I have to say this.....you either have a very floofy cat, or you have been collecting that hair for some time. I'm imagining it now....lol. Very good video btw, really informative 😁
I think the bees aren't using your lovely bee home, because they might think that some animal is already living in it. I know with birdhouses it's important that they're complete empty & that any supplied nesting materials are left outside the birdhouse & not in it. If anything inside the birdhouse, the birds assume that it already belongs to someone & they move on. The same thing might be happening with your bumblebees. If you empty the nest box & leave the cat hair outside of it, then the bees might finally move in. Also, if you want to entice them, you could put the box in an aquarium & let pet mice nest in it over the Winter. Bumblebees love using old mice burrows & they're attracted to the scent of them. Good Luck! 👍🏿👍🏻👍🏾
Hi love your wild garden, but I think you may be over thinking the bee box, in my garden they have taken over the blue tit nest box which is about 7 feet high on the side of my shed. The only mistake I made after the first time they came was to clean out the box. Not sure that the black roof on yours is a good idea as it may overheat. Best of luck.
I can see a few things wrong with all of those hives. Bees like to descend to their nest and prefer to travel at least 18cm through some kind of tube (which mimics a mouse tunnel and nest). You need to use either an old mouse nest or loft insulation for the nesting material. They prefer the hive/nest located in under growth near long grass or an overgrown patch. They prefer the scent of a mouse in their nest too for some reason. they need good ventilation but shielded by some mesh and must be damp proof. I have built a hive almost perfect for a bumble bee's needs and will upload a video in the coming weeks. It was fitted with a removable red tinted sheet of perspex for observating the bees. they can not see in the red spectrum so it doesn't disturb them when looking. Hope this helps
Dion Fitzgerald It really does help, thanks for the detailed reply. I replicate your one once you have a video and hopefully we’ll have some luck. I have an old great-tit nest which I wonder would be suitable?
they will take to some nesting boxes but they will be exposed to the dreaded wax moth. even when choosing a nesting box they can be pretty choosey depending on its size, location and nesting material used. most of the hives i have seen for bumble bees online are very basic and not very good in my honest opinion so i spent a lot of time trying to think of a way to create something suitable. the hive i have made actually mimics the tunnel and the descending effect wich is well ventilated too. the best way to start a hive is late Feb or early march when the queens come out of domancy is to capture one who is investigating holes (looking for a nesting site) but never take a queen from a flower as she may already have setup a nest and might be collecting food for it. if you capture a queen you can place her in the new nesting box you have built for her and offer a mixture of honey & water as well as a little ball of bee pollen mixed with a little honey. she will not need to come out of the hive for about a week because it would only be to collect food and water (which you would already be providing). once she has started building her nest and producing cone you will know she has full intentions of staying. I have actually built 3 hives now because other people seems to like the look of them and want one so they do seem to be pretty popular plus i have to build quite a few more for other people lol. will try to get a video uploaded asap so you can get an early start, the queens will be out in just a matter of weeks now.
Thanks SO much for taking the time to reply with such detail :) I am thinking of a nest site where my 'attempt' nest is as that gets early sun and is in the undergrowth among the Perrywinkle otherwise I am limited. Once you're video is up I'll do my own referencing yours and attempt to build it :)
Hate to brag but... I’ve had a bumblebee nest every year. Tree bees nesting in an old metal compost and last year we had a buff tailed colony nesting behind my bug hotel. This year observing to see if a carder bee is nesting in an old rusty fire bin full of natural debris and spiders usually. My garden is a long Victorian garden, the very end of my garden I hardly ever disturb. I think this is what attracts them but who knows but I usually have a nest each year.
They like to be up high, had a bumblebee nest in the fibreglass insulation of the ceiling of our carport and a spot up in the fiberglass insulation in the ceiling of the wild game cooler at my work which is inhabited by bees every summer. Both locations are under an overhang so they don't like a wet entrance. also have mason bees making use of the screw holes from an old door hinge at the same work location.
I've had a bumblebee nest in a damp wet patch ground for over 30 years, I just protect the entrance from the lawnmower and kids with balls, etc, and it seems to be surviving very well. Occasionally, for reasons I don't know, the population declines for a season and then it comes back with a vengeance next year.
