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Bumble bee rearing?


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40 replies to this topic

#21 Offline Crystals - Posted January 23 2015 - 6:25 PM

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They don't really make a comb, more like little "pots" of honey. You might get 1-2 spare pots once the bumble bees are done, and you would have to open the nest and steal them.

If you are after honey, look for actual honeybees.


"Always do right. This will gratify some people, and astound the rest." -- Samuel Clemens

 

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#22 Offline LAnt - Posted January 23 2015 - 10:47 PM

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Id rather buy the honey than stick my hand into a boxfull of bees that got pissed off by a fly.

#23 Offline dermy - Posted January 24 2015 - 2:25 PM

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Yes it's safer haha!



#24 Offline kellakk - Posted January 24 2015 - 3:18 PM

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Haha I don't want to raise bumble bees for honey or wax, it's mostly because the native bees here are being crowded out by the honey bees and weakened by development.


Current Species:
Camponotus fragilis

Novomessor cockerelli

Pogonomyrmex montanus

Pogonomyrmex rugosus

Manica bradleyi

 

 


#25 Offline BugFinder - Posted January 25 2015 - 7:41 PM

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Hi everyone, does anyone have experience in rearing bumble bees, or has heard of people rearing them? I was hoping to try my hand at it this spring but I have no idea when or where to find queens here.  My plan is to follow this guide once I figure out whether I can get a queen or not.

 

Just curious, why did you decide on bumble bees instead of honey bees?


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Pogonomyrmex subdentatus

Camponotus Vicinus

Camponotus sansabeanus

Tetramorium (sp)

Pogonomyrmex Californicus

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#26 Offline kellakk - Posted January 25 2015 - 9:17 PM

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Hi everyone, does anyone have experience in rearing bumble bees, or has heard of people rearing them? I was hoping to try my hand at it this spring but I have no idea when or where to find queens here.  My plan is to follow this guide once I figure out whether I can get a queen or not.

 

Just curious, why did you decide on bumble bees instead of honey bees?

 

 

Mostly because bumble bees take less room.  And also because native bees are going into decline at a much greater rate than honey bees.


  • BugFinder likes this

Current Species:
Camponotus fragilis

Novomessor cockerelli

Pogonomyrmex montanus

Pogonomyrmex rugosus

Manica bradleyi

 

 


#27 Offline Acutus - Posted April 28 2019 - 4:56 PM

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I'm going to look into the Bumble bee thing for our Nature Center / Camp property. I did have a Bumble bee nest one year in a Bluebird box was really cool but whatever they build with was really hard to get out of the box when they were gone. Really tough stuff! :D


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Currently keeping:

Camponotus chromaiodes

Camponotus castaneus

Formica subsericea


#28 Offline ANTdrew - Posted April 29 2019 - 4:07 AM

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This seems like it would be really cool to try. Obviously honey is not the point just observing another type of social insect do their thing. It's kind of refreshing that colonies only last one season, too, so no need to mess with hibernation.

I think it's too late to catch new queens this year in our region; I consistently see them in early March emerging to find nest holes. I'd like to have everything ready by the end of February next year to give this a shot.


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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#29 Offline VenomousBeast - Posted April 29 2019 - 7:57 AM

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I keep some species of wasps, hornets, and bees as well. Also, ANTdrew, this is the PERFECT time to catch paper wasps as they are just starting their nest building and unlike ants, you want to take them after they've started laying eggs in their nests. Also, bumble bees are just now starting to make nests here in VA so right now would be the best time to start!


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Keeps:

1:Pogonomymex occidentalis

4: Tetramorium immigrans

2 Reticulitermes flavipes


#30 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted April 29 2019 - 11:44 AM

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I don't have Polistes, I'm stuck with Vespula and Dolichevespula and all that. I've heard Polistes is easy compared to Yellow Jackets.

Do you have bald faced hornets? (Dolichevespula species right?)



#31 Offline David19 - Posted May 15 2019 - 9:52 AM

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We should start a journal on raising Vespula Maculifrons. I would like to see how others do it. I've attempted to do it for several years now but have failed every time.



#32 Offline Manitobant - Posted May 15 2019 - 2:11 PM

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I keep my bumblebee queens in old shoeboxes with materials like straw and leaf litter to replicate a rodent burrow. I hope they lay!
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#33 Offline ANTdrew - Posted May 16 2019 - 10:37 AM

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Awesome! Keep us posted. I will try this one day when my life isn't as hectic.


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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#34 Offline Nylanderiavividula - Posted May 23 2019 - 6:56 AM

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Super interesting stuff!  I'm 100% wild about promoting pollinator growth.  Has anyone tried the little bee boxes that have various sized holed drilled in them or different bamboo sizes for mason bees?


  • Antkeeper01 likes this
Camponotus castaneus
Camponotus chromaiodes (Pretty sure...)
Brachymyrmex patagonicus
Aphaenogaster sp. (I’ll be working on this species ID, soon)
Pheidole crassicornis

#35 Offline ANTdrew - Posted May 23 2019 - 7:39 AM

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Yes, I put up lots of bamboo stem bundles in my yard and drill holes in wood for cavity nesters. I pretty much only get Osmia cornifrons, a Japanese mason bee, but they are fun to watch in the early spring.


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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#36 Offline Acutus - Posted May 23 2019 - 7:55 AM

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Super interesting stuff!  I'm 100% wild about promoting pollinator growth.  Has anyone tried the little bee boxes that have various sized holed drilled in them or different bamboo sizes for mason bees?

 

This is a Girl Scout project done here at my Camp last weekend. In the back are the Mason Bee homes. :D

 

SCDzqo3.jpg


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Billy

 

Currently keeping:

Camponotus chromaiodes

Camponotus castaneus

Formica subsericea


#37 Offline Nylanderiavividula - Posted May 23 2019 - 1:49 PM

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That looks great!


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Camponotus castaneus
Camponotus chromaiodes (Pretty sure...)
Brachymyrmex patagonicus
Aphaenogaster sp. (I’ll be working on this species ID, soon)
Pheidole crassicornis

#38 Offline ponerinecat - Posted May 29 2019 - 10:39 AM

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our family has tons of wind chimes and bees nest in the tubes. wild tiphiid wasps and mud daubers also nest in between the gutter and the patio roof.



#39 Offline paul12000 - Posted June 22 2020 - 11:32 AM

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Interesting thread. I just recently been observing a mud dauber wasp building her nest inside of our screened in area, just outside of our kitchen door of all places. She's built a good sized nest with several tubes. How long does a nest take to incubate and hatch? I don't want to close the door and fix the screen area as of yet due to her coming and going out the hole in the screen. Lately, I've just kept the door open so she can come and go. Unfortunately, this has invited unwanted insects such as yellow flies and mosquitoes into my screened in area as well. Edit: Now that I think about it, I should've put this question as a new thread question. Sorry folks.


Edited by paul12000, June 22 2020 - 11:34 AM.


#40 Offline ConcordAntman - Posted July 13 2021 - 5:23 AM

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It seems the most simple way to have bumblebees around is to cultivate bee welcoming gardens. For those interested, I found this UK primer for a simple DIY bumblebee nest. If anyone tries it and has success, POST PICTURES!!

Attached File  UK DIY Bumblebee Nesting Guide.pdf   725.45KB   196 downloads


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