A routine attempt to clean out a hedgehog house in Langstone, Hampshire, turned into a close encounter with a colony of tree bumblebees (Bombus hypnorum) after the author mistook their nest for a hedgehog's hibernaculum. The incident occurred last summer when all visiting hedgehogs had fallen victim to road traffic, leaving the house empty over winter.
Fresh Signs of a Prickly Visitor
A few weeks ago, fresh faeces on the patio—glistening with undigested insect exoskeleton—signaled a hedgehog's return. Camera trapping revealed a rotund adult with a distinctive arrowhead-shaped mark on its rump. After checking nocturnal video recordings to ensure the house was unoccupied, the author decided to clean it out and leave fresh bedding by the entrance to entice the new hedgehog to move in.
Lifting the lid, the author found a palm-sized giant house spider had been in residence. Giving the old hibernaculum—a pile of barley straw and dried leaves woven into a robust sphere—a gentle prod with a bamboo cane triggered an unexpected response.
A Startling Defensive Hiss
There was a sudden burst of radio static, followed by a snake-like hiss—thin, high-pitched, and harsh. Before the author could identify the source, a squadron of gingery tree bumblebees erupted from the box and headed straight for them. According to the author, bumblebees are generally placid, but tree bumblebees are renowned for aggressively defending their nests. However, this reputation proved exaggerated: while several bees hovered around the author's head and bumped against bare arms in warning, only one pursued them across the lawn, and they escaped unstung.
Ultrasonic Defense Mechanism
Later, the author discovered that the hiss—produced by workers vibrating their flight muscles without taking off—is characterized by strong signals in the ultrasonic spectrum. This defense mechanism repels nest-raiding mice seeking a protein-rich bee brood. It is triggered by vibrations and the carbon dioxide in mammalian breath, making the author's presence seem anything but benign from the bees' perspective.
The account, published in the Guardian's Country Diary series, highlights the unexpected encounters that can occur when wildlife habitats overlap with human activity. The book "Under the Changing Skies: The Best of the Guardian's Country Diary, 2018-2024" is available now.
