ANTSTORE World of Ants

[Messorus]

Hello all
Today I´ve got a bumble bee colony, of Bombus terrestris, common bumble bee specie. This colony constains about 300 workers, all variets of brood and of course, healty queen. I received them from one firm here in Slovakia. They are keeping Bombus colonies for pollening of culture growing flowers. They produce thousands of colonies pear one year. In Slovakia si the biggest factory in Europe, but this competition is originaly from Nederlands....
I will open their entrace tommorow, because I must chose place for them in my garden. It´s interesting, that in nature bumble bee colony was borned young females and males now, but this mine colony is programed to April, when they´re just starting to grow up and pollening.... If they wont feel that winter comes, I will place them in our garage, where we are growing lemon trees with bloom.
I´m showing here some photos of my colony. I´ve still never seen their queen, but mum is there, I know it, because my colony was chosen personaly...

I´ve made a video also.....!

[JimmyVe]

Nice thread you have here Messorus but why 2 of the same kind, and the poll you have here is not a poll it is just a fact.

[damondeionno]

Messorus

Nice, I love the idea of an observable bumble bee colony. I am a bit confused though. Is this colony going to be kept inside, just for the lemon trees?

In the UK, we have big problems with a decline in bumble bees, probably due to modern farming methods.

I don't think it would be good to have 'captive' colonies that would compete with wild species, as this could reduce overall diversity.

I'm not even sure about honey bees to be honest. I do have mixed feelings on this.

[Messorus]

Messorus

Nice, I love the idea of an observable bumble bee colony. I am a bit confused though. Is this colony going to be kept inside, just for the lemon trees?

In the UK, we have big problems with a decline in bumble bees, probably due to modern farming methods.

I don't think it would be good to have 'captive' colonies that would compete with wild species, as this could reduce overall diversity.

I'm not even sure about honey bees to be honest. I do have mixed feelings on this.

No, they aren´t just for lemon trees, they are for all culture growing plants- tomatoes, corn, apples and other fruit trees....

[Messorus]

Today I with my father made their ,,hive", because their original hive is from paper.... So this paper hive is hidden in other bigger wooden hive.....

When I opened their flyer(about 11.55), after 2 minutes flew about 6 workers out. They was flying first near the entrace, than they flew in 70cm altitude, than in 100cm.. Than they started to do ,,8" in air and they was scanning ambient around their hive. After 1 minute of flying they flew away and I went indoors.
At 12.20 I went backa and 5 minutes after I saw a worker wiht a pollen, comming indoors!
Now it was rainning, but their paper hive is still dry and they are happily in hive.... So we buildt hive of high quality

You can see a video of their first flying out here!


P.S.- Sorry from my bad english

[gabranth]

i want a bumble bee colony they should make one that you can keep in doors near the window so they can fly out to get pollon

[damondeionno]

You can build an observation hive with a glass lid. Then you put a tube through the window. I used to know someone who kept them like this. The only bad thing is that they only live for one year. Look up bumble bee boxes on google, you can easily see how to make one.

[Messorus]

You can build an observation hive with a glass lid. Then you put a tube through the window. I used to know someone who kept them like this. The only bad thing is that they only live for one year. Look up bumble bee boxes on google, you can easily see how to make one.

What do you think that I m thinking this days about?
I and my father plaining sketchs on hives..... I will built observing hives, and now I m buying materials for....

[ratgreen]

cool hobby, not so different to ants really, the thing i cant get over is how the colony only lives for one year,produces queens and males, colony dies, then the mated queen hibernates and starts a new colony again. why dont they just hibernate as a colony, silly bee's. and with a sucsess rate of under 7% (i read) no wonder they are going extinct.

i would love a colony, so is there a time when you catch a queen bee when she is looking for a nest site?

[Messorus]

i would love a colony, so is there a time when you catch a queen bee when she is looking for a nest site?[/quote]

This is speciffic time for each specie.... B. terrestris have this time from second half of Septmeber to first half of November.... And than in May..
About other species... I m just learning this things.. But I will get special literature about bumble beeses when I come back from holiday