3 replies to this topic

[Connectimyrmex]

Hi!
I caught a foundress bumblebee queen in my backyard a couple days ago (she was excavating a hibernation chamber). I successfully managed to get her to hibernate in my standard yellow jacket hibernation setup (a small tupperware with dampened cotton and dry tissues/paper towels). Even though I have all winter to prepare her founding chamber, I still have no idea how to collect the right pollen. From what I read, shaking flower heads and collecting tiny bits of pollen probably would not work (I would have to shake so many flower heads to acquire the adequate amount), so the best way would be to collect fresh bee pollen. Since there always are a ton of bees at the "butterfly bush" in my yard, I could always catch a few bees and take their pollen. 

Since that method could be painful/stressful to the bees, I could buy pollen as well.

 

1. Should I collect wild bee pollen or buy pollen?

2. If I should buy bee pollen, where should I buy it from?

[Bugdaddy]

I purchased bee pollen before, from Natural Grocers/Vitamin Cottage(Don't know what you have around your location)

[Hunter]

i get all my honey bee supplies from here for hibernation https://www.mannlake...ee-pror-patties

[CNewton]

Will bumble bees accept sugar water? My dad has a few apiary's and will supplement the bees with sugar water if they seem to be having a hard time finding flowers or are just getting established.

 

I don't know anything about bumbles. Are queens significantly larger than workers? Perhaps instead of providing pollen, you could simply provide the home. Create a grid that workers can get out from but not the queen. Like an apiary that contains the queen within the hive, you could have an outdoor bumble apiary, they can forage for pollen and nectar themselves?

 

If you really need to collect pollen, try sunflowers. At least they are large and should provide large quantities of pollen.