When the first rays of sunshine warm the ground, the young queens start looking for a suitable nesting place. If natural structures such as dead wood, holes in the ground or stone gaps are missing, nesting boxes can help. However, correct placement is important.
How should you set up a bumblebee house?
To set up a bumblebee house successfully, it should be placed in a shaded, quiet location all day, such as on the north side of a building. It should also be located near food plants and be equipped with an ant-proof base. Avoid eastern and western orientations.
Select location
A bumblebee house needs a place that is shaded all day. Ideal shade providers are trees, hedges and trees with dense foliage. The north side of a building also offers protection against overheating in an insect hotel. Make sure the location is quiet.
Traditional Plants
So that the bumblebees can find enough food in the area, you should place the house within two to three meters of pollen donors. Leave nearby garden areas untidy and avoid regular mowing so that weeds can develop.
Valuable food plants:
- Early bloomers such as crocus, snowdrops and deadnettle
- Large perennials such as wild goat's beard or purple loosestrife
- Woods such as hazelnut bush, blackthorn and daphne
Inappropriate locations
When choosing a location, remember that bumblebees react sensitively to weather conditions. Temperatures that are too high or too low are just as dangerous as rain and snow. Even though the insects are known to fly during rainfall, they detest this weather.
East
Occasionally it is advised to place a bumblebee hotel in an easterly direction. The morning sun may be beneficial for the growing colony in spring. In summer, temperatures inside quickly rise to over 40 degrees Celsius, putting the entire population in danger. Such locations are unsuitable.
West
Bumblebees don't like it when the nest gets damp. The bumblebee boxes should be made of weatherproof multiplex. Place these in the garden so that wind and weather do not penetrate through the entrance opening. A westerly orientation does not make sense because the entrances are directly exposed to the rainy weather.
Ant-proof stand
So that the bumblebee's nest is not attacked by ants during the summer, a sewer pipe (€59.00 on Amazon) has proven to be the perfect support for the home. These are available with a suitable KG sleeve from hardware stores. They are driven into the ground and then the socket is put on. If you fill it with water, ants can no longer crawl towards the entrance opening.
