You can get anything in a box!

I've been away for a few days and the weather has more typical April - more inclement, cooler (max about 16 degrees) and cloudy. Consequently there has been little observable bee activity and little human activity associated with it. 

As May rapidly approaches and our sightings of nest-searching queens diminish we know all too well that our opportunity to nest a queen is now veyr marginal, although we have not given up. 

However, that is not the end of our efforts - far from it. Aside from my wacky ideas about building artificial embankments with expanding foam and improving the video camera setup (such as adding a network DVR), we've decide to source a colonised bumblebee hive from Koppert Biological systems.

This year (2011) is actually the first year they are providing them in the UK, so we are really excited at the chance of being able to get one. The colonies are typically supplied to farmers and growers to aid pollenation of their crops; but Koppert have been great at agreeing to provide us with a single box for our conservation project. 

The hives come in two sizes - about 30 - 40 workers (with about 6 week lifetime) and about 40 - 50 workers (with about 12 week lifetime), and both with a Queen. We have opted for the larger size because of the longer period of activity which will give us more time to observe their behaviour and learn more. We have also opted for a native species (Bombus Terrestris Audax) because our box will be out in the open. It is possible to get a non-native bee, but these must be kept in an exclosed area - e.g. if you were a commercial tomato grower. The boxes are about a foot square. 

It's absolutely amazing to be able to get something like this practically mail order! It turns out the UK distributor is only 30 miles from where we live (I guess we do live in food-growing-land!) so we will actually go and collect the box next week.

However, it's not just a case of dumping the box in the garden and leaving it at that. We need to make sure there is adequate siting, protection from the elements and protection from other insects, especially ants. So the weekend will be spent sourcing the necessary materials and constructing some the right protection. Rain is a problem, but probably a bigger problem in our garden is wind, with a risk of the box being blown over. So that's a problem we have to solve.

It also changes the technology landscape a bit, as I won't have the luxury of installing video cameras into an empty box. At this stage I have no idea if I'll somehow be able to get cameras into a live nest. Even if i can get through the side of the box without disturbing the bees and being stung to death, I'm aware the hives are made of an outer and inner box which I may not be able to get to at all. So, I'm not counting on any internal cameras at this stage.

However, all is not lost. Today my wireless outdoor infra-red camera arrived; over the weekend I hope to get this installed in the garden, and with it should be able to obseverve the exterior of the box at least.

It's a slight change of direction, but we're really excited for the box to arrive!

Faking It

Today's bee activities we are a bit unplanned. We had a "non-bee" day yesterday as we were away on Easter day, so took the day off, so to speak. Today we had some things in the garden to sort out, so were only planning a small bee search later in the afternoon.

We are particularly looking for Carder bees, as we read they are less fussy about the nest conditions; and now is the time to be finding them. We went out to the usual place but we were seeing very few bees. At about 5pm it was about 13 degrees in the shade, 16 degrees in the sun. Quite a blustery windchill factor and it just seemed like it was not a "bee day".

On the return journey we did see a few bees - all in all, 2 carder bees (which were impossible to catch), one smaller bee (possibly a carder worker), two redtails (one feeding on the crop in the field, the other mooching about the grass) and a bufftail. I managed to catch the bufftail (BB29). We took her to the front box, but she took 20 minutes to go in and then only stayed in the box about 20 minutes before leaving; to be expected really. 

Nest Enhancements

 Today I had some leftover expanding foam from another DIY job, so right there and then I decided to make a fake protective "hummock" for the rear nest box. I'd been thinking of something like this for some time as a way to protect from the heat of the sun as well as rain, but also to try and provide more of that convincing "underground" sensation.