I do hope you have had some success, if not don’t stop trying. I have had bumble bee nesting boxes for over 5 years and bumble bees always used them. I make new extra ones, always used straight away as new Queen bumble bees emerge from a nest when you see a cloud of bumble bees around nesting area. I always use nesting materials from the pet shop this is clean with no problems. 1.Finely chopped up paper thin layer from pet shop, then. 2. Wood chipping from pet shop, goes onto the floor area of Queen bee nesting area and the entrance area (in the two compartments) pack it down firm and level for the Queen bumble bee as she will also trample a place to make her honey pots, the wood chips about 1/2 in thick. 3. Put a thick layer of fluff bedding about 2- 3 inches thick resting lightly on top, this is insulation, (the pet shop material the bumble bees don’t get caught up in) the bees will push underneath this as this will cover the brood area. 4. I have put the nest boxes on to a wall or pole under a tree where the sun gets to either north, south, east or west for a period time of day. If the sun gets on the box all day the bees can get to hot. The isolation will keep the bees warm on colder days. Fixing the boxes to a pole or wall I put a length of wood down the back of the box longer than the box with screw holes in as fixings - to the pole or wall etc., I have also put a box on the side of my house where it only gets the east sun or west sun so box will not get to hot on very hot days. Have good air venting holes covered with a netting and staple fixing well so as not to let other bugs in. As for the entrance hole they really like a tube to go through into box, but make sure you cut the tub on the inside so they have a platform inside the box - part way along the tube, by cutting the tube lengthways. Always use thick wood as this is great to stop warping, bugs and helps with insulation. I did use mouse and bird nests but I found it also attracted moths etc., which was detrimental to the bumblebees. In spring time I add a little local honey from bee keeper onto a lolly stick and place into the box - which gives a good start to a Queen especially if a cold or rainy day. I also dig up areas and throw wild flower or meadow seeds, herbs for bees etc., seeds covered with a thin layer of compost soil keep watered and watch the flowers grow to give the bumblebees variety of feeding on. Good luck..
I'm by no means an expert but looking at online guides I have been told that the painted targeting area around the entrance is best to be bright blue. Bumble bees have difficulty seeing reds and oranges from that end of the spectrum.
Brilliant job!! I had a go at making some boxes last year to no avail of bumblebees nesting. i have heard using mouse nesting material could work or to encourage mice to nest in the actual box over winter, so im going to give that a try this time. Best of luck!
Jack Dennehy hi, that's a good idea! Never done one specifically but maybe after the new ponds are in and everything's done ( it's a mess at the moment) I will do that ! 😍
Try using kapok for the nest fluff instead of cat hair, the cat hair may be too fine. I watched a video recently where they were saying not to use cotton wool as the bumblebees get caught in it.
Instead of using cat hair use hay/straw from rabbit or rat cages. Because earth bumblebees naturaly like to habitat old rodent hole's. The pheromones/smell of the rodent will make it more likely for a bubblebee from habitating the nest
This looks like the ultimate bumblebee hotel, but I dont think you mentioned this so I just thought you'd know that in the wild they would be able to smell old mice holes because of the urine which stinks to them so if any of your family member have a pet mouse then you could put it in there for half an hour ( with food) and it will urinate, the other option is you could put sunflower heart seeds or peanuts in the hotel to lure mice in, with a trail of the food going into the hotel.
Bradley Woods wow I didn't think of that what a great idea, I'll see if I can find some old mice nests to put in it too. Interestingly I have had mice visit it a few years ago but them the ants moved in! Lol
I've heard that bumblebees are attracted to mouse smell. As in nature they often live underground in old mouse holes. Which makes sense as it is warmer in winter and colder in summer. But this should be proven by scientific evidence
You could catch a queen in the spring (first bumblebees you see are all queens) then house it in the box ,block the entrance and fed her with sugar syrup 50/50 and somme honey bee pollen mixed until its like a thick paste with a little sugar syrup.Be carefull so that the queen doesnt drown in the syrup.In the autumn you can collect somme queens from the hive and put them in a container air breathable(holes at the bottom so the CO2 wich is heavyer than air gets released .You keep the queens in the refrigerator until next spring.
la scapigliata funny thing is I ran around last spring with a fishing net and caught a few and popped them by the holes but none were interested. Maybe I’ll try some adding some food this year too!
