A solution for bumblebee breeders who are at risk of clashes between last year's queens in spring for the maternal nest.
What you will learn here
- Why do queen bumblebees return to their natal nest or hive (bumblebee box)?
- What kinds of things like to do this, and which types of things does this affect?
- Why do breeders find joy and worry in this at the same time
- What to do in such a case
Datum poslední aktualizace: 28. února/2024
- Young mothers return to the nest: If the breeder managed to raise a new generation in the previous year, they should take this into account.
- Joy and old age: if young mothers – sisters meet in the nest, they will fight for it
- What about returns in nature: In nature, they usually return to the nest that has undergone destruction, which is why young mothers search in the vicinity, and therefore there are fewer fights over nests.
- Wasted losses: If the breeder leaves the swarm in its original location, there will be unnecessary losses – only one queen will prevail
- Choose the correct strategy: On our website, you'll find several strategies for managing the return of mothers.
Contents
Introduction – Why and when do mothers return to the maternal nest
What kinds of bumblebees are returning
What happens when the mothers return and meet at the nesting site
How are things with the combs we offer bumblebees
How can a bumblebee breeder prevent their clashes in the nesting site
What happens if you let fear take over and do nothing
Solution variants
No frights this season„
Variant 1 „No fright in the original place“
Variant 2 “Closed trap at the original location as a lure“
Variant 3 „Occupy the refuge in its original location and move it elsewhere in good time“
Variant 4 – Shutter control
Variant 5 – Catching the Queen
When can a new lure be placed in the original spot
What if the mothers keep returning and the queen breeder no longer has hives or doesn't want to occupy them
Conclusion
Introduction – Why and when bumblebee queens return to their
We haven't found any study that explains and describes this in detail yet. We can only state that we Queen bumblebees return to their native nests in spring.
This can be explained by mothers instinctively returning to a place that suited their kind and they want to use again what served well in the previous season. It could also be about Taking over an already commenced work (wax structures), concerning bumblebees of the same species.
The condition for return is that mothers must successfully hibernate survive the winter, in spring find a food source and then find where they were born.
Place mother's nest will be reliably found, so unless its surroundings and the landmarks by which it was remembered change dramatically.
If they find good conditions in the same place, meaning a nesting cavity with lining, It will settle here and builds a nest.
The nest mostly disassemble (mould, rot), or it is consumed by parasites and commensals, or it remove small rodents. If this does not happen and at the same time, if rodents/birds do not bring them here new lining - bumblebees won't occupy such a place and will go looking for another.
If mothers meet in a nest suitable for habitation, they will fight each other in a fight to the death. In nature, however, such a situation may not occur.
Mothers returns individually, according to that jif they woke up. If the nesting site is not suitable for habitation, there is nothing to fight for.
Some species of bumblebees nest by creating their The nest and nesting site disappear without a trace after the season. Mother bumblebees do not fight over such places. These are mostly representatives of smaller species, such as the field bumblebee (Bombus pascuorum) and the red-shanked bumblebee (Bombus ruderarius). These species often nest on the ground in a pile of grass or shallowly underground. Nothing remains of such nests after winter.
Unfortunately, we often many queen bumblebees do not return And this is man's fault. Thanks to global warming, there's no proper winter, and that doesn't allow for good hibernation. and prematurely awakened mothers often perish.
As well as a loss of successfully hibernating mothers directly affects people. If It's liquidating fields and hedgerows., where bumblebees often hibernate, also destroys dormant queens. This can be observed where such an area in your vicinity has come into „developers“ care – in the spring, the decline in bumblebees is visible.
A slightly different case is the situation where Mothers randomly find already occupied nesting sites. This happens often, especially when a queen of a stronger species, such as the buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris), finds a queen of an earlier species, such as the early bumblebee (Bombus pratorum), already established. If she finds a developed nest, she will no longer be interested in the nesting site. If she finds a queen in the solitary phase (without workers), she may attack her. Similarly, this can occur within the same species – the desire Securing a suitable nesting site is more important for the mother than her own health and life..