So, you may be wondering how a grassy hummock counts as underground? Well, although it is over-ground in terms of the ground around it, I'm banking (no pun intended) on the fact that if it's sufficiently realistic, then it will seem like it is properly in the ground, i.e. surrounded by earth; and that if the bee enters and feels like they are heading downwards to the nest area, then it will prove sufficiently convincing. Anyway, given that it cost under a tenner to make, it seemed worth a try. There's a great BBC video that shows bees active inside their nest and when you look at how they've made the film it looks like they might have done exactly the same thing as me (albeit to a higher standard).  

expanding foam over nest box to create mould.  First I covered the existing box in plastic and used it as a mould to spray the foam over. 

box used as mould for expanding foamOnce the foam had dried (about 40 mins) I painted it with spray on "plastic paint". This is designed for painting plastic surfaces and it dries very quickly (touch-dry within 10 minutes). 

foam sprayed greenThe green is unfortunately very lurid! But that was the choice i was stuck with. So I also bought some brown paint that looked a muddy colour. In fact, since we have regularly seen bees nest-searching in muddy bank and have even located a real nest in a muddy hole in the ground, this seemed like a reasonable addition.

"mud" colour added to the constructionIt's starting to look a lot more realistic now - and look at all those lovely nooks and crannies for bees to explore! After this step had dried, I trimmed off the excess plastic sheet from underneath and also sprayed the underside green. 

Once the "hummock" is in place, it is covered in bits of grass and straw and plants in order to help it blend in. 

completed hummock (rear view)completed box in situ - front bee's-eye viewAs part of this modification we also changed the internal box material again today. Although we recently added some field hay, we've done a u-turn on this and decided to go with moss instead - this is reported as being favourable in general and something Carder bees like in particular as they are able to work it well; and will even bring moss to the box if they need to. 

 Future options

The expanding foam is surprisingly easy and quick to work with - I'd pretty much completed the above project within an hour. The problem is, I've left it a bit late for this year's nesting queens, so really I now need to start thinking about next year.

I'm already formulating some ideas, which could include a complete false embankment along our back fence with multiple embedded nest boxes, as well as different types and sizes of holes and cavities. With such a set up, we could run a big experiment with multiple nests to figure out what really works best. With enough preparation time I could kit it out with all the technology I need: thermometers, infra-red, video cameras, microphones etc. 

And if you want to hire me for any futuristic set-building in future, give me a call ;-)

3 is the magic number

Much of today (once BB25 had set sail) was spent on other bank holiday chores as well as some garden and beebox improvements. Yes, I know it's hard to believe there are any we can make as we are on about revision 10! But with two boxes there is scope to test different tweaks independently. 

We are very happy with the new entrance design and the ability to camouflage the whole box; the back nestbox is really starting to look just like a grassy mound in the garden. However, each time we introduce a bee and it chooses to leave, we feel there is perhaps something we can try that might work differently. Today we decided to remove some of the brown bedding fibre and replace some of it with cut meadow straw. This is more akin to what a rodent would use/have access to for building a nest, and we know that bees are attracted to unoccupied rodent nests. It also has a much better smell of "nature" if such a thing is quantifiable. We also used some of this straw to further disguise the exterior of the boxes, to great effect.

Later in the afternoon we both went out independently to do a bit of bee hunting. I'm now tending to stick to the inside line of the nearby field edge where there is a deep ditch. Although activity levels overall have reduced, this is where I am seeing the most. Meanwhile, BCW sticks to the road side of the same field (which is incidentally where we have found a 'real' redtail nest) and back of the housing estate.

Between us we caught three vestal cuckoo bees first of all. These are the bees that mimic bufftails. The timing is textbook - about 6 weeks after the bufftails emerge, we begin to see the cuckoo equivalents looking to invade their nests. Given that we hadn't even seen one a week ago, we are doing well to identify them quickly and easily; and thankfully this particular type is sufficiently disimilar for an alert novice such as myself to be able to identify. We let all these cuckoos go as we do not want them anywhere near a potential nest.

I saw a few bufftails in tall grass near brambles (may, of course, have been cuckoos) and risked life and limb to traverse the ditch to go after them with no avail. In the end I was rewarded with a redtail.

 BB26 - redtail

We agreed to try it in the front nestbox as we had hoped to catch a Common Carder and try it in the back nestbox. The new "docking" system works a treat, but this redtail (BB26) was not for going in. After about 50 minutes she eventually entered the box, quickly traversed the inside and then left after 2 minutes. This was only to be expected - no doubt she was stressed after her capture, as she was not placid at all. Perhaps we should have let her go sooner - this is one long learning journey. 

