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I just discovered a small bumble bee hive tucked into the back corner of a shelf in my work shed next to my honeybee hives. At first I was inclined to just leave them there and work gently around them. But sometimes I make quite a racket, and they don't like that - plus, I need the shelf space. Have very little honeybee experience, and no bumble experience, but have protective gear. What's the best way to move the nest?
The only experience I have with bumbles was accidentally finding a bumble nest while attempting to repair a brick pier on a staircase (i.e. had about 75 MAD 2" bumbles chasing my father & I around the customer's property) long before I had any interest in beekeeping.
That said, I found one page with several links on it that may be of use to you: Bee Guild - Bumble Bees
Good Luck
I made a few bumble houses and have transplanted nests into the houses with no problems. I did it at night. Then I buried the houses in a ditch bank and both hives are thriving so good times. I'll pull the impatiens back up if I find a buyer for them otherwise they are welcome to spend the season where they currently reside.
Yeah the best way to move the nest is at night with preferably a red light. Get them into a safe nest box and into a desirable place. If its close by some of the workers might try to return to the old nest site. Just net them and keep putting them back in the new box.
I'll probably get a demerit for off topic, but here goes:
Are there only one bumblebee? Around here they bore in my barn to the extent the rafters fail. Not our friend.
Carry on.
:)
That would be carpenter bees, good website to checkout.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ozone
http://pollinator.com/identify/whatsbuzzin.htm
Yes there are bumble bees and carpenter bees. Bumble bees live in colonies with a queen. Carpenter bees live a solitary life and bore holes into wood. Bumble bees and carpenter bees aren't even related. Just look similar. The easy way to tell them apart is look at the abdomen. Carpenter bees have a shiny almost metallic abdomen. Bumble bees are completely fuzzy. With bumble bees, there are hundreds of different species worldwide. In eastern America there are a few common species. Bombus impatiens is common and it sticks out because they live well into the fall. Bombus bimaculatus (an early species) Bombus griseocollis, Bombus vagans, Bombus perplexus, Bombus fervidus, Bombus auricomus, Bombus pennsylvanicus. Those are the more common ones.
cool BB links