Introduction

Our Bumblebee nesting project started in 2011 as a bit of conservation to help the declining bumblebee population by encouraging one (or more) to nest in boxes in our garden. We discovered it's not easy, and our project quickly evolved into an ongoing and intimate study of these amazing creatures, which we are sharing here for the benefit of all.

Amongst our unexpected successes are:

A short clip in the film "Britain in a Day" by Ridley Scott (Broadcast by the BBC in 2012)

Featured in Wired Magazine for creating the World's first tweeting bumblebees

Winner of the Internet of Things award 2012 - Environmental Category

Oldest recorded age we can find of a worker Bufftailed Bumblebee - at 103 days

We've discovered, observed and collected a sizeable amount of real-world data, still being analysed and written up (Overview here). Additionally,

We've sourced several live colonies from commercial providers and have been looking after numerous disabled bees indoors.

We've learnt to recognise individual bees, spot specific/individual behaviour patterns

We measured efficiency and can predict some of their behaviour triggers.

We have some CCTV cameras pointing at the nestboxes and inside!

You can also follow BeeBoxALula on twitter where our bumblebees tweet live for themselves!

Insights

We're also using tech to monitor the lives of our bumblebees - visual, audio, temperature, sunlight, weather. We can see how the environment impacts their behaviour and understand, capture and share the marvels of their secret lives.

As a species under great threat, we've brought the critical study of Bumblebees into the Multimedia age and revealed intriguing and new insights based on direct observation.

We're delighted to announce that our Queen Bee in residence now has an official title.

She was named by our charming 3-year-old neice, Chloe, as "Fifi".

Her full title is therefore, Her Royal Highness, Queen Bee Fifi (Bombus Terrestris Audax)

Like all good Royalty she is very committed to her duties, which include laying and protecting her eggs and helping them to hatch. She has an army of loyal servants who help her in this role, collecting food, helping to build the nest, repairing damage and aiding the new-borns. It's non-stop work.

She does of course keep her private life very private. Indeed, we have not yet had the privilege of seeing her. However, we remain hopeful of a sighting in the coming weeks when cameras will be allowed into her residence, as part of a "bee on the wall" documentary covering, quite literally, the comings-and-goings of bee-dom.

There is a buzz of anticipation as we await the chance to see the royal hivehold at work!

There will be a naming ceremony in due course with the unveiling of a name plaque for the royal hivehold, designed by young Chloe herself.

Nik Sargent

Nik Sargent

Bumblebee Project Home / Blog

Nik Sargent

Introduction

Insights

Blog:

Her Royal Highness, Queen Bee Fifi (Press Release)

Nik Sargent