Build your own Bumble Bee Nest

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Plenty of Bumble Bees about the garden this year.

Some of you might like to do your bit to help, and to attract, them. Designs 2 and 4 take very little effort.

http://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/nest_boxes.htm

Feargal as Luimneach

They like old an old field mouse nest as bedding, hard to find that though:mad:

doctor evil

What makes good bedding?

Rancid

Cairo Tasty Maroon wrote: »

Plenty of Bumble Bees about the garden this year.

Some of you might like to do your bit to help, and to attract, them. Designs 2 and 4 take very little effort.

http://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/nest_boxes.htm

What a great idea, Cairo Tasty Maroon!
I'll get the flower pot design up and running this weekend.
Thanks for the suggestion and link.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

doctor evil wrote: »

What makes good bedding?

Dry Moss, some dog hairs, cotton threads...

Feargal as Luimneach

doctor evil wrote: »

What makes good bedding?

Reread my post, even I can't understand it..... An old field mouse's nest is what they like to nest in.

fryup

I got one during the week, buried it in the garden facing south near some poppies...but no bumblebees as yet, i suppose most of them have made there nests by now.

Thinking of getting a mason bee box, but some say it attracts butterflies that eat garden crops e.g. lettuce

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

fryup wrote: »

some say it attracts butterflies that eat garden crops e.g. lettuce

It may also attract butterflies that don't eat your crops.

doctor evil

Would cat hair do?

I like the look of the Mason bee boxes, I may try to do a DIY jobby.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

A small bit of cat hair would do. There doesn't need to be too much bedding material.

fryup

aldi are selling a mason bee/butterfly box this Thur

Bob Z

fryup wrote: »

aldi are selling a mason bee/butterfly box this Thur

Thanks got one of these

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

I checked the garden yesterday and found 5 Bumblebee hives/nests. 2 were in some of the 4 I set up and 3 "natural". Not a bad result I suppose.:)

fryup

Cairo Tasty Maroon wrote: »

I checked the garden yesterday and found 5 Bumblebee hives/nests. 2 were in some of the 4 I set up and 3 "natural". Not a bad result I suppose.:)

where have you got them positioned?? on the ground facing south??

none in my one so far:( maybe its too shaded....should i use some honey to entice them in?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Mine have been in place for a couple of years.
Ideally, the next box must be in position by early spring, even though some queens will not emerge from hibernation until later. Avoid placing it in direct sun, and try to keep it sheltered from the wind. A hedge bottom, raised bank, under a garden shed are all good places. Placing them along clearly defined lines can sometimes help. Different species tend to have different preferences for nest location.
The success rate of artificial bumblebee nest boxes is low. Somewhere between 10 and 40% have been used in studies. If you have bought or made a box and have followed the advice given and still have had no success, then don't give up. Leave your box out all winter. A mouse may nest in it. If in the spring you find no trace of occupancy of any kind then it is probably not well sited. If you do find trace of a mouse then this is a good sign. Keep any bits of bedding, and add a little more if you think it is needed.

If your nest was successful last year it can still be used again. There is very little you need to do. Just check it out and remove any bits of debris and any dead Bumblebees that the scavengers haven't cleared away. Add more nest material if necessary, and that's it.

Amalgam

Would the Mason Box not be for 'solitary bee' species? ..are there any in Ireland?

Jim Martin

Amalgam wrote: »

Would the Mason Box not be for 'solitary bee' species? ..are there any in Ireland?

I heard that they were not in Ireland just after having bought back a mason bee nest in the UK! (small dia.cardboard tubes in a larger dia. hardboard tube)

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

The Mason box is for solitary bees.
My advice above is in reagrd to the Bumblebee nest that started this thread.

Ireland has 101 species of bee - 14 are well-known social species including the honeybee and bumblebee species. The remainder are lesser known solitary bees that do not form colonies. Many of these solitary bees will use the Mason box. Many others are burrowing bees and my garden in riddled in places with the tiny holes, surrounded by small mounds of fine soil, that are the entrances to their nests.

Bob Z

Should these be put down low? Will cats go near them?

John Mason

got one in aldi on thursday - e12.99, i think

but i was also given the suggestion of stacking some pieces of wood in a corner, apparent that would work too

there were loads flying around the garden over the last few, any idea who to get them to nest in the box?

they appear to love the chive flowers - i am delighted, seen hardly any last year

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

[QUOTE=irishbird;66188527there were loads flying around the garden over the last few, any idea who to get them to nest in the box?[/QUOTE]

For many bees it may be just a little late in the year to put them up but do it now so they will be in place for next Spring.

fryup

Well here's my BB box, have it buried in a shaded spot near flowers facing south..like it said in the instructions.

But a month later any BBs?..no...they haven't bothered they're arse to even check it out..don't know why i bother sometimes.

doctor evil

Is this the Aldi one fryup?

Do bees have a sense of smell