Bumblebee movement monitoring marker
What you will learn here
- We will explain how to safely monitor bumblebee movement, especially of the queen bee in her solitary phase. This will let you know if your hive has been occupied.
- Why does a bumblebee keeper actually need a bumblebee „brand“ and what is it?
- We will show you the procedure for placing a marker into the flight hole = safely monitoring movement through the flight hole.
Date of last update: 30/03/2021
Introduction
Why does a bumblebee keeper actually need a bumblebee „brand“ and what is it?
Once you have settled the queen bee into the hive, see HERE , do you need any helpto track its movement.
First, you're interested in if a scare was accepted a He will return to it, so if she's settled in and returns to it regularly and then whether the mother is activeI, so if makes flyovers is building its nest and caring for the first generation of offspring.
It is not really possible to sit constantly at the hive and observe the queen's movements. During the initial return and settling-in phase, your presence could disturb her.
So beekeepers lay to the hive entrance (beehouse) brand.
When is it necessary to monitor bumblebee movement in a hive
After settling the mother, you need to ascertain whether the mother has left the bumblebee nest. HereWe recommend staying and watching the startle, as it will tell you a lot about what will happen next and whether the mother has accepted the startle.
And so It is good to place a mark in the flight opening.. It can happen that you're not looking at the moment and the mother will fly out. Then you need to find out, if the mother returned to the ulcer. This can happen in a few minutes, an hour, or 3 days. The brand will help you here too.
Once the mother returns and accepts the fright, she will begin to flit out of it and return. However, the mother is flying very irregularly And you can only meet them by chance. The mother is up to her neck in work – she creates a cavity for the nesting chamber, waxes a pad inside it, creates a cup for nectar, etc. see HERE
Somewhere is an interval between flights, even an hour with mother, as well as the period for which it is apart from shock 15-60 min.
This period is a period of nerves, mainly for breeders are starting. This very often won't last, they open the broody box and look for the mother. This leads either to to scare its mother, or to break the foundation of the nest with the same effect.
The mother bird usually leaves the fright, she doesn't return to it. But what's worst is that the mother becomes a so-called will-o'-the-wisp and is no longer able to found another nest. She eventually dies outside.
Mark in the hive entrance
The red-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius) is flying away
Photo O. Hercog
What is a brand
The brand is Subject, which the breeder inserts to the inlet opening. A bumblebee passing in or out through the entrance hole, The subject will be thrown out the window.. According to him You know there was movement here.
What to make the brand from
Every breeder has „their own„ method. But the basic rules are:
- Mark in the entry hole It must not impede the passage of bumblebees
- Brand nCover the entire inlet opening. – max 1/3 – 1/2 of its area
- The brand must be stable so it doesn't fall out on its own or get blown out by the wind
Open flap tracking tags
We have selected methods that work and ranked them in order of recommendation.
These methods are suitable for an open flap = raised flap valve.
A small, angular stone, or a lump of dried earth. Can be successfully used Hardened worm castings.There are plenty of those in the garden, it's basically clay and mostly holds together 😀
Small peas are very good. You can also use a piece of bark, a light piece of wood, a twig.
We consider these methods to be Best.
Usage
- The pea, the pebble / lump must be placed on the edge of the inlet opening
- The marker should be stable, but part of it should extend outwards so that it falls out when passing through the nozzle.
- The bumblebee will butt the mark or kick it out with its legs and it will fall out.
Benefits of the method: Quite high reliability.
Disadvantages of the method: Finding a suitable pebble and placing it on the edge takes a bit of practice and patience.
2. Piece of lining/padding – best in the shape of a small ball.
Method Can it be recommended
Usage
- You place the ball into the inlet opening.
- Press it with your finger so it sticks to the bottom
- The bumblebee bumps into the sign/throws it with its legs and the sign falls out
Benefits of the method: Decent high reliability. The bumblebee will throw out the bedding with its legs, onto which the bedding will catch.