Im having a go myself with 2 tubs and wooden box. Im trying the long tube into the soil and out again from the containers. Will any bumblebee go in a box freely. I see bumblebees that like to be in the soil. On the ground. In a box or in the trees. Ive had 10-20 queen bees all avoid boxes/tubs and go to inspect a hole in soil by my ivy.Captured 3 Qs and put them in tubs and boxes and they left after a while.
@@Calastein Im always amazed how well they can see. From about 30-40ft up they swoop down to a little hole in the ground for an inspection. If anything its nice to see different stripes and colours and they get some nice flowers to visit.
@@Calastein ye I just read that purple blue they seem to like. Im building bird boxes as well. Like Bill Oddie. Birds are perverse they will build a nest next to your bird box. I feeling the same for bees. They will build it next to you beebox as it good shelter. 😉😁
@@swl6218 Best thing to attract bees; find an old mouse nest and pit it either in your new bumblebee homes or into an old tit-box for Tree Bumbles, really successful....relatively anyway, :0)
Have you tried using old mouse nesting material inside? I am told Bees can smell a mouse nest. Put some droppings around the outside too.
@My Northern Garden Most welcome :)
I’ve seen actual fluffy pink insulation be used as a substrate. I have also seen one square box with holes on either side (straight through) to vent.
I have to say this.....you either have a very floofy cat, or you have been collecting that hair for some time. I'm imagining it now....lol. Very good video btw, really informative 😁
Great job on that Box! I cant wait to hear if you are lucky to get Bumble Bees this spring!
Daniel Kerby Thank you, I have a few more ideas to implement and the new wildlife garden is taking shape so stay tuned :)
I think the bees aren't using your lovely bee home, because they might think that some animal is already living in it. I know with birdhouses it's important that they're complete empty & that any supplied nesting materials are left outside the birdhouse & not in it. If anything inside the birdhouse, the birds assume that it already belongs to someone & they move on. The same thing might be happening with your bumblebees. If you empty the nest box & leave the cat hair outside of it, then the bees might finally move in. Also, if you want to entice them, you could put the box in an aquarium & let pet mice nest in it over the Winter. Bumblebees love using old mice burrows & they're attracted to the scent of them. Good Luck! 👍🏿👍🏻👍🏾
Thank you ! xxxxxx
I think that is Very good logic.
Hi love your wild garden, but I think you may be over thinking the bee box, in my garden they have taken over the blue tit nest box which is about 7 feet high on the side of my shed. The only mistake I made after the first time they came was to clean out the box. Not sure that the black roof on yours is a good idea as it may overheat. Best of luck.
Did you try putting in a new couch, big screen TV, NBFL package, ( national bee football league). Just kidding. Love the video
I can see a few things wrong with all of those hives. Bees like to descend to their nest and prefer to travel at least 18cm through some kind of tube (which mimics a mouse tunnel and nest). You need to use either an old mouse nest or loft insulation for the nesting material. They prefer the hive/nest located in under growth near long grass or an overgrown patch. They prefer the scent of a mouse in their nest too for some reason. they need good ventilation but shielded by some mesh and must be damp proof. I have built a hive almost perfect for a bumble bee's needs and will upload a video in the coming weeks. It was fitted with a removable red tinted sheet of perspex for observating the bees. they can not see in the red spectrum so it doesn't disturb them when looking. Hope this helps
Dion Fitzgerald It really does help, thanks for the detailed reply. I replicate your one once you have a video and hopefully we’ll have some luck. I have an old great-tit nest which I wonder would be suitable?
they will take to some nesting boxes but they will be exposed to the dreaded wax moth. even when choosing a nesting box they can be pretty choosey depending on its size, location and nesting material used. most of the hives i have seen for bumble bees online are very basic and not very good in my honest opinion so i spent a lot of time trying to think of a way to create something suitable. the hive i have made actually mimics the tunnel and the descending effect wich is well ventilated too. the best way to start a hive is late Feb or early march when the queens come out of domancy is to capture one who is investigating holes (looking for a nesting site) but never take a queen from a flower as she may already have setup a nest and might be collecting food for it. if you capture a queen you can place her in the new nesting box you have built for her and offer a mixture of honey & water as well as a little ball of bee pollen mixed with a little honey. she will not need to come out of the hive for about a week because it would only be to collect food and water (which you would already be providing). once she has started building her nest and producing cone you will know she has full intentions of staying. I have actually built 3 hives now because other people seems to like the look of them and want one so they do seem to be pretty popular plus i have to build quite a few more for other people lol. will try to get a video uploaded asap so you can get an early start, the queens will be out in just a matter of weeks now.
