How to prepare a bee nest for bumblebees
What you will learn here
- In this chapter, we will provide you with basic information on thermal insulation lining, its properties and preparation.
- We will explain why quality lining is important
- We will also explain why long fibres must not be present in it.
- We will also explain why there must be sufficient bedding in the hive (bumblebee nest).
In this chapter, we will provide you with basic information about heat-retaining linings, their properties, and preparation. We recommend that you familiarise yourself with the basics given here first. For advanced users, we have broader information available, which is provided in the chapter for advanced breeders.
Last updated: 13/02/2024
- Thermal insulation The lining in the hive serves as thermal insulation; bumblebees will not build a nest in an empty/half-empty cavity.
- Building material Bumblebees create a cavity in the lining, wax comb, and also build tunnels and remove excess material.
- Danger lurks in long threads: Bumblebees can get tangled in long strands of fibre and die.
- Take care to keep the used bedding clean: The lining must be clean, must not collapse when wet, and must not crumble into the bees' work.
- There is a lot of humidity in the nest, and mould will form there. The lining should not contain mould spores, therefore grass and leaves are unsuitable.
- Lining in motion: Bumblebees with lining constantly work, they must be made of a material that allows them to create lumps/balls and their transport
- The amount of lining is important: The lining should be sufficient in the hive to protect the nest from temperature changes and from the ingress of moisture and mould into the honeycomb.
- The lining can be partially removed and changed. The lining can be removed during the season, or contaminated parts can be replaced
- Suitable materials: Raw cotton, pure sheep's wool or jute felt are suitable as materials – always without long fibres
- Linings colour: A benefit is the light colour of the lining, in which the nest is clearly visible, as are dirt and parasites.
- Used lining as an attractant: part of last year's lining can be treated and used in the hive as a lure for the queen
Introduction
Why do bumblebees actually need thermal insulation? Bumblebees need bedding to keep their breeding stock at the correct temperature, that's an absolute necessity for their development.
Bumblebees are constantly working with the lining.
The female workers are creating in it Corridors, so that move. These corridors also likely serve as Ventilation ducts. These allow them to regulate the temperature and humidity in the nest.
The lining too helps to hold its shape and nest. His wax work is irregular and the lining holds it together to some extent.
Bumblebees too can cover the vent with lining, if they deem it necessary. This addresses the temperature and any drafts that bother them.
The nest gradually gets larger and as it grows, the bumblebees carry away excess lining and emerge from the nest and create Space for the growth of the wax works.
For this to be possible, the lining must be quality, Okay. ready and it must be in the hive (bee house) Sufficient quantity (up to the vent).
Look in the chapter The life cycle of bumblebees
What material to use as a heat-retaining lining in a bumblebee nest:
For the bedding to be suitable for bumblebees, it must have the correct properties and be properly prepared. The bedding, its properties, quality, and preparation are one of the fundamental pillars of success for a bumblebee breeder; it cannot be underestimated.
The correct material must always meet the following parameters:
- The basis is the airiness and fluffiness of the material, where air serves the function of insulation like in a sleeping bag,
- Must be dry,
- It must not be greasy or mouldy.,
- Must not contain chemicals, nor treated / washed with chemicals. Therefore, it must not be synthetic fabrics,
- Material It must not stink (headlice, mould, chemistry, etc.),
- Must not contain long fibres or threads that bumblebees could get tangled in,
- Material must not be poured into cells in a nest where it would hinder foetal development (moss and sawdust),
- Bumblebees need to chew through material, so natural materials are suitable.,
- The bumblebees must be able to do it. process and transport.
Recommended materials
Natural cotton
The 100% natural cotton is ideal. It should be thoroughly torn (or cut) into tiny pieces.
An example of a product that we use for the treatment of ulcers is Lintran/Čmeltran etc.
It's ecological filling made from 100% natural cotton. The product is intended as a filling for soft toys, dolls, cushions, beanbags etc., or as natural bedding for small domestic animals. It is health-safe, environmentally friendly, and moreover, it is a Czech product.
This material tends to settle, so it's good to ntoo fluffy. But definitely don't stifle it.
Raw cotton
Photo: Internet
Raw cotton lining
Photo: O. Hercog
Processed sheep's wool
This material is used with great success. It is The best available material. However, its preparation is quite time-consuming, so we include it in Advanced section.