A similar situation can also occur in the larval stage, which will be prepared for the bumblebees by the breeder. This can be a nest box where bumblebee queens were born last year. This page is dedicated to this issue.
However, it may be a new bumblebee colony that the breeder has established and which is accidentally found by another queen bee. This situation occurs quite often if the bumblebee colony is placed on the ground. That is where the queens of most bumblebee species look for nesting sites.
Therefore, we recommend placing the feeder at a greater height where such a situation may no longer occur, or alternatively, moving the feeder to such a height once the birds have become accustomed to it. Therefore, take the time tand guides for ulcer placement, it's worth it for you.
The queen of the red-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius) has returned to the nest and is flying out of it for the first time.
Photo O. Hercog
What kinds of bumblebees are returning
Most species bumblebees returns to their native nest. However, there are species for which this phenomenon has not been observed, e.g. the buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lucorum).
According to our own observations champions of comebacks Bumblebee queens Austrian pine Buff-tailed bumblebee, rocky (Bombus lapidarius), garden Garden bumblebee.
But inconspicuous species like bumblebees are also returning Farmer (Bombus pascuorum), whose nesting sites are usually destroyed by the new season (see nesting methods of this species). Therefore, there is no meeting or fighting – there is no reason for it here.
Tree bumblebee
Source „Bees in the City Bumblebees of Wrocław“
Stone-tail bumblebee
Source Bee in the City of Wild Bees Wrocław
Garden bumblebee
Source Bee in the City of Wild Bees Wrocław
Common carder bee
Source Bee in the City of Wild Bees Wrocław
What happens when the mothers return and meet at the nesting site
We have already written about this above, and also in the description of the bumblebee life cycle, see How things work in a bumblebee nest
The mothers of most bumblebee species return to their native nesting site after hibernation. If they meet there and find good nesting conditions, it has enough space and lining applied by rodents/birds/humans, There will be a fight between mothers. During it, rivals can be injured or killed. Will perhaps the biologically most mature triumph?, which isn't always the largest, it's also about luck and a faster sting. It will establish a new nest here and raise the next generation of offspring.
So it's a form of natural selection the fittest individuals, as nature does in other cases. Nature has it worked out really well, even if it's sometimes cruel from our perspective.
In nature The return of the mothers is not so dramatic. Their nest from the previous year fell into disrepair and in most cases the nesting site will not be ready for occupation. The mothers will then more disperse around the area and there won't be as many conflicts.
A different situation, however, arises in the case of the owl. It is ready for breeding and if it is in the same place, fights will occur – there is something to fight for.
Some species seem not to fight for spaceFor instance, if a queen of the Early Bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum) finds a nest site already occupied, she will not fight over it. This is quite peculiar, as the same species can also drive out birds from a cavity it fancies. We have this observation from an experienced breeder, Luděk Šulda, whom we trust and are happy to quote here.
In the following photograph, you can see how it can turn out...
Result of queens returning – bumblebees – queens
Photo:, KP Henry 2022, UK
For bumblebees in an attractive nesting site and its surroundings so thanks to that it is often found more dead bumblebee queens of the same or different species and only one mother with a nest. This situation was observed by long-time bumblebee keeper Jaromír Čížek and others.
A situation also arises where early bird mothers nest, such as the meadow bumblebee (Bombus pratorum), and protection of the nest and life will prepare more aggressive mothers of late species, such as the red-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius), or the buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris).
Sometimes a situation arises where in the nest Two mothers will nest, And they tolerate each other for a while. But it's only transient state. Sooner or later they will meet, and an inevitable fight for the nest will occur.
Sometimes a situation arises where mothers in the fight for nesting sites they injure each other and then both die. The nest site can therefore be used by another mother who finds it later.
Yes, it's harsh, but it's worked for millions of years. Nature thus allows strong, healthy individuals to survive., successful species, and prevents overpopulation leading to the excessive use of food resources.
