How to Build a Bumblebee House - Easy Scrap Wood Project

If you want to do your part to help save the bees, consider building a bumblebee house, also called a nesting box. It is a simple, DIY scrap wood project that's fun for all ages. It's so good, I'd like to see this project offered in schools. Watch the video, and let me know your thoughts. Thanks in advance.
- RESOURCES -
💚 Marion's short list of trusted tools and resources: gardenerscoach...
📕 21 FREE GUIDES to support you on the garden path: gardenerscoach...
- LINKS -
(When available, I use affiliate links and may earn a commission!)
► Download link for Bumblebee House Plans (pdf):
drive.google.c...
► Renee's Garden carries a wide variety of flowers for bumblebees, hummingbirds, butterflies, honeybees, and other beneficials. Follow this link (I earn a tiny commission): sh2543.ositrac...
Books by Dave Goulson, a world authority on bumblebees:
►Gardening for bumblebees: "A Practical Guide To Creating a Paradise for Pollinators"
amzn.to/414VmmY
► Sting in the Tale
amzn.to/3HGpmyA
► Silent Earth: Averting the Insect Apocalypse
amzn.to/44xxUSg
► Bumblebee Conservation Trust, established by Dave Goulson www.bumblebeec...
Another great book: Humblebee Bumblebee: The Life Story of the Friendly Bumblebees and Their Use by the Backyard Gardener, by Brian L. Griffin
amzn.to/42f8VS7
► You might also enjoy these videos:
-- Planting a Pollinator Garden? Get to Know Your Bumblebee Friends
• Are Bumblebees Friendl...
-- How to Feed a Bumblebee
• How to Feed a Bumblebe...
► 8 Amazing Facts About Bumblebees
1) BUMBLEBEES FEED US! Bumblebees play a crucial role in pollinating plants, including many of the fruits, vegetables, and flowers we depend on for food and enjoyment. They are especially effective pollinators due to their ability to "buzz pollinate," a technique that releases more pollen by vibrating their flight muscles.
2) NAVIGATION SOFTWARE: Bumblebees use a combination of vision and spatial memory to navigate their environment. They can recognize patterns, colors, and landmarks, which helps them find their way back to their nests after foraging. Source: National Geographic
3) HIGH FLYERS: Bumblebees have been observed flying at altitudes over 18,000 feet (5,500 meters) above sea level, making them one of the highest-flying insects. This ability allows them to access hard-to-reach flowers in alpine and mountainous regions.
4) RUNNING HOT AND COLD: Bumblebees can generate heat by contracting their flight muscles without actually flying. This allows them to maintain a stable body temperature and forage in colder conditions, giving them an advantage over other pollinators.
5) SMELLY FEET! Bumblebees leave a temporary scent mark on the flowers they visit, which helps them and other bees avoid revisiting the same flowers. These scent marks can improve foraging efficiency and reduce competition between bees.
6) IT'S A WONDERFUL, BUT SHORT LIFE: Bumblebee queens have a lifespan of up to one year, while worker bees typically live for just a few weeks to a few months. Males, or drones, live only long enough to mate with the queen, usually dying soon after.
7) VERY SOCIAL! Bumblebee colonies are made up of a single queen, female workers, and male drones. The queen is responsible for laying eggs and producing new offspring, while workers forage for food, maintain the nest, and care for the young. Males' primary purpose is to mate with queens from other colonies.
8) A FACE THEY NEVER FORGET: Research has shown that bumblebees are capable of learning and recognizing human faces. In a study conducted by Adrian Dyer and his colleagues, bumblebees were trained to associate images of human faces with a sugary reward. After training, the bees were able to recognize and remember the faces that provided them with the reward, even when the faces were presented among other unfamiliar faces.
► Music featured in the video: Canoe Journey, by Andy Ellison
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[@TheUpBeetGardener]

A related video you might also enjoy: What Is So Special About Bumblebees? kzbin.info/www/bejne/eH-VZoN-i72co9E

[@susanapplegate9758]

What a great idea Marion! Thanks for all the great details…I have got to add building a couple of these on my project list, after I get most of the beds and baskets started. Thank you for including the plans too. Anything to get more bees around here ✨

[@TheUpBeetGardener]

Thanks, Susan. Keep me posted on how it goes, please. I set my "B" house out just the other day, setting one in a chimney flue (sp?)-- I might be too late, but the spring has been soooo cold. Time will tell.

[@user-zi3uk6zt8r]

I'm going to build one

[@user-sr4hx5vh2m]

I really like your bumblebee homes you built. Bright and cheery addition to a garden. After each season do you go inside the bee house and clean it out? What kind of things do you find inside? Thanks

[@TheUpBeetGardener]

Great question! At the end of the season, in mid to late September, I look inside. If there is no activity (or no yellow jacket hives!) I bring the boxes into the garage. I gently pull out the nesting material and carefully open it up. Sometimes I find a dead queen bee and workers; sometimes I can see where 2 queens battled it out! Anyway, I save the nesting material for teachers to share in their classrooms.