Uninvited guests
23rd June 2010, WednesdayIntent on living dangerously tonight I tried to view the bumblebee nest inside one of my bird boxes by torchlight. The nest box cavity was full of silken webs, several large larvae which I assume are young moths, and several small adult moths - rather clothes moth like in appearance.
I cannot imagine that those silk webs help the bees, but I am not certain if the moths have a more sinister impact. The old bird nests contain a lot of rabbit fur, on which they might be feeding, but they could also be wax moths which include bumblebee larvae in their diet as an alternative to the droppings and detritus on which they also feed. It is an interesting feature of bees that they support a community of other insects that get a free meal within in their nests. An angry buzz reminded me that the hosts were still in residence, and I decided it was best to leave them in peace, and darkness!