards & fruit gardens etc. to do the bee's jobs!
This is why we here in the house have hung up loads of beams with holes for our local mural bees.
I would be grateful if some other bees would honour me with staying.

So: I really would let them rise their young. I won't expect them to kill the roots of your plants. That's not their style.
You could repot your plants afterwards, couldn't you...?
N.

[nachtkrabb]

Hello Astrophyto,
what did you do in the end? I do hope your plant is well & healthy?
N.