How are things with the combs we offer bumblebees
Just as in nature, A bumblebee queen returns to a hive created and prepared by humans.which were born here. They then investigate if they can nest here.
Since in nature The old nesting site won't be cleaned, it is often for non-reusable bumblebees. In such a case, the bumblebees in the environment must Look for another nesting ground, in which they will find the right conditions.
However, breeders will clear up the fright and prepare it again for the new season. Mothers returning there will find suitable conditions for nesting. Therefore, they are willing to fight him – they have a reason for it and will do it.
Clusters concentrated in one place are a problem when mothers return.
Internet source
The author of this video from Prague (who wished to remain anonymous) observed a fight between two buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) queens.
He saw one of the „returnees“ crawl into the hive and pull out an already-nestled queen – injured and dying. So, a fight took place inside the hive.
As can be seen, the victor of the fight then flies away. Often they only return to the nest to peek in, only moving in after several days.
How can a bumblebee breeder prevent their clashes in the nesting site
If the elytra are open, nothing prevents the mother from returning. From our own observations, we know that Mothers, upon returning to their native corner, are capable of lifting the flap., just as they did last season, they've learned it.
If you replace the goose, or change its colour, however the entrance to the nesting site will remain in the same place, the bumblebees will recognise it. Despite this, they will show interest and will try to settle down even under new conditions. The nesting site and its surroundings are a reliable guide for them and The colour of the ulcer isn't significant for them.. Even if the change of colour confuses them, it will only be a matter of time before they discover the entrance to the hive.
A possible solution to avoid mutual collision and subsequent conflict Can the position of the ulcer be changed – choosing a different spot.
We have prepared for you variants and methods, which you can use – see the following text.
What happens if you let fear take over and do nothing
Mothers will return to the fold and If they meet there, a duel will ensue. Only one usually survives. If she is not injured, she will establish a nest there and raise a new generation of bumblebees.
During fights There can be significant losses of mothers, which can Breeder prevent. At worst, a situation could arise where only one out of 100 mothers born here survives. Therefore, there would be no multiplication of bumblebees, but simple reproduction.
We believe that given the overall decline of bumblebees in nature, supporting their reproduction in hives makes sense.
If you try to prevent unnecessary clashes between mothers you give more mothers a chance to establish a nest, including weaker ones. Certainly, by that You will prevent unnecessary losses of strong mothers, which would otherwise fight to the bitter end and could kill each other or fatally injure themselves. If they’re given a chance to find another nesting place, that’s certainly the right thing to do.
Another philosophy stands against this approach. You can let things run their course and rely on The strongest mother will win. The others will perish. The weaker ones will certainly perish, but and those that could succeed in nature will also perish. From a natural selection perspective, that's probably correct. However, it's important to realise that By preparing for the task, you are creating such a situation. So you are part of natural selection. You must therefore accept such a fact and the context of such a decision.
If the breeder had a common bumblebee species in the nest (buff-tailed bumblebee – Bombus terrestris), the decision-making is simpler. When it comes to rarer species, the approach should be carefully considered.
Which approach is the right one? We do not have hard data available for decision-making. We will therefore leave it to you which path you choose.
The following text describes possible solutions scenarios. They require time, patience, and the breeder's work, but they are functional.
Motherhood battles
Source: Jennifer Fury
Mother bumblebees of rock (Bombus hypnorum)
Solution variants
In the following section, we set out the individual options for dealing with a situation where queen bees, born in the beekeeper's hive last year, return in the spring.
Occasionally you read that all you need is in the next season for hives Turn over, meant change direction of the flight hole axis. Such a solution Cannot fully recommend, not reliable.
The mother will return to her original birthplace after hibernation. She will search here, It is only a matter of time and chance when it finds an opening into the hive. on the other side or in the immediate vicinity.
