16 replies to this topic

[JustabirdfromFlorida]

Two days ago I was looking for bumblebees and I had spent all winter figuring out the best way to raise them in captivity. So all I am finding are carpenter bees I started to think that I would not catch a queen this year. But at the random location (walking home from school) I see one walking across the sidewalk I caught her and realized she could barely fly an inch of the ground. I brought her home and put her in the habitat suggested online by multiple scientists. Specifically I used the book "befriending bumblebees" it was useful.

This is her habitat
And her

[JustabirdfromFlorida]

She looks very cute 🥰🥰 when she drinks honey with her tiny tongue

[JustabirdfromFlorida]

Her food is powdered pollen mixed with honey water and I put a ball of pollen in there for her to lay eggs on as said by most sources.

[antsriondel]

Wow this is awesome! Hope that she can start a successful colony!

[JustabirdfromFlorida]

This queen is doing amazing!!! She drank honey of off my finger without stinging me. She also built tunnels in the cotton. She also sits on top of the pollen ball which is a sign that she laid eggs.


A funny thing is that my friend bet on chips and if my bumble bee dies within a week I give her a packet of chips but is the queen survived this week she gives me a packet of chips.

[Flu1d]

This is really cool, I look forward to seeing the updates.

[JustabirdfromFlorida]

I released the queen because she broke her pollen ball and had been restless I will try again next year.

[ANTdrew]

You made the right choice. 

[JustabirdfromFlorida]

It's becoming cold here in north Florida I was flipping some logs for Lasius queens and snakes and I found a hibernating bumble bee queen. I scooped her up into a vial and walked back. I read the book befriending bumblebees again and found out that I could either wake her up knock her out with carbon dioxide and put her into the nesting habitat or I can let her hibernate in the fridge for one week minimum and gradually wake her up and put her in a nest box by November. I decided to go with the latter. She is currently hibernating. I will update this when she wakes.

[ANTdrew]

Good luck!

[100lols]

Very interesting! Hopefully she wakes up!

Edited by 100lols, October 27 2023 - 7:48 AM.

[JustabirdfromFlorida]

I asked my dad to write an email to the author of the book. She suggested I let the queen hibernate till spring. So I will hibernate her till spring.

Edited by asim, October 26 2023 - 3:38 PM.

[Virginian_ants]

Wow good luck I want bees but I'm not allowed anymore pets. Grrrrr.

[JustabirdfromFlorida]

Neither am I unless I catch them my self but I might be stoped on that to.

She is fast asleep. She stands on a piece of cotton in her vial. She adorable.

Edited by asim, October 30 2023 - 12:21 PM.

[JustabirdfromFlorida]

Still asleep

[JustabirdfromFlorida]

Dead😭😭😭

[futurebird]

Aw that's too bad. The first bee was doing a bit of bee body language when they raise their back legs they are angry. It's a "my sting is back here" thing. So maybe she didn't like the photos. 

 

We do need to understand bumblebees better, maybe a chance to keep one will come along again.