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Bumble bee homes

40K views 66 replies 22 participants last post by  robo mantis 
#1 ·
I have lots of differant types of Bumbles that crusie my yard during the summer. I have yet to try and figure out who they are. Are there any good color reference sheets out there? I don't what to be dragging a book around, but a good plastic coated sheet that I could keep on my deck would be fantastic. Also, anybody had much luck with Bumble houses? I want to start a couple, but have read that they are not very successful.
 
#11 ·
Totally easy, I do some bee removal work, in this case the bumblebees were in some rubbish under someones house. The people insisted I did not kill them so I just scooped the whole thing into a cardboard box and took them home.

I noticed they had a queen and seemed healthy so I took the time & made a more permanent wooden home for them. In the pic you do not see the nest proper, because they put a little cover over it made of whatever materials they have to hand, held together with wax and propolis. Under the untidy looking fluffy stuff you can see in the pic, is the nest, which is made of an untidy pile of cocoons and honey pots, which look a bit like acorns and acorn cups.
 
#15 ·
In the 'humblebee" there are designs for making the bumblebee homes. the most intigrated one has a vestibule and layers you can add to it. the simplest one is made with a upside down clay pot under ground with a board and sod on top. I don't think it's entirely neccessary to have a vestibule.
 
#16 ·
The 2 chamber boxes are indeed used commercially - they capture bumblebee queens (or lure them into the boxes) in the early spring when they are searching for nests, and lock them in with a clump of (honey bee) pollen. After she has started laying and developing her nest, then they are free flying.
 
#26 ·
"Befriending BumbleBees: A practical guide to raising local bumble bees" says you have to go out and catch a queen with a net, but that seems like a lot of work.

I think the main technique is to simply hope one shows up and likes your box.

You can buy them from commercial suppliers, but you'll be shelling out $200-$400.

Buy that book here:
https://shop-secure.extension.umn.edu/PublicationDetail.aspx?ID=1902
 
#27 ·
Not that hard to catch a queen bumblebee.

In early spring, any very large bumblebees you see flying around will be a mated queen, come out of her winter hibernation. If she is flying around looking in cracks and crevises, - perfect, she is looking for a nesting site.

Even if she is working flowers and has pollen on her legs, she may still be caught but would have to be confined in your nest along with a food supply until she has started a nest.

Much to know about how to do that, for example the food cannot be mature honey, not enough water. Honey can be used but must be well watered down. Too much to write about it here but it's available in books, and likely the net.
 
#63 ·
Even if she is working flowers and has pollen on her legs, she may still be caught but would have to be confined in your nest along with a food supply until she has started a nest.
Thats a BIG no no. If she has pollen... she most likely has a nest. If you catch her when she has pollen on her legs, you are probably starving her babies and killing a colony. At the very least is it her first foraging trip after finding a nest site. Basically... if she has pollen she most likely has a nest or a nest site chosen. Trapping her in a box will only mess things up. If you catch queens, catch the ones that are hovering over the grass and inspecting holes.
 
#28 ·
My new bumble home from Amazon (link above) just arrived. Now I have a question.

There are holes in the Queen chamber, covered with fine screen, presumably for ventilation. When I close the hinged roof, it doesn't fit well and this leaves a 1/4 gap between the roof and front wall, down the entire length of the front.

I assume this is bad? My thought is if it were for ventilation it too would be screened. I can tack a small piece of wood there to close the gap.

Just want some other opinions on if that gap should be there.

Will
 
#29 ·
My new bumble home from Amazon (link above) just arrived. Now I have a question.
I ordered two of those same boxes from Amazon after seeing your post. Mine are supposed to arrive in the next 3 or 4 days. Interested in seeing if there is a gap in mine as well.
Now I have to figure out what to use for nesting fluff....
Suggestions?- (assuming I don't have any used mouse nests about)
I thought of buying a package of spaghnum moss (spelling?) like they use for orchid baskets.
 
#30 ·
There is a small instruction card in with the bee house that says (in 6 different languages)...

Chose the location for the bumble bee house carefully. Place it on a brick. Do not place the bumble bee house in full sunlight. Ideally the box should warm up in the sun during the morning hours and be in the shade for the rest of the day. Give some bedding and pillow material in the inside, for example litter or wood fiber.

A) I have no bricks. I'll just find a spot off the ground I guess
b) litter? As in cat litter? Uh...no
c) what is wood fiber? Sounds like a breakfast cereal.

I plan to put some upholstery stuffing inside mine, maybe some dog hair from one of my Siberians.

Will
 
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