How to make a bumblebee nest box
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- čas přidán 10. 04. 2016
- Short video showing how to make nesting sites for bumblebees (that may or may not work!).
Visit www.thebuzzclub.uk for more details about how you can help pollinators in your garden. - Věda a technologie
Great advice, I've found out we have bumble bees living under our house and I was planning to try and block off all the entrances at the end of the summer, but I felt very guilty, but your video has given me hope.
Thanks again. 💪😎🇯🇲
Great Video however one small problem. Instead of digging a hole, make a mound. Very Important. If you look at how mice nest its always on an embankment. There is good reason for this. If it rains heavy a hole in ground will get flooded and all your bees will be lost. Inexperienced Rodents soon learn to nest in higher up ground.
Do exactly what you did but just in a mound form and you will have great success. A bit like earthing up potatoes. Mice will also dig under a shed where its nice and dry.
We have quite a few woodmice which are fantastic for making Bumble Bee Nest sites.
also if you plant Thyme,Sage and Lemon Balm round your nest areas and Heather. The Heather flowers early and will attract early Queens, long before the the Honey Bees come out. The Thyme and Sage makes it harder for wax moths to find the nests. Wax moths destroy Bumble Bee Nests. Hope this helps
Thanks for the tip!!
1stBumbleBeeMaster i had mice dig under my shed floor and now there are bees! I love it!
Good to know, are thanks for sharing. I assume you know who Dr. Goulson is, being a bee master? If not, try one of his books, they're a good read.
So the ideal way to do it would be to make garden mouse friendly? Thus giving the bumblebees old mouse nests?
Sounds good to me.
Thank you very much Dave. It seems for some strange reason, that bumblebees really like our garden: I had a nest built in one of our bird nests I had put out with some fluffy cotton wool and straw inside. Then I saved two bumblebee queens at the end of a summer storm, one yesterday and another one a couple of years ago (could it be the same one? How long do they live?).
It was one of the best wild life encounters I have ever had! They were "nearly dead", I picked her up and immediately just with the heat of my hand she woke up a bit. Then I tried to put some sugary water in a small plate and tried to feed it to her with a tiny teaspoon, she liked it, but when I tried to put a spoonful of honey she really resuscitated!
She ate it with her hugely long tongue for half an hour, always on the palm of my warm hand, then she brushed herself, cleaned herself all over carefully like a cat for a very long time, then... she fell asleep! For more than half an hour! Always on the palm of my hand like a tiny little fluffy puppy!
She woke up and started to bbzzzzz buzzing moving her wings, took off vertically like an helicopter turning horizontally around clearly trying to orient herself then she found the right direction and flew away towards Richmond Park (we live very close to the park ;-)
It was very heartwarming experience and I thought it was impossible to have another one... Until yesterday!
Now, I really want to try and make a nest too!
Therefore, thank you for your help!
xx
Thanks for sharing your story :) I hope the nest works!
I have just made a bumble bee nest box and the experts helping us brought some shredded paper collected in mouse cages at the animal stables of the medical school. That paper is smelling from mouse urine and should lure the bees to nest in the box. Keep my fingers crossed
Hi Dave, I made one of these shortly after watching this video when it was first uploaded. In the time since it has housed numerous snails and the toads loved it. In 2019 i was really happy that a vole had moved in because i knew when it inevitably moved on it would leave its nest behind, thus making it more attractive for bees. I checked inside it last weekend and within the old vole nest i could hear a buzz, i didn't pry but assumed this was a queen bee within the vole nest. The vole nest appeared to be being held together which i assumed would be the wax a queen will produce when starting a nest?
Fantastic, and very simple. Will give this a go in the garden and on the allotment.
Very intrigued! I’m gonna try this method this spring. Thanks for posting.
This is the sweetest thing. ❤️🐝
I'm so looking forward to getting out tomorrow and trying this, Dave. So very many thanks for this, and all your amazing videos, they are a breath of fresh air no matter what the weather is! Thank you!
Glad you enjoy them, and good luck with the nest :)
I have a bumble bee nest under my shed which is quite nice because i want to become a beekeeper and a few weeks before they came i was trying to find a beehive but now i can just go in my backyard and watch it. I like to watch the bees go in and out of the hive
Did you became one?
