6

Make a Bumblebee Home

Different bumblebees nest in different places. Some are happy to nest above ground – in long grass or a pile of leaves – while others prefer underground homes, often reusing abandoned mouse and vole nests, which are full of dry, cosy bedding material. Tree bumblebees will often take over a bird box if it’s got an old nest in it.

Getting bumblebees to nest in a commercial bee box is almost impossible, not least because few are designed with the needs of bumblebees in mind. So, what can you do if you want to attract bumblebees to nest in your garden? The first aim should be to leave an area untidy – patches of long grass, piles of leaves and compost heaps make ideal nesting places for many species. Leaving a bird box stuffed with dried moss or an old nest may also attract tree bumblebees. For underground nesting bumblebees, the task is a bit trickier, not least because they’re very picky about their sites; the wish list for these bumblebees is somewhere dry, dark, warm and full of snuggly, fine nesting material.

NO. 6 MAKE A BUMBLEBEE HOME

One option is to create an underground cavity with an upturned, buried plant pot. The base of the hole should be lined with criss-crossed twigs, and then fine, natural nesting materials placed on top – dry moss, sheep fleece, upholsterers’ cotton or hay (but not straw, which is too coarse). The bee can then climb through the hole in the bottom of the pot. To stop rain coming in and damaging the nest, a roofing slate or similar flat surface can be balanced over the pot hole without blocking it. Don’t be disheartened if bumblebees don’t take to it straight away – you may find that a mouse nests in it first. This is useful, as next year the old nesting material will make your bumblebee home even more inviting to flying guests (it’s thought that bumblebees are keenly attuned to the smell of old rodent nests).