But if you use this lining, you'll be very happy. Ondra Hercog swears by fleece lining 😀
Raw sheep's wool lining – processing from raw fleece to washing, carding and shearing – photo O. Hercog
Fine rabbit hairs
Fine hairs from rabbit nests are for some species a very good attractant.Only a portion of scented hairs are needed in the centre of the lining, it can be from a different material. However, the use of fine fur is a condition, best from the belly of mother rabbits.
Some species revel in such lining, for example, the forest bumblebee (Bombus sylvarum) and the buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lucorum).
Rabbit fur is also close to the vole's nest, which you won't get so easily.
Note:
You'll read somewhere that it helps to populate the ulcer Mouse nest material – urine and faeces. It is such a Bumblebee HOAX and translation error.
It is proven that voles' nests work like this, because they actually smell nice. Mice nests pong. We have verified, that if the mother wishes, she will nestle in the new nook and lining. If she doesn't want to, no attractant will help her.
Jute felt
This material was successfully tested by Vítek Cach. A strip of non-woven jute fabric can be used as the source.
Made from a purely natural, eco-friendly material that decomposes completely over time and improves soil quality after decomposition.
Thanks to its properties, it finds application primarily in agriculture, forestry, horticulture and in various craft fields:
- Soil erosion protection.
Protection of plants and tree trunks against pests.
Protection of root balls for transplanted or transported plants.
In winter, it protects against dryness, frost, and wind.
Mulch layer in plant cultivation (temporary prevention of weed growth).
The essential thing is that the belt is made from webbing. thoroughly shredded. Then they can with us Bumblebees can work well.
The price is favourable, one belt will last you for a number of ulcer refills. For one ulcer filling, you will need approximately 1 linear metre of the roll shown in the picture.
Felt is available in several online shops, or in garden centres.
How to prepare jute felt lining?
Jutový filc se musí thoroughly tear apart.
It can be done manually, or with a brush. Similarly, you can use rakes for combing sheep's wool.
Don't forget here too remove long threads, which could endanger bumblebees.
Can they be removed with the cup, or with scissors.
The photo shows the role of jute felt and the material after tearing, before cutting.
Jute felt
Photo: Internet
Jute felt lining
Photo: O. Hercog 9/16/2023)
On this photograph, you can see that well-rotted jute is very popular with bumblebees. Jute can be used for the entire filling.
Bombus humilis bumblebee nest
Photo: V. Cach 2021
Examples of less suitable materials
Recycled fabric
Can be used recycled fabric, Sewing wadding (e.g. formerly commonly used lining or coat shoulder pads – be careful, however, of naphthalene and nylon substitutes in linings and pads), chopped hemp, shredded cotton insulation strips for water pipes, chopped rag scraps.
With these materials, however, you need to ensure that in the material There was no chemistry, long fibres or threads, and synthetics.
Tailor's wadding has one rather unpleasant property – due to its colour, you can't see some details in the nest and you can easily overlook a parasite or other problem. The light-coloured lining is therefore better.
However, obtaining these materials in a pure form and quality is much more difficult today than it might seem at first glance. Some vendors will offer such material for sale, or as part of a hive delivery. The quality of this material is, however, variable and It cannot be used without modification..
Wadding lining
torn apart and then cut up
Photo O. Hercog
Mech – just as a supplementary material
The moss works antiseptically and prevents the development of mould. However, we would like to point out that forest moss is protected by law. Therefore, you can use dry moss from your own garden, for example, gathered during autumn maintenance. The moss should be free of soil, dust, and grass residues.
Also, bear in mind that a number of invertebrates live in moss. Some breeders use moss by putting it to the bottom of the ulcer in the corners. Here, bumblebees sometimes defecate, and so the moss dries out these spots.
The shirt fitsRegarding ulcers with small nests. However, we have experience that in some cases mech hnil and therefore he generally no longer recommends itMe.
Warning:
- When you decide to use moss, please only put it on the bottom part of the lining, but don't use it for the whole nest. It is more than enough to put moss in the corner. Use raw cotton/sheep wool as filling. Otherwise, the moss will fall into the cells and onto the brood in the nest, and that is not good.
- In some instances, a situation occurred where moss rotted due to high water condensation.
- Moss from chemically treated lawns cannot be used.
Examples of unsuitable materials
- We do not recommend adding Clay, sand, shavings and sawdust. Such material would be poured into the work (into the open wax cells). We can sometimes read about this in various advice columns, but it is outdated.
