Do this ONE THING to save our bees! 🐝

I get lots of questions from people who have wild bumblebees nesting in their gardens, shed. or outbuildings. "Can I move a bumblebee nest?" "Will bumblebees sting me?" "How do I get rid of a bees nest?", so I've made a short video explaining how bumblebees nest, why, and what to expect if these furry little bees make your home their home.
Bumblebee Questions and Answers 👇🏻
Q. What's the difference between honey bees and bumblebees?
A. In terms of their strong natural pollination qualities, bumblebees and honeybees complement each other well. The main difference with honeybees is that bumblebees fly in poorer weather conditions. For example: in cooler temperatures, in light rain, cloudy or foggy conditions, and windier weather. Bumblebees also graze when it comes to feeding rather than harvesting as much as they can for the colony.
Q. What is the life cycle of the bumblebee and will they return next year?
A queen bumblebee hibernates alone and underground throughout the winter. Before hibernation, a new queen will leave the nest and mate with a drone. As temperatures rise and the spring season emerges, the new queen bumblebee wakes up and starts forging for pollen and nectar, as well as search for a suitable nest site. Once a nest is chosen, she will start laying eggs to build her own colony. Approximately four weeks after the first eggs are laid, the first worker bumblebees (all females) start emerging and carry out work both inside and outside the nest. Worker bees forage for both pollen and nectar to provide resources for brood as well as maintaining the nest. As the nest continues to develop the Queen will not leave the nest, she will remain inside the nest, continuing to lay eggs and providing orders for “workers”. In late summer the Queen will start producing new queen and males (drones) in order for the colony to reproduce. These new queens will mate with males, leave the nest and the cycle will continue. The old queen and her nest will decline naturally in late autumn.
Q. Do bumblebees produce honey?
A. No. They store nectar like honeybees, but they don't have to save enough nectar to survive the winter (since the queens hibernate alone during winter). Also, bumblebees don't use an organised nest structure like honeybees, so separating the honey pots from the larva, eggs and pollen would be very difficult.
Q. Do bumblebees sting and if so, do they die after?
A. Bumblebees are generally regarded as less aggressive than honeybees or wasps, and although they can sting, they'll only do this in self-defence, and almost only when you’re threatening their hive or when you restrict their movement, like when you sit on them or try to hold them in your hand. Unlike honeybee stings, bumblebees do not leave their venom sac in their victim and will live on after they sting.
Q. Can bumblebees live with honeybees?
A. Although they tolerate each other, Bumblebees and honeybees don't live well together as their lifespans and purpose are quite different.
Q. Should I feed Bumblebees sugar water?
A. The simple answer is only as a last resort, when there are no bee-friendly flowers around and when you are certain that the bumblebee is not just resting. There are a few things to consider before making an informed decision about whether or not a bumblebee really is in need of a sugary drink.
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#bumblebee #bumblebees #bee

[@kathyrapiejko6318]

Love your comment:"They are the teddy bears of the bee world." ❤ 🐝

[@msvaleriah]

I absolutely love bumblebees, and sadly, we rarely see them here anymore. It was such a joy to see so many of them there in the UK and Scotland when we were there. Thanks for looking after these lovely little souls, Colin!

[@aniwilliams3370]

Oh Colin, thank you for posting this! ❤. Wild Bumblebees are *wonderful* and if you’re fortunate enough to have them nest then they are fantastic to study. There are Bumblebee websites that will tell you all about them, which ones you have (as some are quite rare), and they are amazing to watch. They’ve come several years to a woodcrete nest box we have and, despite it being right next to our backdoor, they never, ever bother us. I love watching them: they seal up areas of the nest box with wax (where it must let in drafts) and then others would sit in the opening fanning their wings frantically to keep the temperature constant. When new bees hatch, they crawl out of the box and go to the nest box roof and dry out their wings. Then the most amazing thing happens: ‘first flight’! It’s hilarious to watch because they have to learn how to do it; so they take off like Trainee Pilots and wobble about all over the place. But of course their aim is to get back through the hole in the box to the safety of the nest! You see them lining up on a wobbly approach and can almost hear some of them screaming ‘Ahhhh! Abort! Abort!’ as they swerve away and line themselves up for another approach. For others they make it, but you can hear the relief 😂😍 Your description of the teddy bears of the bee world is perfect and they’re essential for pollinating. If you are privileged to have them visit do enjoy studying their amazing lives - they’re beautiful! Thanks for shouting out for them, Colin 🥰💕

[@RobertSmith-zv1xo]

Love bumblebees! Good to remind you that they are humble creatures 😉

[@saneben9917]

Love the message. Bumblebees are essential for all life. Protect them at all costs xx

[@anneholloway5896]

Thank you Collin I’ve shared this on everywhere I can I’m forever telling people not to hurt bees & don’t panic around them, I’ll always, always pick up a bumble or any other bee that’s in danger of being hurt or killed Omg once I held the traffic up till I could pick up a bumblebee & put him/her out of danger on some flowers good deed of the day done thank you Collin for putting out this short vlog xXx 🐝 💐🐝🌷🐝🪻🐝🌺🐝🌸🐝🌼🐝🌻🐝

[@jadelee6363]

I've done that too!

[@allegro1234]

I saw a bumblebee today buzzing around my salvia and thought of you! Im sure i will think of you every time i see one.