Disadvantages of the method: It is necessary to learn how to make a proper landing from the liner. Stronger wind will blow the marker away.
3. A blade of grass, a matchstick or a thin twig
Method We wouldn't really recommend it.
Usage
- Shorten the stem to a height that reaches roughly 1/3 to 1/2 of the inlet opening from the base.
- Position the stalk precisely in the centre of the entry hole; during entry or exit, the queen will knock it off or push it aside.
Advantages of the methodQuick and easy to do.
Disadvantages of the method: The stem (twig) moves easily even in a light breeze.
4. List dry grasses, or a strip of paper in the entrance hole. This method isn't very reliable, as bumblebees often bypass such a marker. However, some bumblebee websites/forums still promote it.
Method We wouldn't really recommend it.
Usage
- Bend the strip of grass/tape into an arc and first insert the apex of the arc into the inlet opening
- The bumblebee butts/knocks the brand with its feet and the brand falls out.
Benefits of the method: Quick and easy to do.
Disadvantages of the method: The flag is easily moved even by a slight wind, and bumblebees can go around it.
5. Delicate down feather. The feather is a beautiful brand, but The wind often blows it away.
Method for low reliability much We do not recommend.
Benefits of the method: Quick and easy to do.
Disadvantages of the method: The sign moves easily even in a light wind and can fly away.
Pea brand in the hive entrance
Photo O. Hercog
Pea brand in the hive entrance
Photo O. Hercog
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Mark in the hive entrance
An oblong pebble = the ideal marker
Photo O. Hercog
Mark in the hive entrance
A clod of earth/worm castings 🙂
Photo O. Hercog
Mark in the hive entrance
Fired pebble
Photo O. Hercog
Mark in the hive entrance
Mark from the lining
Mark in the hive entrance
A mark from the lining partially burnt
Mark in the hive entrance
Dislodged marking from the lining
Mark in a flying creature
Mark with a match
The method isn't very reliable
Photo K. Kučera
Mark in the hive entrance
A feather mark, or „Did it happen or not?“
We do not recommend this method
Photo O. Hercog
Closed flap tracking markers
This is a period when My mother has already learned to open the latch. And existing methods cannot be used, as it would be pointless to expose the nest to the risks of predators. Open flaps could also allow a foreign bumblebee queen to enter the hive.
These methods we will describe later, first we will teach you how to train the mother to the latch.
Warning:
For all described methods of marking in the mother's settling period, when the mother cannot yet lift the flap herself, it is necessary to have the flap fixed so that it does not completely close the cover.
There are more options depending on the type of flap and the breeder's preference. (e.g. on a clothes peg, a skewer or using screws).
Use of brand
Choosing the right lure and getting it into the cast opening isn't entirely easy, and especially for beginners, it sometimes causes problems.
Remember that bees can sting sometimes bypass (grass), or it can be blown away by the wind (lining, feather, straw...).
That's why Good brands to re-introduce and gain more evidence about movement in the flight opening. Even if you are unsure, do not check the nest!
Try another brand. It can happen that in the early stages the mother spends the entire day outside the hive. So, please be patient.
Recommendation
- Try it out placing the tag before you actually need it
- Learn to put up the sign quickly and safely.
- Prepare a supply of labels in a small plastic box so you don't waste time looking for them when you're labelling.
- If you find that the mark has not moved and there is no movement in the hive, reposition the mark, or use another one.
- Once you have the bait occupied and workers are entering through the entrance hole, try the correct type of marking on them and how it is placed – practice will be useful for you in the next season.
Further monitoring methods
Other methods for monitoring movement in the hive also exist. For example, video cameras, sensors, some camera traps, etc. can be used.
Can continuous camera footage of the clapboard be used simultaneously with any of the described markers? Changing the marker's position helps to find the desired approximately 15-second sequence in the accelerated recording. This allows the breeder to see exactly what led to the marker falling out.
You will read more about more complex methods later.
Do you have your own methods of movement? Write to us – we'd be happy to publish them and make them available to others.