Complete beginner found and saved bombus lapidarius

[mad_max247]

Hello everyone!

I have had no previous experience in beekeeping except for a few visits to my schools Beekeeping Society. I was near my house and found a red tailed bumblebee on its back dying on the road so out of curiosity I took it home.

I put it into a 30 x 20 x 20cm transparent box and placed a blob of honey on a piece of paper which the bee immediately began to consume and continued to do so for another hour. It then lit up with life and explored the box and when it got dark it fell asleep.

Upon closer inspection and subsequent research I think it may be a queen as it is larger than the worker specifications.

My question is, what shall I do with it?!

Thank you in advance for your help!

 

[newportbuzz]

this is my girlfreinds hobby aswell. she usualy keeps them for one day or untill they are obviously vigourous and then release them during the midday heat .
she does it on my nackered and cold workers aswell. loverly to see them come back from the brink.

 

[mad_max247]

my only concern is, isnt it too cold for them to survive without a definite nest to return to?

 

[MJBee]

Queen bumbles hibernate. If you continue to refuel her then release at the warmest part of the day she will find a hibernation site and cosy up for the winter.

Well done so far

 

[newportbuzz]

if it is a queen then she will be looking for somewhere to hibernate. if its a worker then she has almost come to the end of her life anyway. from what i have read most of the queens hibernate in old wood and underground and look for nest sites in early january.

my girlfreind switched tack when rescuing bumble bees in spring and puts them in little bee boxes which she has dotted around the place. they will often return to these boxes having decided thei is their new home and establish a colony.

i think your bumble bee is better of outside if its a queen. cant hurt to wait till midday tomoro when theres a bit of warmth in the day.

if you want to learn more about bumbel bees there is a a few forums and projects running. also if you can get your hands on
THE HUMBLE-BEE by f.w.l.sladen isbn num 0-9510242-3-x its well worth a read.
if youd like to chat with my gf send me a pm and ill get her on the forum chat for a natter.

 

[mad_max247]

I got myself a simple nesting box for it off Amazon just now and its recommended I bury it (as you have previously mentioned about underground spots). What do I do when it arrives and I place it underground?

 

[newportbuzz]

I got myself a simple nesting box for it off Amazon just now and its recommended I bury it (as you have previously mentioned about underground spots). What do I do when it arrives and I place it underground?

she is looking to hibernate now and make a nest in spring. she proberly wont use the nesting box now.

if you want to encourage the bumble bees into your nesting box you can use certain things to help your chances. one is to catch quens bumble bees in spring and actually put them in the box and when she leave the box she will usualay orintate on the box and use it as a home.
the other thing you can do is get your hands on mouse bedding which seems to work fro attracting queens to a site. i think the science behind this is that the site or a normal mouse is usualy very suitable to a queen bumble to use. so they have linked the smell to good site.

i amke nesting sites for herself by capping 4" wavin pipes and cutting them into sections and burying them upsidedown in the ground. ie cap up with a peice of hosepipe going into the cavity. i have seen cokebottles used and two room wooden hives aswell. basicly you are trying to give them a dry cavity to use for a nest.