Tools you won't use to settle a bumblebee
What you will learn here
- We will show you an example of an unsuitable trapping kit.
- We will explain why it is not suitable.
- We will attach the supporting documents.
- We will provide instructions for solving
Date of last update: 09/04/2022
Introduction
Many of you may be having trouble moving the mother from the net to the bootloader.
It's mostly a matter of experience. But that can be practiced – just grab a sieve and a launcher at home and test the whole process at home „dry run“. The exercise will be useful and perhaps a guide on the web www.cmelaciplus.cz and also an instructional video on YouTube Bumblebees PLUS: https://youtu.be/9GCEJkX84Bc
We are receiving a number of queries and information that you are still not succeeding and what to do about it.
We've looked into it and we now suspect the possible source of the prolonged transfer of the queen to the starter, the great stress on the bumblebee queen and the subsequent rejection of the nest (bumblebee colony).
The cause might be a bootloader with an unsuitable small diameter.
In our instructions and photographs, you can see the recommended applicator from a 60 ml plastic syringe (catalogue 50ml), see HERE:
This syringe is just the right size to comfortably fit the queen mother of our largest common species, namely the buff-tailed bumblebee.
At the same time, its diameter is so large that the queen bee will not fly out of it. However, the diameter is so large that the queen bee can easily enter the flight entrance. All of this will significantly simplify your handling of the queen bee when populating the hive.
If you go for a small-diameter loader, it's the other way around...
It's very difficult to get a large female into such a carrier and she won't even be able to turn around in it. She will defend herself and fight against the small space. This will only lead to stress and a reduction in her appetite for settling in.
What is the problem
We have found that a number of you have purchased trap kits, which contain 20 ml vials as part of a trapping kit „Bumblebees – Type 2020 set for gentle bumblebee queen capture“We will not name a specific company, let's call it „the Seller“ here.
It is unknown to us why this unsuitable set is supplied by the Vendor. Previous versions of the catch-up kit were satisfactory. Is this due to indifference, ignorance, or human error?
Here are some recommendations for you – Do not use such a starter for large species of bumblebees.!
The introducer might be usable for small species of bumblebees. But honestly – do you take a set of introducers with you to catch them and choose the size of the introducer according to the species of bumblebee caught?
How do we provide in our online guides, the applicator 60 ml (internal diameter 25.5 mm) perfectly suitable. Syringes of this size are available in every pharmacy. They sell it there as a 50 ml syringe., even though it has a scale of up to 60 ml on it. Once you get one, you should immediately Cut it at an angle according to our instructions. This makes it very easy to introduce the queen into the hive.
Capture kit „Bumblebees – kit type 2020 for gentle capture of bumblebee queens“ – unsuitable net and introducer size
Web dealer photo
Unsuitable capture kit „Bumblebees - kit type 2020 for gentle capture of bumblebee queens“
Customer photo
Mother hive starter – syringe
And while we're on the subject of the set... The seller includes a net with a metal frame and telescopic handle in the trapping set – that's not a bad idea.
The manufacturer advertises a diameter of 20 cm, which is fine for catching from close up. In the field, however, we recommend a larger net diameter, even up to 40 cm.. When catching insects in the field, the diameter of the net is crucial, not the length of the handle. However, it is clear from the photograph that the net has pDiameter less than 17 – 18 cm and that is really too little.
However, the network has one catch, in fact it's a significant catch – The net is terribly shallow..
If you catch a queen bumblebee in it, It's very difficult to get it into the bootloader. You must have a miniature hand, other cannot enclose the bumblebee unharmed in the shallow net by gripping the palm.
In combination with the small introducer from this bait kit, catching the queen and gently introducing her into the hive is practically a „Mission: Impossible“.
You can read more about catching nets HERE
Why isn't it working
We can easily prove to you that we are not making it up and we will show you this in photographs as well.
In the first photograph You see a buff-tailed bumblebee queen (Bombus terrestris). in the plug of a 60 ml plastic syringe.
- The internal diameter of the syringe is approximately 26 mm.
The foundress of the buff-tailed bumblebee is 20-26mm in length.
The rock bumblebee queen is 20-24mm in length.
You can see for yourselves that the mothers of these, our most common species, easily fit into the 60 ml loader.
In the second photograph You see a meadow bumblebee mother (Bombus pratorum) in the barrel of a 20 ml plastic syringe.
- The inner diameter of the syringe is 19 mm.
- Meadow bumblebee queens size (length) 15-17mm
A recognised reference source was used to describe the size of bumblebee queens: „Hymenoptera of the Czech Republic I.“, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic 978-80-200-1772-7
Earth bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) queen in a syringe feeder 60 ml
The moth is 20-24 mm long
Photo O, Hercog (3/2020 Prague)
A bumblebee queen (Bombus pratorum) in a syringe feeder 20 ml
The moth is 15-17 mm long
Photo M. Bradová (3/2020)
Earth bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) queen in a syringe feeder 20 ml
Photo K. Červenka (03/2020)
In this video, you can see that a large queen buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) can just about fit into a large loader. In a smaller one, she really does get stressed.
The small loader is stressing the mother and its use is endangering her.
A small maternal specimen will fit into a small loader, but will have difficulty turning around. A large maternal specimen will barely fit, won't be able to turn, and will be extremely stressed, as practice demonstrates.
Unfortunately, many beginners solve this by simply forcing the queen into the entrance hole. This can harm her!
We are not claiming that difficulties with motherboards only stem from an unsuitable BIOS; that would certainly not be fair. However, it is a very significant detail that can determine success.
The small starter hive for a big mother is proven to be stressful. It's difficult to get them in using a capture net, and the mother can't move around properly in there. Yet, it is the mother's stress that is the decisive criterion for the successful settling of the hive.
Are you looking for hard data?
An experienced fellow beekeeper tried the small introducer. Out of 40 attempts to introduce the queen using this introducer, only in 3 cases did the stressed queens perform a orientation flight after being introduced into the hive. After changing the introducer, everything went faster and the queens performed an orientation flight after every second or third introduction.
We tried the small net too, but a truly larger hand can't close it with a bumblebee caught inside.
She-cat caught in the net
Wait until the mother has ascended and use your other hand to close the netting below the mother.
How to solve it
Our recommendation is simple:
- If you have a small loader – replace it with a larger one – we recommend a volume of 60 ml (internal diameter approx. 26 mm)
- If you have a shallow net, get a deeper, so that you can comfortably enclose the bumblebee queen with your hand and transfer her to the starter
- If you have purchased an unsuitable catching kit about which we are writing here and are having problems with it, we are sorry. It is up to you how and if you will resolve this with the Seller and how.
- We would be grateful if you could provide feedback to the Seller and inform them that they are selling problematic items.
Client feedback is important – it allows the Seller to improve their products.
Motherboard into the incubator
angled face – suitable cutting angle
Launcher attached to the airlock
Photo O. Hercog
Mother caught in netting – the netting has sufficient depth.