gardens and Bumble bees

[tameblackbirds]

Was reading this article about the importance of gardens and Bumble bee nesting in greater numbers them compared to farmland. Here's the link if you haven't already seen it.

BBC News - Bumbles make beeline for gardens, study suggests

[Sparklebug]

I built a bumble bee nesting box this year and have it hung on the fence. So easy, some hollowed out bamboo canes, a wooden frame and a little slate roof. It has to be on a wall facing the sun I read on a site....dunno how accurate this is...but as a bumble bee lover I hope it works! Also Lacewings and ladybirds like them too!

[triops]

Originally Posted by Sparklebug

I built a bumble bee nesting box this year and have it hung on the fence. So easy, some hollowed out bamboo canes, a wooden frame and a little slate roof. It has to be on a wall facing the sun I read on a site....dunno how accurate this is...but as a bumble bee lover I hope it works! Also Lacewings and ladybirds like them too!

Your nestbox with bamboo canes will not attract bumblebees, they need a relatively large space beyond the entrance, equivalent say to the volume of two tennis balls or more.
However, Mason bees and Leafcutter bees will be delighted with your lodgings, and some other insects may use them for shelter. My bee tubes are all full of bees ready to emerge in the spring. Good luck and keep us informed!

[Sparklebug]

Thanks Triops. Some of the canes are really thick though, so will that help, say 3cm across? Also I left a little chamber underneath the "Cane Penthouse" which has a small hole to crawl in but opens out to a space about 10x10x4cm? Would they like this?

When I used to live in Notts I had a red brick garden wall, and was amazed to find one day, whilst sitting out having a brew, a little flurry of bees to-ing and fro-ing into the wall with little snippets of privet......I would have loved to have seen just how cosy there little masonry home was inside

2 bees or not 2 bees that is the question..........?

[Deb London]

I'm always on the look out for piping to make a bee nest under a slab of sandstone. It needs to be just that bit bigger than garden hose I think. It's proving difficult to source piping/tubing with the correct internal diameter.

[Sparklebug]

Originally Posted by Deb London

I'm always on the look out for piping to make a bee nest under a slab of sandstone. It needs to be just that bit bigger than garden hose I think. It's proving difficult to source piping/tubing with the correct internal diameter.

Try your local garden centre Debs, they usually sell all sizes of tubing for garden ponds/pumps etc. I got extra wide stuff for draining my fish tank, so it is out there! J

[Deb London]

Thanks Jayne. Yes I should look there. The bees are doing very well on their own, but I'm always mindful of people developing in the area. Bees won't be very high on their priority list. We've just acquired another sandstone slab too, so there are now three potential nests in the making.