Thanks SO much for taking the time to reply with such detail :) I am thinking of a nest site where my 'attempt' nest is as that gets early sun and is in the undergrowth among the Perrywinkle otherwise I am limited. Once you're video is up I'll do my own referencing yours and attempt to build it :)
are you close to Southampton UK?
No, Unfortunately not :(
Hate to brag but... I’ve had a bumblebee nest every year. Tree bees nesting in an old metal compost and last year we had a buff tailed colony nesting behind my bug hotel. This year observing to see if a carder bee is nesting in an old rusty fire bin full of natural debris and spiders usually. My garden is a long Victorian garden, the very end of my garden I hardly ever disturb. I think this is what attracts them but who knows but I usually have a nest each year.
Tracey Pye seriously if my current bee nest sticks around I’ll be bragging trust me! lol love to see you garden, sounds amazing
Wild About Nature I’ve followed you on Twitter you can see some of my photos 🙂
They like to be up high, had a bumblebee nest in the fibreglass insulation of the ceiling of our carport and a spot up in the fiberglass insulation in the ceiling of the wild game cooler at my work which is inhabited by bees every summer. Both locations are under an overhang so they don't like a wet entrance. also have mason bees making use of the screw holes from an old door hinge at the same work location.
I've had a bumblebee nest in a damp wet patch ground for over 30 years, I just protect the entrance from the lawnmower and kids with balls, etc, and it seems to be surviving very well. Occasionally, for reasons I don't know, the population declines for a season and then it comes back with a vengeance next year.
Nice Video :) 👏👍🙋♂️
nice video
Very nice video I've just found a carder bee nest in my compost bin
I do hope you have had some success, if not don’t stop trying.
I have had bumble bee nesting boxes for over 5 years and bumble bees always used them. I make new extra ones, always used straight away as new Queen bumble bees emerge from a nest when you see a cloud of bumble bees around nesting area.
I always use nesting materials from the pet shop this is clean with no problems. 1.Finely chopped up paper thin layer from pet shop, then. 2. Wood chipping from pet shop, goes onto the floor area of Queen bee nesting area and the entrance area (in the two compartments) pack it down firm and level for the Queen bumble bee as she will also trample a place to make her honey pots, the wood chips about 1/2 in thick.
3. Put a thick layer of fluff bedding about 2- 3 inches thick resting lightly on top, this is insulation, (the pet shop material the bumble bees don’t get caught up in) the bees will push underneath this as this will cover the brood area.
4. I have put the nest boxes on to a wall or pole under a tree where the sun gets to either north, south, east or west for a period time of day. If the sun gets on the box all day the bees can get to hot. The isolation will keep the bees warm on colder days.
Fixing the boxes to a pole or wall I put a length of wood down the back of the box longer than the box with screw holes in as fixings - to the pole or wall etc.,
I have also put a box on the side of my house where it only gets the east sun or west sun so box will not get to hot on very hot days.
Have good air venting holes covered with a netting and staple fixing well so as not to let other bugs in.
As for the entrance hole they really like a tube to go through into box, but make sure you cut the tub on the inside so they have a platform inside the box - part way along the tube, by cutting the tube lengthways.
Always use thick wood as this is great to stop warping, bugs and helps with insulation.
I did use mouse and bird nests but I found it also attracted moths etc., which was detrimental to the bumblebees. In spring time I add a little local honey from bee keeper onto a lolly stick and place into the box - which gives a good start to a Queen especially if a cold or rainy day.
I also dig up areas and throw wild flower or meadow seeds, herbs for bees etc., seeds covered with a thin layer of compost soil keep watered and watch the flowers grow to give the bumblebees variety of feeding on. Good luck..
Classic Routes wow, thanks for taking the time to write such a detailed and useful comment. I’m going to digest it properly and then respond. xxx
what is the best design for building a bumble bee box?
does your cat have flea preventative? Maybe the bees don't like the chemicals on the fur.?