BB26 - redtail - docked for entry!

We went back out and within a short time also both caught Bufftails. We were very careful to confirm they were queens, showing nesting-searching behaviour and not cuckoos;  this is becoming increasingly important now as there are queens with nests (who must not be taken away from them), their offspring workers, and cuckoos all attracting our attention. We go through a process of both identifying the bee before even taking it home. 

We put the first bufftail (BB27) in the rear box. She went in very quickly (it's a little baffling how some do and how some resist - we have not figured out the 'psychology' yet). Unfortunately she did not appear on camera (only one camera in the rear box) so we had to rely on audio scratching to tell she was in there. However, after 20 minutes there was no sight nor sound of her, so we assume she had gone.

We brought the second bufftail (BB28) to the front box intially.

BB28 - Bufftail

She was a funny one! She was totally still as I brought her home and then when we docked my pot, she also sat still just staring at me! Not a peep from her! I had to go out to get some food and while I was gone BCW reported that she then started buzzing becoming active, but still refusing to enter the box.

Eventually BCW decided to move her to the back nestbox to try there. I then turned up and it was the same story, she sat there, still as can be! Still refusing to go in the box.

After 30 minutes or so of this, she was apparently still not stressed, we decided we would remove the pot and leave her to her own devices. Rather like BB2, she didn't fly off (it was 8.30pm by now and we dearly hoped she wouldn't as she had a safe place to sleep here), but simply crawled up the front of the entrance to shelter in the overhanging grass. At 9pm she was still there so we let her be and assumed she felt safe for the night!

B28 bufftail - refused to enter nestbox, sleeping on entrance under grass

So, all in all, an odd day: 3 cuckoo bees caught and released; 3 "proper" queens caught, but none really interested in entering or exploring our boxes. Which is in complete contrast to the Carder (BB25) we had the night before. It's very hard to decide whether this something we are doing, such as tinkering with the boxes; or whether it's down to individual personalities and species of bee and their preferences.

There is still so much to learn. 

HMS Bombus sets sail

Our first job this morning was to check on the Queen Common Carder we had overnight (BB25). BCW had nicknamed her HMS Bombus because on the infrared it looked like she had a lifejacket/life-ring on. As I've said before, we're easily amused. When we checked on her at 9am she had barely moved from her position overnight. 

BB25 buried down asleepOver the next 50 minutes she stirred and stretched a little and towards the latter end of the period starting moving around the upper-right area of the box as viewed above. She appeared to be stretching and tugging on the fibres. We were, of course, very hopeful this was a demonstration of her "carding" behaviour, from which she gets her name. We like to think that if the queen demonstrates some of her nesting behaviour, then perhaps she is interested in the nest; or perhaps she is testing it out in some way. Here is a video of her cleaning, very kindly right in front of the main camera.

At about 10am she crawled out of the box tube and sat in the new entrance "foyer" we have created, which opens up like a funnel and is surround by grass. The temperature was alread approaching 24 degrees (probably due to reflections from the front wall of our house). She sat here very still for 10 mins and then took off. We watched with baited breath, wondering if this was the last we would see of her. She actually just lifted off by about 30cm and flew into the tall grasses on top of her nestbox and buried deep into the base of the stalks. We could see the grass twitching but not see BB25 herself. 

view of nestbox with BB25 hiding herself away in the grasses!Another 20 minutes passed by while she warmed up in the direct sun and then she took off. She didn't do any substantial circling, which would be used to landmark the location, so we assume that - despite her apparent interest inside the nestbox - she won't be back. So once again we start applying our grey matter to what might and might not have done the trick for her. 

Bees like Buses

We were rudely awoken by the bin-men today and it seems our overnight Bufftail was too. BCW went downstairs to make some coffee and check on our guest and she was starting to stir. Within about half an hour (8.30am) she was up and away. It was threatening (and turned out) to be a beautiful hot day, so who can blame her. 

My plan was to make some box modifications, which I did and will cover in another post, including the rationale. 

I decided to go out at about 2pm to see if I could locate another Queen - having a resident bee, if only for a night, is rather addictive. And, if we are to house a colony, time is of the essence as most Queens will have managed to find a nest by now. The exception is likely to be the Carder Bees, which emerge a bit later from hibernation; we are now starting to see more Carders and fewer of the others (showing nesting behaviour).

