Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: BlueBee on March 16, 2012, 12:02:56 AM

Title: Bumble Bee Houses
Post by: BlueBee on March 16, 2012, 12:02:56 AM
I've been so busy trying to keep ahead of the bees in this warm weather that I haven't gotten my Bumble Bee houses set out yet.  I hope I'm not too late.  I haven't seen any Bumbles out flying around yet.  That surprises me because normally they're out and about before the bees.  Maybe the bumble bee queens are confused by this record heat?

Anyways, my first attempt at catching/raising bumble queens last year was a complete failure.  I fooled around with electric heat and all kinds of nutty ideas.  I was probably going a little overboard...it happens sometimes. 

If anybody has some suggestions for attracting and raising a little colony of Bumbles, please give us/me some pointers!
Title: Re: Bumble Bee Houses
Post by: bulldog on March 16, 2012, 12:12:45 AM
QuoteIf anybody has some suggestions for attracting and raising a little colony of Bumbles, please give us/me some pointers!


i was going to ask you how you do it.  :-D  i wouldn't mind having some bumblebees around. 

Title: Re: Bumble Bee Houses
Post by: BlueBee on March 16, 2012, 12:17:42 AM
That would be like the blind leading the blind.  I flunked bumble bees 101.
Title: Re: Bumble Bee Houses
Post by: Joe D on March 16, 2012, 02:28:49 AM

Hi BlueBee,

I don't know about building bumble bee houses but down here if you build most anything out of southern pine using 2 x 4's or bigger untreated lumber they will drill holes and live there. 

Joe
Title: Re: Bumble Bee Houses
Post by: hardwood on March 16, 2012, 09:23:53 AM
Joe, the ones that chew tunnels in the wood are carpenter bees.

Scott
Title: Re: Bumble Bee Houses
Post by: Finski on March 17, 2012, 02:28:13 AM
Quote from: BlueBee on March 16, 2012, 12:02:56 AM

If anybody has some suggestions for attracting and raising a little colony of Bumbles, please give us/me some pointers!


There are lots of information on bumbble bee houses in internet. They like to live in mouse nest. So the bee box should be under ground like a mouse cave. Then there dry hay like in mouse nest.

http://www.bumblebee.org/nestboxes.htm (http://www.bumblebee.org/nestboxes.htm)

(http://www.moraybeedinosaurs.co.uk/solitary/bbbox.jpg)
Title: Re: Bumble Bee Houses
Post by: Finski on March 17, 2012, 02:29:12 AM
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(http://www.livingwithbirds.com/images/products/355-3-lrg.jpg)



VIDEO TO MAKE
http://youtube.ng/watch?v=2kf1bppytNY (http://youtube.ng/watch?v=2kf1bppytNY)