You can try this yourself by closing the entrance to the bumblebee nest when it's in season. First, they will look for an entrance to the hive at the entrance board, then in its vicinity, and sometimes they will even try the neighbouring hive.
Therefore, finding the entrance hole on another side of the hive will most likely occur; it cannot be sufficiently prevented other than by the methods described below.
Note. Mothers do it in spring, but workers do it throughout the season. For this reason too, we recommend placing the hives as far apart as possible.
Please choose from our selection. A little effort is worth it – there will be no unnecessary reduction of mothers.
No frights this season„
Evidently the safest is to not put any frights in the original place and use this place until next year.
Returning queen mothers cannot find original nesting site, they will look for another place to nest and dissipates in nature.
But tell that to the breeder and they'll beat you senseless with their umbrella on the spot. 😀
Advantages:
- No risk of mothers brawling for a fright.
Disadvantages:
- You will not have a busy scare this season.
Closed air intake
Photo: O. Hercog 2021
Option 1 „No delay at the original location, or wait for a later batch“
The same safe solution is that on you do not place the original lure in any shock and you place the original lure in the new place.
If young mothers return to their original place, gently there You will catch it in a net as known procedure see How to introduce a queen bee into a beehive
Abducted mother Then you'll move it to another hive, as far away as possible from the original hive, meaning in the immediate vicinity.. If she accepts the fright there, she shouldn't have a reason to come back.
Surviving mothers I'll look in the original place, but then escape into nature look for another place. They can look for and try other routes in the vicinity.
Likewise, you can Wait this season with the closed ulk for later and rarer species.
Advantages:
- No risk of mothers brawling for a fright.
Disadvantages:
- It's possible for sediment to return to its original position multiple times, and the process may need to be repeated.
Variant 2 “Closed trap at the original location as a lure“
No you leave the fright in its original location, but with the inlet port closed perhaps with a cork. The folded flap for closing the hive is not enough– the mothers from last year are used to it and can lift it.
Here then You catch a queen, take her to another remote corner. You can gradually catch more queens this way and introduce them into other hives.
Surviving mothers I'll look in the original place, but then Scatter into nature to find another place. However, they can look for and try other corners in the vicinity.
Advantages:
- Low risk of mothers fighting over fright (at the entrance of the hive).
Disadvantages:
- It's possible for a settled mother to return to her original location several times.
Closed air intake
Photo: O. Hercog 2021
Closed air intake
Photo: O. Hercog 2021
.
Variant 3 „Occupy the refuge in its original location and move it elsewhere in good time“
You leave Original shock at original site with open entry hole. will you wait until it Mother settled.
Inlet (intake) then Close immediately and carefully transfer to a new location – as far as possible from the original location, meaning in your vicinity/garden.
When there's a fright after it calms down (i.e. after a few minutes) open his mother will do it Orientation flight, then accepted a new position, and will be returning to this place. We wrote about the orientation flight How to introduce a queen bee into a beehive
Warning
- However, it is necessary to point out that even in this case, the mother (if she finds it) can return to the old spot. However, if she is unsuccessful there (the fright is no longer there), she flies to a new spot (where you relocated her) and usually settles down there.
- Somewhere this procedure is failing, so there's nothing for it but to try repeatedly and observe.
- If this procedure is not suitable for you, use the previous options.
This procedure has been verified several times by the experienced breeder Niky Stein.
The process works well, if you move the shock to a new location as soon as possible after his mother settles in. Time is important, so that The mother fixed it out of fear. and never on its surroundings.
After moving, it is necessary to ascertain by observation, that the mother is indeed returning to the hive in the new location. Here we recommend dedicating your time to observation, with the help of brand and be patient.
A marker in the flight opening will help, but you must check it regularly. We wrote about the marker Do I or do I not have this settled.
I will look for the remaining mothers in their original place, but then it disperses into nature seek another place. They can also look for and try other places in the vicinity.
Advantages:
- The queen bee will establish herself without needing to be caught.
