Sleeping in the corridor while the room goes empty!

Having failed with 4 bees so far, we've decided to try some different tactics. These are some of the things we considered to be issues and have attempted to rectify:

• Ants around the nest - obviously ants are going to steal nectar, so poor bumblebum will have the food she creates for her larvae stolen by ants. She will not want to nest near ants. So, we have put out several traps and are trying to eliminate ants from the area.
• Being trapped in the nestbox overnight. Our judgement is that bumblebum will be too stressed in a box she can't escape from and not consider it suitable for a permanent home. We will no longer be blocking up the box, even for just the first night.
• Entering the box. It seems logical that placing bumblebum directly in the box will be confusing as she will not have assessed the entrance and the box position and general aspect. It seems at least allowing her to enter the box from the outside through the proper entrance stands a better chance of her understanding what is going on.

So we decided for the next bee we would do a couple of things:

• catch a Carder bee, because they are much less fussy about nesting above the surface of the ground
• allow the bee to transfer herself from the bag to the nest box via the main entrance
• make sure the box contains user hamster bedding/litter

Our resident bee-catching wizard came up trumps and caught the requisite bee and brought her back in our pot/bag combo. Then we held the bag to the front of the box. She was very feisty and upset and we were getting concerned about her well-being and considering just letting her go. She passed the entrance several time but to our frustration never went in.

Eventually she grabbed onto the box itself and just stayed still and quiet - we think she was playing dead. So at that point we withdrew the bag and retreated and jsut watched. She stayed there for a long time, perhaps 30 minutes, just totally still. We thought maybe she was warming up to take off.

Eventually, she started to walk up the box and we hoped she would discover the entrance. However, she made her way up the front of the box to just under the ceiling lip and stayed there. Seems like she had found somewhere to bed down for the night - we were surprised she would choose somewhere directly in the open, but she stayed there all night.

In the morning she was gone and there was no evidence of her inside the box :-( 

Obviously we were disappointed but on the plus side, the fact she was prepared to rest on the box during the night suggests our site is sufficently sheltered, which is encouraging. 

Think like a Queen (no, not Elton John)

At the time of writing we've attempted to nest 4 bumblebees, without success. Ok, to be fair, one of them got away while we were trying to encourage her into the box, but we got three of them in there and none have stayed. (Two bufftails and one redtail). 

There's a ton of advice on the internet, but lots of it is conflicting, so sometimes it's hard to pick your way through it. I think the best advice I have seen is the most recent: "think like a Queen". 

It's obvious when you think about it. A queen looking for a nest is looking to satisfy a number of basic parameters; and getting those wrong is surely going to put her off. The obvious case in point, is putting the bee in the box and then blocking it up for 24 hours. We've tried this each time so far, but I've been very uncertain of it as a strategy on several levels. 

For starters, the bee hasn't discovered the box and its entrance itself, so it hasn't gone through its "process" of ticking the boxes to find a nest that suits. Secondly, it's trapped in there for 24 hours! If it was me, I'd panic, and even if I got out, I'd be paranoid it would happen again. I'd never make it my home. 

It seems my feelings are backed up by the latest piece of advice we got from an expert, which I've re-produced below. 

A lot of other things we are doing right - but as this is our first year, it's hard to be sure of some things: like what's the right amount of nesting material for each individual species of bee? We'll just have to discover that by trial and error - which is why I want to get another box (to do more trying). 

So, the latest set of tips:

You are not doing anything wrong.  I'm afraid the success of bumblebee nest boxes is low.  Recently a PhD student had 7% occupation in best sites and none in less suitable sites - and that is occupation, not actual nesting.  To be honest no-one really knows what to do.  However, here's a few tips -

1. Site the box for the bees in your garden.  So if you have ground nesters and underground nesters put the box on the ground.  You can fool underground nester that the box is underground by using a bit of hosepipe from the entrance.  Abovegound nesters tend to have smaller nests, so if your box is big fill it up with nest material so that there is not too much free space.
2. If it is well sited, but has had no success, leave it out over winter.  If a mouse or vole or even a bird nests in it that is good.  Leave the nesting material if it is dry, and add more if needed.  They seem to be attracted to old mammal nests.
3. When the queen is nest searching she needs food nearby.  So the promise of food to come means nothing.  Make sure there are some flowering plants during the nest searching time.  If you don't have any, a pot of flowering heather near the box is the easiest solution.  You can always move it once your other flowers are in bloom.
4. Don't confine the queen.  Let her come and go as she pleases.  Believe it or not good sites are fought over to the death by queens.  She will never return to a site where she had difficulty getting out - what would happen if she laid eggs in such a site?  So think like a queen.
5. Do not disturb the box by looking at it.  I know the temptation is strong.  Wait until you see a queen go in with pollen in her baskets - this means she has chosen.  Then, and only then should you very gently observe her if you must.

One of the other things we are going to try is going to a local pet shop and asking if they have any "mouse litter" we can put in or around the box. The evidence of rodents having used the box is apparently a great encouragment to the queen that the box is dry, warm and safe.