I would love an update on these nests to find out if they worked
Sometimes the queen will evict mice from their holes
I saw my first bumblebee of the year last week and she was HUGE. Almost two inches long. I have a bunch of yarn scraps, so I'll try this soon!
@Cooper: The world’s least-smart poodle Yep! I just grew up around smaller bees, I think.
I'm currently growing bee and butterfly friendly plants in my raised bed. Mostly Knapweed but also Red Clover. Not sure if they will go for the Briza Maxima ( Greater Quaking Grass ) I'm putting in. Still to sow the Birdsfoot seeds when the last of the Briza is in. Should be good.
Interesting idea, many thanks, I will try it this spring
Thank you for this lesson!
I like the design of these, add a few more floors and you an ideal hive stand for a honey bee hive
Can a BumbleBee nest & a honey bee nucleus be in close proximity-ish to each other without problems (provided there is plenty of forage)? Or are they forever engaging in combat for territory?
Have you ever lifted a tile stone to find a family of mice or critter other than bees?
Just bumbled across your video and really want to give this a go. It's end of June now so am I too late this year? Also, if I build it next to my wild flower bed, will that encourage them? Thanks for the video
Yes, too late for this year, but why not get building for next year! Nearby flowers probably help :)
I did a bumblebee nest with an upturned terracotta pot and a bit of hay with a piece of pond hose as an entrance. I've seen a couple of bees nearby but no takers so far.
How long will the queens still be looking for nests?
+kalamain They'll be around for at least another month, so fingers crossed...
how long can you keep bees for in these nest boxes? Can you get a colony to live continously year after year (with them replacing their own queens periodically)?
Have you considered using a paper towel (toilet paper) roll to create a tunnel in order to make it not collapse under the weight of the wool? It might make a more permanent entrance. I think I saw another video that suggested 1) using rodent droppings to scent it ! and 2) a toilet paper roll entrance
thanks for the nice vid!
or maybe a piece of tube or hose
I used deer skin and fur for insulation and a wood box for a lid, will it work?
Fantastic, love it :)
I bought bumblebees for pollination inside my greenhouse. But I wanted to ask how do I know if they’re is a queen inside
Prof, this year 2017 I had 3 bee nests under my patio, thing was however as the bees flew out a smaller bee would try to jump on its back, at first I thought it was a predator bee but then I thought it could be a male of the species ?
Hard to say without more info, but sounds like males hanging around hoping to mate to me. This is very common behaviour in the tree bumblebee.
David, (if I may call you that) I did make a video of this happening but unfortunately it was to far from the bees to identify them ! All I can tell you is that they were about 1/2 the size of the other bees and had a white back end. I live on the isle of wight and I first noticed them in march, they seem to have left in late june (I haven't noticed them this month.
Sounds exactly like tree bumblebees - their nests finish early in June, and they have white bottoms. Dave is fine!
Hello professor. I've been following you for a while now, on CZcams as well as in your books. And I really love the bumblebee. My garden is full of it since I have planted al lot of flowers in my garden (used to be grass). Now I'm making different kind of bumblebee nests to try out next year. I was wondering if you've had any succes with yours this year? Greets from Belgium.
Hi Bart, I had two out of ten nests occupied, not a great success but better than none! Best, Dave
Oké. And is there a special reason why those two nests where occupied? Different materials or locations?
Nothing obvious - lots of similar/identical ones remained unoccupied...
Oké. Thanks for your awnser. Grts.
thanks for the update! very cool @@davegoulson6831
Assuming survival after encountering a rodent in the rodent's burrow, do bumblebees give up on the potential nest site after an unsuccessful first attempt to overthrow the occupant, or do they make multiple attempts?
Even if a bumblebee gives up after the first (second, third or etc.) attempt, does the attack weaken the rodent's determination and/or physical condition enough to make an attempt by another bumblebee more successful -- I think it would, and if queens use other queens to take over nests in this manner, would there be a certain number of queens needed to efficiently move into or repopulate or even maintain the population in an area?
Is it easier for a cuckoo bumblebee to overthrow a bumblebee than a bumblebee to overthrow a rodent? Could this be the driver behind the separation of cuckoo bumblebees from bumblebees?
Joseph Napper I think they only go after abandoned holes. A bumble bee probably wouldn't do too well against a mouse.
How to keep queens hibernation while winter ? help plz i tried last year but no success !