- This is also not suitable horsehair/sheep's wool, dog and similar hair. Such material, after being cut, turns into rigid spikes and harms bumblebees – we tested this. Bumblebees cannot process such material into curls and work with it (see previous text).,
- Do not use nests, droppings and sawdust from mice. you bring dirt and disease germs into bumblebee nests,
- Nor does unsuitable sheep's wool, which a maker of hexagonal hives will sell you. It's about long stiff fibres, which bumblebees cannot process and can get tangled in.
Another disadvantage of these materials is that mites and insects that feed on skin and fur debris are often carried into the nest along with the fur. These creatures do not pose any threat to the bumblebees, but they do put the keeper’s nerves at risk – you are then faced with the question of identifying the species of parasite or its larva and whether it is a bumblebee parasite or just a fellow inhabitant of the nest… You will learn about fellow inhabitants in bumblebee nests later in the chapter on bumblebees. - It's not even suitable pure cotton wool – these are just dangerous fibres. Cotton wool would need to be cut and prepared very carefully like Lintran, should no other material be available.
- It doesn't fit either paper, grass or hay. We found that this is more likely to lead to the development of moulds that grasses carry with them. Paper is also unsuitable, especially printed paper – it contains printing ink and, moreover, easily succumbs to mould.
- Nor should we use any synthetic materials. This is because bumblebees vigorously process, tear, and chew the lining when building their nests, which doesn't work very well with artificial materials.
- Definitely do not use Glass wool, although bumblebees sometimes nest in it.
- Wood wool, a blanket, or a furry hide are unsuitable. Such material would prevent you from carrying out the inspection.,
- Even recycled fabric with synthetic fibres is not suitable, as bumblebees can get tangled in them and die.
Unsuitable lining made of sheep's wool with long, stiff fibres (horsehair) Source: Internet
Inappropriate grass bedding is susceptible to mould.
Unsuitable lining made from recycled synthetic fibre fabric – photo by K. Kučera
Lining adjustment before use
Before use, the material needs to be thoroughly demolish into small pieces. Tear the material into tufts to make it fluffy and homogenous. Remove any clumps or hard lumps from it. Pick out any hard pieces or dirt from the material.
It's very good to first tear up the material, then cut it into approx. 1cm pieces and fluff it up again to make it homogeneous. Don't compress the lining, leave it airy and fluffy.
Warning – under no circumstances in the lining Long fibres must not remain.
Do you use old lining(we write about this in more detail in the advanced chapter, see link). If you will not be using the lining immediately, store it in a dry place so that it does not get damp and start to mould. A paper box or bag is best suited for storage.
Options to increase attractiveness of the lining use by means of the used last year's linings or by means of perfume You will find it in the advanced chapter.
The procedure for filling the hopper with ballast can be found in the chapter Pre-season ulcer preparation
If the lining contains long fibres, There is a risk of entanglement.
Some manufacturers They sell lining with threads and users are not warned of such dangers. This can then result in the situation you see in the video.
Mum got their head tangled in threads and it couldn't be released. However, the breeder was quick and with the help of tweezers and scissors He saved my mother. He thus prevented certain disaster.
We do not recommend using the lining captured on the video. It's awful gentle and bumblebees fall into it. Just as easily then shoulder. Furthermore contains long threads, which you yourself see as dangerous.
Bumblebee caught in unsuitable bedding
Photo M. Andrlík (9/2021)
Bumblebee caught in unsuitable bedding
Photo M. Andrlík (9/2021)
Unsuitable lining made of recycled cotton full of threads
Photo: Internet
How Bumblebees work with nesting material, and why it's important for them to have high-quality nesting material
In a video from a field bumblebee (Bombus pascuorm) nest, it can be seen how the workers are working with the bedding – they are creating it by digging. fluff/curls. You then can move to the required place and cover the nest.
Likewise, bumblebees can transport nesting material out of the nest. This happens when the nest is growing and there is little space in the hive/nest cavity. In such a case, bumblebees transport the excess lining away. They often carry it away and drop it in flight.
Bumblebees do not do well with poorly maintained linings and also long threads in The lining could endanger them – they can get tangled in them.
On the video, you can see all the stages of nest development – dark waxy mounds with new eggs and small larvae, clusters of wax casings that are already separating, individual casings with larvae, and then yellow cocoons stripped of wax. Inside the nest (the wax comb), you can also see empty cocoons, which serve as a nectar store.