Disadvantages:
- If you don't move the hive to a new location in time, the queens in the hive may meet and a fight may occur.
- The mother bird may return to the original location after the nest is moved, e.g. if the nest is not sufficiently far from the original location, or is in direct view and the mother bird can easily find such a place.
Mark in the hive entrance
An oblong pebble = the ideal marker
Photo O. Hercog
Variant 4 – Shutter control
As we have written above and elsewhere, using protective covers in good time will reduce the risk of another bumblebee queen attempting to enter the hive.
In 2020 and 2021, we also tried a different method. Near a bumblebee nest, coincidentally located in a hive in the garage, we lifted the protective flap after the new queens hatched. Our aim was to verify how the queens would behave the following year when they returned.
If mothers are unable to navigate the protective flap, there will be a greater chance they will not get into the hive and will not fight for it.
In our observations, it seems that Some mothers are put offi. They try to get under the flap, but because they don't know it, sometimes they give up and fly away. Method The 100% isn't reliable, but it can be used. If you have no other option, it can therefore be used and taken into account during the year.
You might object that parasites like the wax moth (Aphomia sociella) can then enter the hive. Yes, that is true, however, at the stage when the nest has produced queens, the wax moth won't cause significant damage and the nest is already nearing the end of its life. In the tested nest, an infestation did occur, but the wax moth didn't find suitable conditions for development, and only one cocoon was found in the hive during cleaning.
Variant 5 – Catching the Queen
Theoretically, another method exists, but it is on the borderline of nature protection laws. This involves gently capturing the mother, moving her to a feeder and transporting her at least 5 km away.
You'll read about this method somewhere, but you'd rather Do not use.
Besides the manipulation of the bumblebee and the breaking of the law, there are risks; for which We do not recommend this solution
- The mother can get to a place where she won't find suitable conditions.
- The female will reach a place where her species doesn't exist and won't find partners for reproduction – see examples of rare bumblebee species that are tied to a specific location and would thus become weakened.
- An alien species can be introduced to places where it doesn't belong, including protected landscape areas.
- can it be supported Spread of hybrid bumblebees, which unfortunately already occur in our nature and which many breeders do not recognise
Try to support and help bumblebees. If you want to deal with returning queens, use the simplest method – alternate ulcer placement. You just need to choose two or three spots and use them cyclically. The problem is solved.
Can I put a new door frame in the original place?
If you The original location is suitable, place the new hive there..
But do it then once mothers stop going back there = nest another species/individual there. The mothers can return there for several days, sometimes longer. It depends on the hibernation conditions (when they wake up) but also on the weather and their condition.
Patience is required. Alternatively, if you don't have the time and would prefer to choose another location, select the previous options.
What if the mothers keep returning and the queen breeder no longer has hives or doesn't want to occupy them
Breeders usually solve this by will cause another scare and they are happy. They are happy because the number of snails in the garden multiplies this way...
If you don't have startledness at the original place, The mothers will gradually disperse and look elsewhere. It is the easiest and safest option.
Queen bumblebees can, of course, find other nests in the vicinity. There isn't much that can be done about that.
Can you prevent yes, so:
- You will not have the sockets placed too close together.
- burrows will not be near the ground or on the ground where most species search
- use the protective flap in time, see instructions The art of the clap
Conclusion
If you throw yourselves into it, you will do a great deal for nature and help it.
There will be no unnecessary loss of mothers = you will support the reproduction of bumblebees.
One needs to arm oneself patience and dedicate a lot of time to this worthy activity.
Now you should understand why successful beekeepers have hives multiplying in their gardens like bees after a successful season (apologies, like mushrooms after rain) and why a successful beekeeper is nervous and bald in the spring.
And perhaps you also understand our favourite motto „Buying a beehive is just the beginning.“.
Thank you all for your interest and for choosing one of the suggested scenarios for managing the returns of mothers..
We thank in advance those who will supplement the scenarios listed here with their insights, and thus help with the issue of mothers' return to employment.