I'd been out for about 45 minutes and was returning home along a ditch embankment when I was rewarded with a Carder Bee searching for a nest site. I threw myself into the ditch with wild abandon as we have never yet managed to catch a carder and I was determined to have a good crack at this one. I was successful. (BB24)

BB24 - Common Carder - if only the iPhone did macro photography properly!

I brought her home and we decided to try her in the front nestbox, mainly because it is the best equipped with video. Carders are supposedly less fussy about the exact nature of the nest-site too, so we felt we might be able to get away with it at the front (non-garden) site. 

She went into the box pretty happpily and did not show any frantic signs of searching to get out. In the end she stayed about 20 minutes, fairly near the entrance, then crawled up the tube and took off. Nothing special with her take off at all, no navigational circling or anything. This was pretty much as we expected, especially trying to introduce her to the box at that time of day - we didn't realistically imagine she would stay.

We then left it till 6pm-ish to go out to find another bee that we might get to stay the night. This time BCW found another Common Carder (BB25) and was able to catch her - two in one day! It goes to show how they are increasing in activity at the moment. BB25 is very vibrant in her gingery colour. 

BB25 - common carder - again, iPhone #fail on the focussing!By this time I had made some significant external modifications to both boxes - basically to add internal and external tubing (to simulate crawling underground) and a new "docking" arrangement for our collection pot. This would allow the bee to more easily be directed into the box and for it to experience a 15-20cm crawl into the box through a dark tube - more like crawling underground.

BB25 was very obliging too, going quickly into the box. The newly installed inner tube leads the bee slightly to the right and she tottered off in that direction, right into good view of the infra-red camera. She poked around a little from side to side, as if to establish the basic width of the space, but not as if she was looking for the entrance/exit again. Then she burrowed a little under the bedding, before picking a spot where she stuck her head down into the bedding and basically went to sleep.

We watched fairly closely for about 90 minutes, as it was still light and warm outside (about 18 degrees) and we felt she still might leave. Every so often she moved up and down a little, adjusted a little, but then rested still again. Part of this activity, including some up-and-down repetitions with her abdomen, could be related to her "breathing" which is thought to occur in bursts every 20-30 minutes.  

BB25 bedded down for the night, face first!The redtails got a look-in too

It wasn't all a "Carder" day. While out looking in the evening the first bee I spotted was a redtail queen. I followed it under some trees and it darted into a hole in the mud. I thought I could easily catch her there and that she was definitely in the right place to be hunting for a nest site. After 30 seconds when she hadn't come out of the hole I began to think maybe this was a nest site. Then when I saw a baby worker bee emerging from the hole, I knew we had found a nest. (And by the way, that baby worker was so cute!)

Redtail nest site - hole under some treesThe hole is in some dried out mud under some trees and about 3 inches in diameter. I'm actually quite intrigued to understand how the hole got there and what it's like underground; wishing I had an endoscopic camera!  This is exciting because it means even if we don't get any nesting in our own nestboxes, within 60 seconds of the house we'll be able to observe the comings and goings of this nest. 

At the time BCW was catching her Carder Bee, I was heading to meet her having found nothing, and then quite unexpectedly saw a redtail bumbling around in the long grass; I couldn't believe my luck, thinking we might have two bees staying the night, and I was able to catch her quite easily. As soon as I had done so I was quite suspicious. She was a bit longer than the redtail bumbles we have caught and her tail had less hair. She basically looked longer and more scrawny. And, although her legs were hard to examine properly through my glass pot, they didn't seem to have the long hairs on them. I came to the conclusion she was a cuckoo bee. 

 BB26 - redtail cuckoo beeBCW agreed with me; you can see from the picture the general lack of hairiness that is associated with 'regular' bumblebees; and look at those crazy long legs! - she basically seems like a poor copy. It's good that we are both developing our identification skills, as we do not want to introduce a cuckoo bee to our nest to find she comes back later and destroys a developing colony. So, with a certain sense of achievement, we let her go.