Necessary first consideration

Let's think about it first.

Bumblebee breeding is not always helpful to bumblebees, there are easier and much more beneficial ways to do this

Before you decide to breed bumblebees, you need to realize that it will cost you a lot of time, money, worry, and you must also accept responsibility.

If all this works out, it's wonderful. The Čmeláci PLUS association and breeders call this passion for bumblebees " bombusophilia " (after bumblebee = bombus).

It is also important to realize that even if you do everything, nature is more powerful and you may not succeed in breeding bumblebees. Many novice breeders very often fail in the first season and then unnecessarily give up on breeding bumblebees and bumblebees as such.

Please keep in mind that it doesn't end with the purchase of a hive, but on the contrary, it is just the beginning.

For those who are not firmly determined to undergo all this, we recommend supporting bumblebees in other ways, as we have described in the relevant chapter. This is also helpful and often much more significant and beneficial for the bumblebees.

The Čmeláci PLUS Group is not a seller of bumblebees or tools for their breeding. We are independent long-term breeders and share practical experience with you with the aim of helping. With all modesty and responsibility for our work, we can say - who else can advise you better than those who have bumblebees as their passion and have been engaged in their breeding and care for many years? Many sellers of bumblebee hives do not like us for our approach, because it does not support their goals - to sell and forget. But our goals are different.

The most fundamental, elementary thing when considering whether to go into breeding or not

Bumblebee breeding does not mean just getting a hive and not worrying about anything else. Yes, you can just get a hive, place it correctly and leave the settlement to nature. However, if the settlement does occur, you must be able and then it is your duty to take care of the hive.

Why? Because you were the one who bought the hive and offered it for settlement. The queen bee chose it not because she appreciated your efforts, but because she considers it a safe place to raise new mothers and males. The hive is deliberately created to resemble natural conditions as much as possible, and we are actually lying to her in this regard. It simply cannot be done without taking care of the hive and the bumblebee family . Without this, parasites will discover the hive and destroy the entire bumblebee family before it has time to produce new sexual individuals necessary for the survival of the population in the next year. Therefore, if you are not willing to take care of bumblebees, do not buy a hive. You would only benefit the producers or sellers, not the bumblebees or nature. On the contrary, such a “breeder” not only prevents the queen from choosing another and perhaps better place, but also becomes a breeder of bumblebee parasites, which subsequently harm natural nests in the area. And you probably don't want that...

Inspection of the developed nest can begin
Photo: Ondřej Hercog

So it can't be done without care, but what does that entail?

• The breeder spends a lot of time preparing for the season, caring for the bumblebees, and observing them. Basic care does not take much time, but regularity is necessary - ideally every day, but at least once every 2-3 days .
• Talk to your family to see if they'll go along with you. Without a tolerant family, you'll end up in awkward situations , and a bumblebee nest will end up like an unwanted pet.
• If you plan to place a hive at a cottage where you are once a month, it is better not to buy a hive there . We will bring you a number of ideas on how to help bumblebees at the cottage, but the help does not lie in the hive.
• It also requires patience. A bumblebee is a wild animal, it is neither a toy nor a pet. It will not listen to you and will not fly as you whistle. Often you need to sit by the hive, watch and wait - that's the only way you will find out whether the queen has settled in or whether the hive is functioning as it should.
• You need a little courage and determination. A developed nest is not only a joy, it is also a concern, and so during this period it is time to check the nest. Yes, it is necessary. There are various options, the secrets of which we will introduce you to. But you must not be afraid of bumblebees. Anyone who is scared by the idea of ​​a nest , when they open the hive (albeit in protective equipment) and dozens of workers "go" towards them, should look for other forms of help than direct breeding. It is not as demanding as beekeeping, but it is also not as easy as sellers claim...
• Count on the financial costs. Go ahead only if you are willing to invest about 2,500 CZK for a quality beehive for bumblebees (i.e. with a flap, quality lining), and another 500 CZK for basic protective equipment (mask, gloves).
• There is no point in spending money on low-quality products.  You need to buy a really high-quality hive with protective features (protective flap, good ventilation, quality seals, etc.), ideally with references from breeders that bumblebees do not live in such a hive.
• You will need time and luck to establish the queen mother . You can buy bumblebees , but then you need to find a seller with a permit and documents that they are selling you a nest of natural bumblebees from the Czech Republic .

View of the exposed nest on inspection day

• It also requires self-reflection, determination and a positive attitude. You are probably thinking, what kind of nonsense is this... Well, it is not so, sometimes, even if you do everything right, spend resources, time and care, the breeding still does not turn out well. It is enough for someone in the area to carry out a massive chemical treatment of the plants, which will poison your bumblebees. Often, even an experienced breeder cannot answer why the nest disappeared and why the entire season was unsuccessful. A person must not be unhappy about it, but he must also evaluate the possible causes and if he himself did something wrong - for example, he neglected the care recommended by us, then it is necessary to be able to learn from his mistakes for next time and try again (and better) next year.
  

If you are willing to fulfill all the points listed, then only then does breeding bumblebees make sense for both you and them. In that case, welcome to our breeders, and a good breeder does not start otherwise than with theoretical and then practical preparation. There will be a whole section here called the preparatory phase. More will be added gradually.

If you're thinking, probably not...

Don't be sad, breeding bumblebees is not the main thing you can do for them . It's just the icing on the cake, but the real and genuine help lies in your approach to the insects in your surroundings or in your garden, no matter how tiny. For you, but of course also for breeders, there will be a whole section on how you can help not only bumblebees, but also other animals and ultimately yourself and your children. Even the best breeder has no chance of saving bumblebees if there are no favorable conditions for them in their surroundings. All help must begin with this and you will see, maybe eventually, when you get to know bumblebees better, it will also come down to breeding 🙂

How to help bumblebees other than by breeding 

Breeding may not always be a help to bumblebees, especially if you don't have the time. If you are hesitant, it is better to start helping bumblebees in other ways, such as creating a colorful garden with honey plants, where bumblebees and other insects will find enough food throughout the season

You can find a lot of suggestions on our website, for example HERE There, but also elsewhere on our website you can choose from a variety of types of help. You can also find us on Facebook . Instagram and YouTube – each is good and each counts – thank you!

We will return to individual topics on our website and provide the necessary details .

We wish you much success.

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