Most common mistakes

Most common mistakes

Corridor as a cavity in the hive: (a partition between the nesting space and the exit from the hive). You can find it in some products and old recommendations.
Why not: Bumblebees perceive such a space as a "place outside" and happily defecate there, bringing corpses or poorly developing larvae here. The whole space attracts parasites. Thanks to its high height, it allows parasites to easily hide. For the beekeeper, this narrow and yet high space is very difficult to access. Cleaning, inspection, repairs are complicated and often cannot be done 100%. In addition, the settled queen loses the sense of security of the corridor due to the high ceiling.

A corridor with an internal diameter smaller than 25mm. Some products even have only 14mm internal diameter.
Why not: Risk of complete blockage of the corridor with waste, dead individuals. Possibility of nest collapse if not recognized and addressed early by the keeper. During full colony development, a blockage occurs in the tube, which leads to exhaustion of the workers and unnecessary loss of queens, which become waste in the corridor and the condition worsens further. Risk that new queens and males do not get out in time and there will be genetically unsuitable crossing of born queens and males (siblings...) inside the hive.

Unsuitable lining material, stuffed lining, nest with little or no lining at all.

The purpose of the lining is to maintain the microclimate of the nest. Without it or if the principles stated in the chapter on the lining are violated, the nest is directly threatened in the early phase by hypothermia, when the queen subsequently stops caring for the nest and eventually abandons it completely after some time. In the late phase, there is a risk of overheating of the larvae, damage to development, and death of the bumblebees in the hive. The lining functionally insulates the nest and thus has a direct impact on maintaining the queen's pheromone trail. Without it, the tipping point occurs more quickly and the nest ages and disappears more quickly. 

Use of clay, sand, shavings, sawdust. Such material is poured into the nest. Use of paper, grass, hay. All the materials listed here have almost no or very poor insulating properties. Moreover, the listed materials are often a source of nest contamination and contribute to the development of mold.

Using horsehair, dog hair and similar. Such material turns into hard spikes after cutting and is harmful to bumblebees – we tested it. Left in its unchanged form, it is too long and there is a risk that bumblebees will get stuck in it. Another disadvantage of these materials is the fact that along with the fur, you often bring moths and insects that feed on the remains of skin and fur into the hive. These animals do not pose any threat to bumblebees, but the nerves of the keeper are at risk – you are then faced with the question of determining the type of parasite or its larva and whether it is a parasite or just a hive roommate…

Using pure cotton wool – these are just dangerous fibers. 

Use of synthetic materials. Bumblebees process the lining. However, these materials are not able to process and can result in their premature death.

Inappropriate placement of the hive in the sun/draft, inaccessible places, etc. Follow our advice on choosing the right location. What looks like a slightly sunny and almost ideal place in March may be a baking oven for bumblebees in a few months... When placing it, also take into account the future - growth of vegetation, planned garden improvements.... After settlement, it is no longer possible to change the position of the hive during the season, as the bumblebees would return to their original location.