Bumble bees are very social insects and live together in colonies.The colony is looked after by a queen bee, who lays eggs to create workers, drones, and more queen bees. All of these things are very important to the working of the nest.Workers help to expand the nest, drones mate with future queen bees, and queen bees depart to create nests of their own. If you find a bumble bee nest, how must you react? How can you help to support this insect species and promote its growth? Read on to find out!Bumble Bee NestsTo understand how a bumblebee nest comes into being, we must first understand the life cycle of the queen bee.After long, cold winter months spent in hibernation, queen bees emerge in spring famished and low on energy. This is a critical period for them, as they need to find enough food to support themselves as well as their first batch of bee offspring, which will help in raising the rest.However, during spring, the flowers that bees collect pollen from to make honey are scarce. This can cause queen bees to succumb to hunger and fatigue from searching for blooms that may not be available nearby.Once the queen bee receives her nourishment, she is able to begin work on her colony. Queen bees often create the first few cells of their nest, with the female worker bees then taking over once they have matured. At this point, her main job becomes laying eggs, while worker bees continue to expand the nest, forage for food, and take care of the babies.Most of the eggs laid during the late spring to early summer period are fertilized eggs and develop into worker bees.As the summer season comes closer to an end, the queen focuses on laying eggs that will bear reproductive bees, mainly queen bees and drones (male bees).The young queen bees stay in the nest, while once the male bumblebees fly out, they are not very likely to return, as they begin their search for a mate in the great outdoors.In the months leading up to the cold winter season, new queen bees will focus on feeding and building their fat reserves. They will often leave the nest to explore and forage for food, and during these encounters, they may find a mate.Queen bees only mate with a single male, after which the male dies off. Once the queens return to the nest, they continue feeding.As winter closes in, the worker bees, as well as the founder queen of the nest, will slowly die off. The new queens, left to fend for themselves, will leave the almost empty nest in order to look for a safe space to hibernate in.Once they find a hidden, comfortable spot, they lower their metabolic rates and cover themselves in a natural substance that will help them stay safe from outside temperatures.Once early spring has sprung again, the new queens will emerge from their deep slumber and begin their search for food and a nest again, starting the life cycle anew.Though much is still unknown about the nesting habits of many bumble bee species and why they choose their nests, the most common areas where they build their colonies seem to be dry, shady areas.Honeybee hives are usually not found in direct exposure to the sun, as overheating can kill the bees inside and melt the nest. This can make finding the source of bees in your house a bit difficult!Is it illegal to destroy a bumblebee nest?If you ever find a bumblebee nest in your backyard or anywhere else on your property, your first thought might be how to remove it.Though having bumble bee colonies on your property is usually a good sign, this may not be the case if they are in close proximity to your home.In this case, the best course of action is to safely relocate the nest without killing any of the bees.Depending on which state you stay in, there might be local laws laying down whether it is illegal to destroy a nest or not. However, bumblebee nests should not be destroyed, as they are vital to the environment and the survival of many species on the planet, not to mention they make great honey!Bumblebee Nesting SitesBumblebees usually look for dry, dark spaces like under trees, in cavities, or caves to build their nests in.Some bees even build their nests underground, in dens and burrows left behind by rodents, rabbits, and other animals.The bee nest site is usually chosen by the queen, who will determine if it is the right fit for her colony by using her senses of sight and smell.Many species, for example, the tree bumblebee, also build their nests in bird boxes, dark spaces like attics, between walls and in crevices, or simply on the branches of trees or in bushes.You can usually find the nest entrance by observing a small number of dead bees or larvae outside. These are deposited here by the female bumblebees (workers) to prevent the spread of disease inside the nest and keep it hygienic.Ways To Support Queen Bumble Bees This SpringQueen bees are the most important members of the nest. A queen is the only bee to live for the entire year, and it is with her initiative that a new colony is born, giving birth to hundreds, if not thousands, of bees per season! So, how can you help these fuzzy little friends thrive?In order to help queen bees get back on their feet, you can plant a variety of flowers, shrubs, and trees in your garden that bloom in spring. Doing so will attract bees to your yard, as well as help them nourish themselves and prepare for the coming summer.The trees can also provide ideal spots for bees to build their honeycombs! The flowers serve as valuable food plants for queens, as well as add a splash of color and elegance to your garden!Though you may want to rid your garden of ‘weeds’ like dandelions and clover, these tiny flowers are actually very useful for queen bees who emerge right at the beginning of spring, as they are usually the only flowers in bloom.If at all, they are taking over your garden and you must remove them, be sure to replace them with another blooming plant so that the queen bees have at least one source of food.Adding rock piles, shrubs, or trees near blooming flowers can help provide bees with great spots to build their nests.Bees like to build their nests near sources of nourishment, and arranging your garden in such a way can help to support the growth of bumblebee nests greatly.Try not to use chemical insecticides on your plants, as these can harm the bees. It is equally important to support the new queens—those born during the late fall as well as the ones emerging from hibernation in the spring.Provide fallen leaves, rock piles, thick grass, or dense shrubs in your gardens where the new queens can peacefully hibernate until it is their turn to wake up and establish new colonies.Helping Bumble Bees At HomeMany bumblebee species seem to be on the decline, with the loss of honey bees across South America, Asia, Europe, and America.So, how can you help preserve bumble bees’ nest at home?Firstly, if you have a large garden or yard, make sure that it is warm and welcoming for bees to build their colonies in. Plant a lot of colorful flowers for them to eat, as well as shady bushes and trees for them to rest in.If you do not have the space to accommodate them and they turn up anyway, make sure that they are relocated safely and properly. We as a planet cannot afford the loss of any more honey bees, as they are essential to our survival.Bees help many food crops to produce seeds and grow as they cross-pollinate them, due to which they can produce fruits, vegetables, and grains for us to eat. If the bees disappeared overnight, all our food would gradually disappear.So, if you stumble across a bumble bee nest site, you know what to do. Save the honey bees to save our planet!
Bumble bees are very social insects and live together in colonies.
