Being in a nice sub-urban setting brings us a whole new world of curtain-twitching potential. The latest installment is that I have noticed that next door is harbouring a very beautiful bees nest, nestling next to their down-pipe. The comings and goings of buzzing insects make a nice addition to the garden and I'm sure is keeping our flowers happy but I've got a feeling that it's only a matter of time before they swarm or otherwise end up stinging someone. According to various beekeeping websites the best thing to do is to contact some local bee-keepers who will jump at the chance of removing and re-housing the little yellow buggers. So when next-door get back from their honeymoon (how ironic) I'm hoping they can be encouraged to take such humane action. Meanwhile I'm enjoying watching the nesting activities from the safety of our kitchen - the rate at which they are adding new layers is pretty fast and dare I say it, is quite inspirational!

Update: A bit more reading and some helpful words from Stuart and my dreams of honey harvesting are shattered. They are probably wasps or hornets. Apparently bees like more enclosed spaces for their nests and now I come to think about it, this hive looks pretty papery. Wasps however are supposed to be beneficial to the environment reducing other pesky insects aphids, flies etc but I suspect next-door might be best giving the council a ring.

Update to the update: Pest control have visited and the wasps are gone. There are of course plenty left in the area most of whom seem to be rather interested in the nearby plum trees.