I have a problem. About a week and a half ago I started composting again, after an embarrassingly long hiatus. It seemed like the right thing to do. I am conservation-minded, I have the equipment, and I don’t have any alternative means of disposing of kitchen scraps like a garburetor. So, I’ve been trotting out every couple of days with my little bucket full of banana peels and lettuce bits.
At first, I noticed a bee or two in the compost bin, and didn’t think much of it. I thought maybe they were attracted by some sweet-smelling fruit, or something. But tonight, when I tried to stir the compost, a dozen or more bees came out. I was not hurt, they were bumblebees. After a while they all disappeared I tried to stir again from another angle (yeah, yeah, I know) and a whole bunch came out – like 30 of them. I ran inside and hid.
Luckily, I live in the day and age where I have this magical internet thing at my disposal. I did some research and learned the following:
1. Bumblebees are all kinds of good. They are much better pollinators than honey bees. Also, they’re very docile, almost never sting, and do not swarm.
2. Bumblebee colonies are small – on the order of 50-100 bees. Colonies naturally die out in the autumn.
3. Bumblebees like to make their nests in undisturbed spots, and apparently compost heaps are a favourite. The fact that mine was so long neglected probably contributed to this problem.
4. Bumblebee numbers are declining in developed countries, and in some areas are endangered species.
So, I have a catch 22 here. On the one hand, I want to compost. On the other hand, I do not want to disturb these bumblebees (it may already be too late, but I can do my best to mitigate the damage). So, my zany scheme is this: dump the new compost on the top of the heap, but do not stir or water or otherwise tend to it. I won’t have the best compost, but it should not be unduly disturbing to the bees, and I won’t have to resort to throwing out my scraps, or getting another compost bin. It’s the best compromise I can think of.
In the late fall I’ll find the nest and throw it out. And, I’ll tend to my compost more regularly. Hopefully, this way, I won’t have this problem again next year.
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