We don’t need to flea/worm out cats so much as they are 100% indoor kitties :)
I'm by no means an expert but looking at online guides I have been told that the painted targeting area around the entrance is best to be bright blue. Bumble bees have difficulty seeing reds and oranges from that end of the spectrum.
Interesting, thanks! ☺️
Brilliant job!! I had a go at making some boxes last year to no avail of bumblebees nesting. i have heard using mouse nesting material could work or to encourage mice to nest in the actual box over winter, so im going to give that a try this time. Best of luck!
Yeah I heard about old mice nests too but also old birds nest (tits I think?) which are favoured by Tree Bumblebees. Thanks for the comment :)
I'm not sure if you have one, but can you do a garden tour?
Jack Dennehy hi, that's a good idea! Never done one specifically but maybe after the new ponds are in and everything's done ( it's a mess at the moment) I will do that ! 😍
Wild About Nature sounds great !
👍👍👍
Try using kapok for the nest fluff instead of cat hair, the cat hair may be too fine. I watched a video recently where they were saying not to use cotton wool as the bumblebees get caught in it.
Very interesting, thanks!!! I will investigate for sure, don't want'em getting caught up :(
Thinking about it, if one thing would put mice off, its probably cat hair :)
True!! lol
Instead of using cat hair use hay/straw from rabbit or rat cages. Because earth bumblebees naturaly like to habitat old rodent hole's. The pheromones/smell of the rodent will make it more likely for a bubblebee from habitating the nest
This looks like the ultimate bumblebee hotel, but I dont think you mentioned this so I just thought you'd know that in the wild they would be able to smell old mice holes because of the urine which stinks to them so if any of your family member have a pet mouse then you could put it in there for half an hour ( with food) and it will urinate, the other option is you could put sunflower heart seeds or peanuts in the hotel to lure mice in, with a trail of the food going into the hotel.
Bradley Woods wow I didn't think of that what a great idea, I'll see if I can find some old mice nests to put in it too. Interestingly I have had mice visit it a few years ago but them the ants moved in! Lol
haha at least something benefited from it
@c30f$p@d3z I'M NOW COLLECTING LINT FROM THE DRYER! Fantastic idea, thanks!
I've heard that bumblebees are attracted to mouse smell. As in nature they often live underground in old mouse holes. Which makes sense as it is warmer in winter and colder in summer. But this should be proven by scientific evidence
Heard that too and it’s certainly the case with old ‘tit’ nests which are often frequented by tree bumblebees
You could catch a queen in the spring (first bumblebees you see are all queens) then house it in the box ,block the entrance and fed her with sugar syrup 50/50 and somme honey bee pollen mixed until its like a thick paste with a little sugar syrup.Be carefull so that the queen doesnt drown in the syrup.In the autumn you can collect somme queens from the hive and put them in a container air breathable(holes at the bottom so the CO2 wich is heavyer than air gets released .You keep the queens in the refrigerator until next spring.
la scapigliata funny thing is I ran around last spring with a fishing net and caught a few and popped them by the holes but none were interested. Maybe I’ll try some adding some food this year too!
Im having a go myself with 2 tubs and wooden box. Im trying the long tube into the soil and out again from the containers. Will any bumblebee go in a box freely. I see bumblebees that like to be in the soil. On the ground. In a box or in the trees. Ive had 10-20 queen bees all avoid boxes/tubs and go to inspect a hole in soil by my ivy.Captured 3 Qs and put them in tubs and boxes and they left after a while.
It’s SO difficult to do or make anything that will entice them in. Good luck! 😁😁😁
@@Calastein Im always amazed how well they can see. From about 30-40ft up they swoop down to a little hole in the ground for an inspection. If anything its nice to see different stripes and colours and they get some nice flowers to visit.
Amazing aren’t they ☺️ Why don’t you try putting something blue near the holes which I’ve read attracts them too?x
@@Calastein ye I just read that purple blue they seem to like. Im building bird boxes as well. Like Bill Oddie. Birds are perverse they will build a nest next to your bird box. I feeling the same for bees. They will build it next to you beebox as it good shelter. 😉😁
@@swl6218 Best thing to attract bees; find an old mouse nest and pit it either in your new bumblebee homes or into an old tit-box for Tree Bumbles, really successful....relatively anyway, :0)
Did this work?
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