Bumble Bee Abode

This Bumble bee abode has been specifically designed to accommodate a live colony of bumble bees supplied in a cardboard hive (purchase separately).

See your garden explode with blossom as a result!

• Introduce and encourage bumble bee pollination on your property
• Increase yields and crop sizes
• Provide a nesting habitat for bumble bees
• Increase pollination of fruit trees, flower gardens and vegetable areas
• A Bumble bee abode can be sited at any time of the year.

No assembly required. Well insulated design protects nesting bees from overheating. Vents around base provide air flow.

Product includes

• Bumble bee abode
• Bee attractor pack – wildflower seed mix

Siting

Surrounding terrain should be well-drained, protected from excessive winds, shade or heat, and a site against a tree or building aids the bee’s orientation. Least successful locations are facing south or placed underneath pine trees.

Raise the bumble bee abode of the ground about 1” using stones or a couple of small pieces of treated timber.

Sow Creative Woodcraft’s wildflower seed mix nearby to help encourage birds, bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects.

Further information

For further information please visit our educational web recourse www.beegap.co.nz (Gardeners Adding Pollinators).

Bumble bees work very long hours, foraging from dawn to dusk in search of nectar and pollen even on cold, rainy or foggy days which prevent other insects from flying. Despite being cold-blooded, bumble bees can produce their own body heat chemically and by muscular activity. They maintain a thoracic temperature between 35-40 degrees Celsius through enzymes in the flight muscles which break down certain sugars and release energy in the form of heat, and this enzyme is not present in the muscles of honey bees. They may also “warm up” for flight by decoupling their wings from the flight muscles, and produce warmth through an action akin to shivering. Even at temperatures below zero, bumble bees may still be flying.

Their durability is very important as far as orchardists or home gardeners are concerned, “From early springtime right through to early summer the weather can change dramatically during the day – temperatures can plummet, greatly affecting honey bees, which won’t fly below 10 degrees Celsius. This is especially important for kiwifruit growers during its brief late November flowering period – in a cold, wet season, and bumble bees may well be the only insect pollinators visiting their flowers.”

Maintenance

This bumble bee abode is made from quality timber sourced from local, sustainable managed forest plantations. Non-toxic water based stains and sealants are used wherever possible in the manufacturing of our products. The nesting box can be re-stained periodically to maintain its appearance.

Observation

Introduce a live bumble bee colony into your garden.