- Detect bumblebee nests
- Why do bumblebees need a nest box?
- Buy a bumblebee nest box: You should pay attention to this
- Build your own bumblebee box
- Set up the bumblebee box
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Bumblebee nests can often be found on your own property. We show how you can build a safe place in the garden for the bumblebees with a nesting box.
Bumblebees are excellent pollinators, very peaceful and also look nice with their lots of hair and beautiful colors. This makes them popular insects in the garden. Unfortunately, due to the decline in habitats, there are fewer and fewer. Find out here how you can support bumblebees in your garden.
As soon as it gets a little warmer, the bumblebee queens start looking for a suitable nesting place to establish a colony. Since bumblebees can already fly at very low temperatures just above 0 °C, they look carefully for a nesting place as early as March. So now is the right time to set up a bumblebee nest box.
Detect bumblebee nests
Bumblebees nest in a variety of places, either above ground or underground, as long as they are well protected. The requirements vary depending on the species. Ground bumblebees, as their name suggests, nest underground in abandoned mouse holes and the like, while tree bumblebees like to choose hollow trees and stone bumblebees like to choose the underside of rocks. Species such as the field bumblebee and meadow bumblebee are less choosy, and the stone bumblebee also gets carried away to places other than stones.
If you want to find a bumblebee nest, there are many possibilities. Burrows or abandoned bird nesting boxes are preferred places. Once you have found a bumblebee nest, you will see spherical honeycombs in which the young bumblebees are raised and nectar and pollen are collected. Bumblebee nests that are still inhabited are also constantly occupied by so-called hive bees, which take care of the brood. Bumblebee nests must not be removed as they are strictly protected. If the nest is in a disturbing place, you only have to be patient for one summer, because the queen bumblebee spends the winter somewhere else.
Why do bumblebees need a nest box?
The number andDiversity of bumblebees is decreasing in Germany. This has various causes. Probably the most important reason is the decline in flowering plants in our landscape. On the one hand, this applies to the agricultural cultural landscape, in which field margins and flowering meadows are scarce. On the other hand, gardens are also often affected. Where flowering meadows and colorful plants used to grow, today there are often stone surfaces or lawns that are mowed weekly. For more insect-friendly plants, a seed mix such as the Plantura bee pasture, which is also ideal for bumblebees, is ideal. It contains a wide variety of flowers and herbs that provide nectar and pollen to bumblebees and bees.
If there are flowering plants, there is often a lack of suitable nesting sites. For this reason, nesting aids for bumblebees can be very useful. In order for these to be populated, however, you should also ensure a good environment. Bumblebees will only settle where there are nearby flowering plants as a food source.
Buy a bumblebee nest box: You should pay attention to this
Buying a bumblebee nesting box is not as easy as you might think, because not every nesting box on the market is actually suitable. In order to create the same conditions that bumblebees find in their natural breeding grounds in burrows and tree cavities, a few things have to be considered.
Firstly, you have to decide whether you prefer an above-ground or underground bumblebee nesting house. Both are possible, but of course attract different bumblebee species. While tree bumblebees like to nest above ground, ground bumblebees prefer to stay underground. Both types should be built in such a way that no water can enter. Moisture problems can quickly arise, especially in underground nesting houses. Depending on the material, above-ground houses are primarily affected by overheating. Both result in the death of the bumblebee colony and should therefore be avoided at all costs. Protection against wax moths, which can destroy entire nests, is also useful. This is ensured by a bumblebee flap and protected ventilation holes.
We recommend the long-lasting, above-ground nest box from Hummeltischler or the nest box from Schwegler for underground nesting bumblebees. A detailedand constantly growing list of bumblebee nesting boxes in practical tests can be found at Pollenhöschen.
Build your own bumblebee box
For hobby craftsmen, building a bumblebee nest box is of course a special treat, especially with children. An easy to replicate and inexpensive nesting aid for bumblebees is described below:
Required materials for a bumblebee nest box
For the nest box:
- Two flower pots of the same size
- Two sieve-like, slightly smaller flower pots
- Two flexible plastic tubes (diameter approx. 2 cm), slightly corrugated
- Cable Ties
- Old pantyhose
- Duct Tape
For the nesting material:
- Fine straw or hay
- Dry Moss
- Animal Hair
The right drainage for a bumble bee box
Cut three roughly equal holes in the bottom of each of the two large flowerpots. These serve as drainage should water seep into the bumblebee house. To prevent ants or insects from getting in, stick pieces of pantyhose over these holes from the outside so that they form a sort of grid in front of the openings.
Then put each of the two smaller, sieve-like pots into one of the two larger ones. These two inner lattice pots are used to ensure that water entering the outer pot can drain off to the drainage holes without soaking the bumblebee nest.
Build entrance and exit of the nest box
Into each of the two pot combinations, insert a plastic tube through the hole in the bottom of the pot. The two pipes serve as exits and entrances for the bumblebee nesting house. If there is no hole in the pot, you can of course cut it in. Then seal the transition point on the outside with stable adhesive tape, such as duct tape, so that it is watertight. Use corrugated pipes so the bumblebees can crawl inside and not get trapped inside.
Plug nesting aid together
Now fill one of the two halves of the nesting aid loosely with the nesting material. To do this, mix dry moss, fine straw or hay and, if necessary, animal hair, such as that of a dog. Now the nesting house only needs to be assembled: Connect the two inner small pots firmly with cable ties so that there is no gap. It would be fatal for a bumble bee to get lost between the inner and outer pot. Now glue the outer onestaped both pots waterproof together. The bumblebee house is finished.
The right place for a bumble bee box
Now the bumblebee house just has to be set up. Since it's an underground bumblebee nest, choose a spot that won't hold water in torrential downpours. Then bury it just below the surface of the earth, bending the pipes so that a bumblebee can easily crawl inside. You can drape some moss and rocks around the entrance to protect it and make it more welcoming.
These instructions may not do justice to pronounced hobby craftsmen. If you want to build a more complex bumblebee nesting box, you might find what you are looking for in the building instructions for a bumblebee nesting box by Jörg Börner.
Set up the bumblebee box
The most beautiful house is useless if there is no food. Of course, this also applies to bumblebees. Nest boxes, no matter what kind, should therefore be close to flowering plants that serve as a source of food. Furthermore, the place should be well protected. Underground nest boxes are particularly threatened by moisture and mold, while above ground nest boxes can overheat.
Therefore, choose a shady location that is protected from heavy rain - ideal would be under a sparse bush or something similar. The place should of course be quiet and, for example, not directly on a through route. A corner of the garden that could be a bit wilder would be ideal. With above-ground nesting boxes, you should ensure that they are stable. The entrance and exit should face away from the weather side.
You haven't had enough of bumblebees yet? In our special article we answer the most frequently asked questions about the little striped garden dwellers.