© entomart
A danger for the bumblebee colony is
the bumblebee wax moth. The moth
lays its eggs near the bumble combs,
wasp and bumble bee nests can be
destroyed by the larvae within a few
weeks. To prevent the moths from
entering the nest, put in the protective
flap at the entrance after a bumblebee
colony has successfully settled.
The screw remains unscrewed far out for
the time being, so that the bumblebees
can get used to the flap.
In the following 3-4 days, the screw is
screwed in gradually or replaced by a
match, which is gradually reduced by a
few millimeters until the flap lies on the
slope. The bumblebees can now lift the
flap on their own, it closes behind them
and blocks the wax moths‘ access to the
nest.
Wax moth flap
The bumblebee colony supplies itself
with nectar and pollen from the en-
vironment. If you wish, you can offer
additional sugar water in the entrance
area, but this is not necessary. Bumble-
bee colonies are annual, i.e. they die in
autumn. Only the young queens look
for a suitable place to hibernate after
mating. For cleaning, simply replace the
cardboard box and the filling material.
The bumblebee nest box can be stored
dry until the next use in spring.
The young queens of some bumblebee
species (e.g. stone bumblebee, garden
bumblebee) return to their birth nest
with great reliability. After a successful
colonization, it is very likely that the
young queens will return next spring.
But since only one queen can move
into the box, you can offer other boxes
in the area.
Maintenance/cleaning
Art. Nr.: 28275
Status of the information: 02/2020
dobar
e-Commerce GmbH
Fabrikstr. 3 ∙ D - 48599 Gronau
Tel.:
+49 (0)25 62 / 81 46 27
The larvae of the wax moth can de-
stroy a bumblebee nest within a few
weeks.
Bumblebee colonies are annual, i.e.
they die in autumn.