[@FoxesAfloat]

😘

[@lindabowser7451]

I try to have some flowers to attract pollinators. Lavender, bee balm, raspberries. Among others. I love warching the bumblers in the flowers. Thanks for speaking out for our bumblebee pals!

[@ItsOnlyMe13]

I love seeing the bumblebees in my garden. Love “teddy bears” of the bees. 💛🖤💛

[@MrGreatplum]

Beautifully filmed - I love bumblebees

[@theresabashford1726]

I love Bumble bees, we had loads last year, ( most I have ever suffered is having them bump into me, I do at times wonder how they get airborne ) several different varieties, my neighbour and myself although only having a small area to grow things ( we are in sheltered accommodation) have turned it into a wildlife haven with a very small water feature that has a tiny waterfall which the birds love for a wash & brush up. We are in the suburbs so far we have had nesting Great Tits, Robin , Blackbirds and I have seen a thrush, 3 years ago we just had sparrows & pigeons , we are attracting loads of butterfly's some I haven't seen in years and many different varieties of bee. My neighbour swears she saw a badger wander through one night last year. We have a tiny area but it is amazing the wildlife you can attract.

[@mickiminx]

We had a bumble bee nest underground outside our front door last year. Our neighbours were not happy, but I explained they wouldn’t be there for long & soon enough, they were gone. I’m happy to have these beautiful things in my garden. ❤️🐝 On another note, I see a lot on the ground when I go to work, just grab a leaf, move them to a safe space x

[@crackerms0100]

That was a nicely choreographed video

[@trevorcorker929]

absolutely spot on, great information, bumble bees are great !

[@jamesvanian5524]

Another interesting and informative video. Thanks guy's. James.

[@FlatEric971]

We're lucky enough to have bumble bees nesting in our garden. Absolutely fascinating to watch them 😀

[@philrobertson2236]

I'm in Nairn. I have a nest in my Brown garden waste bin. I have had to prop the lid open. Presume the Queen got in when I was cutting my lawn last autumn.

[@FoxesAfloat]

They do pick some funny places.

[@beckypennington79]

Nice video Colin. I have a question that's not related though. A lot of us Americans , and I'm from the Midwest. Think that you Britt's have sexy accents, I was just wondering if everybody over there just think it's normal and not sexy. And what do they think of American accents?

[@geraldnixon-qy9bs]

I love bees, the only thing saddens me is,or makes me more angry is people who think there gardeners and then they go and spray weed killer that is harming the bee population.

[@irenamangone]

Thanks for the info about bumble bees.

[@jasonm4982]

Thank you, no intention of getting rid of ours, we have them both sides in our eves, and I've seen them enter a nest box too.

[@maedilein6802]

Good to know. Thanks.

[@hughcarson6837]

Well done good info

[@ady3114]

I was wondering after your last bee video the difference between honey bees and bumble bees. I thought they were the same thing, until some research on Google how wrong I was.

[@FoxesAfloat]

Yeah, they’re very different x

[@andyeveritt9003]

great little video making shore our lovely bumblebees are ok thanks and all the best lads

[@cfladyread3494]

Great information. I plant to I plant in order to invite bees and bumblebees seem to be happy. Plus, I think they are beautiful. Your bee suit...cute but 😂

[@PetervanGinneken]

I managed to get a nasty sting from a bumblebee once. But I did stand on it with my bare foot so i guess that was down to my carelessness.

[@70mmbobbyj]

Many times i have had a bumblebee come into my home through an open window. I just let it explore and make sure the window is open enough for it to leave.

[@johnbishop6667]

Bumble bees are very welcome in my garden . I had one fly up my trouser leg on midsummer common when I was about 13 and riding a bike ouch it didn't half hurt 😢

[@soniadooney77]

I have some in my back wall near the kitchen door, live them.

[@EB-dn5iq]

just an off centre to the left around the bend question : Do you get a lot of midges up there ??

[@FoxesAfloat]

Not really, the worst of them are more towards the west coast and central Highlands.

[@sandrahughes9921]

It's a hard life being a Queen Bee. 😊 Does the wet weather we are having ( lincoln) affect the bees ? Do they need a period of sun and dry weather ? X

[@FoxesAfloat]

Bumblebees are hardier, so they go out in light rain

[@user-sp9tr8gf3h]

Hello new to this channel have gone back to watch previous content and can't find the reason you decided to give up life on the water ,sorry if that's a boring question

[@TheSumo1955]

whats the difference between a bumble bee and a honey bee

[@FoxesAfloat]

*waits for the punchline*

[@daveellard9463]

Hi I have bees just starting to nest in my log shed in the log pile, I am happy to have them, but I will need the logs in autumn and this will destroy the nest, any advice plz

[@FoxesAfloat]

You have two options. 1. Leave them until the nest dies. 2. Destroy the nest.

[@daveellard9463]

@@FoxesAfloat thankyou so in autumn there will just be an empty nest, what about the queen is she still there or left inside

[@jonathanedwards6880]

Did you say worker bumblebees lay eggs?

[@FoxesAfloat]

Yes, it is possible, although not primarily as the queen does, and any worker eggs are unfertilised, so drones.

[@cyrildhy8993]

Where are the Bumble Bees?. Only seen the odd one on my Foxgloves and there was hardly any on the flowering currant when it was in bloom. (South Wilts)