So far ive read that the queens die at the end of summer. They did create new queens and males before doing so. You could catch one of these queens. But if theyre not fertilised they cant create a new nest
Would dog hair work as insulation? I live in the U.S. and I have never seen wool insulation like that.
Cool, thanks!
And thank you for replying! :)
Actually , wool just like this is available in the usa , but not in a small amount , its sold as home insulation , i know as i insulated my house with it , looks just like what this chap has .
Ah, thanks! Too bad I don't need a ton of insulation...
Use clothes dryer lint...especially if you have dogs and cats...works really well!!!
Hi great Video and very interesting did it work I’m looking at different habitat designs best Wishes Simon
It works, but not a high success rate - about 20% most years.
If I don't already have a hole in the ground, where can I buy one? Not looking for a DIY type solution.
Nurturing Nature will sell you a nest box
Did the upper floor work?!
Did it work?
nope
Nice Video :)
is the way bumble bees hibernate the same as how honey bees hibernate?
Thank You 👌
Did it work??
Update please. Did you ever get any bumblebees in it?
I have 8 of these in my garden, and most years one or two are occupied. They are also very popular with shrews!
Did either of the nests get tenants eventually?
I eventually made 12 nests like this, and each of the last 2 years I have had 2 nests - not a great rate of return, but OK. Most of the others have mice/voles/shrews/toads so they are being used by somebody!
Hi Dave, If the mice are in there, a bee may be tempted the following year. Next year I will try some nesting boxes by George Pilkington, as well as some simple designs like yours, I will let you know how I get on. I've just planted 25m2 of wildflower turf in the garden, which is also full of shrubs and herbs for bees. I have plants that will flower early in the season for emerging queens, all the way through to the end of the season. The Hibiscus is always very popular late in the year. I've always wanted a wildflower garden after reading a Sting in the Tail, thoroughly enjoyed it, thanks for the entertaining read and letting us know how to help these wonderful insects.
I really enjoy your videos. Unfortunately it's very difficult to hear you and it's frustrating because I really want to watch your videos can you please try to increase the volume on this end?
Sorry about that, I can't see how I can increase the volume though, I need a better camera I think!
is there a way to capture a hole nest of bumblebees?
No, although with a lot of work you can persuade a queen to nest in captivity.
+Dave Goulson thank you very much for your reply!
Obviously , you could catch a nest if you knew where they were and you have the balls and equipment to do it , they are quite defensive , and they have smooth stingers so you will get stung multiple times , expect 30 + stings even with a bee suit .................................
Did this work Dave?
Hi, yes, I get about 20% occupancy each year. Some nest boxes get too damp and the bees avoid them, haven't figured how to avoid that!
How about putting some attractive sweet fruits or honey next to the bumblebee home to be?
Bumblebees don't drink from sweet fruits, but a bit of sugar water might help I guess - though it would probably attract a heap of ants first!
Last year I was strolling around Grande Place in Brussels and to my great delight, I saw a watermelon cut in two and there was a swarm of honeybees on it, having the time of their lives. Hence the idea of extra treats :) By the way, I'm reading your book ("Which one, son? I've written so many of them!" :) Well, the one that starts with your childhood adventures and your mom and dad! I wish you and your parents all the best!
super
I think you’re like a modern Fabre.
Thank you!
4.31 why they love next each other daughter have more trust when he have next she s sister or mother hive
There must be many problems like groundwater, insulation and ventilation and possible parasites.
Were you fortunate enough to have any bumblebee take up residence?
I get one or two nests each year, out of 10 nest sites
ask your local pet shop (that keeps mice) for some mouse-urine-soaked bedding. they'll be throwing it away otherwise.
WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSHHHHHHHHH
Easiest.
I want to help these creatures from extinction. Its my new mission.
Thousands of lifetime projects with Stodoys plans.
FACT : in "Bumblebee culture" rotundness is a sign of opulence
How to make... perhaps title should say how not to make..seems a failed approach. Guys have great ideas but the sad problem here, it is not being tested, you should ONLY post when something works. I can see a problem here...too damp too wet and prone being flooded..make something higher up.
.. yes nice but you have one problem rainy days your hallway bring s water inside nest and thats why bumbelbees are 9,7 million years ancester bees on city bee s they are Master s try to build something where they have try and little comfort to make they family .