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With a bumble bee box, the colonization of the popular pollinator insects in your own garden is easily possible. This article will tell you in detail how to build a bumblebee house on your own.

In a nutshell

  • Bumblebee boxes serve as nesting places
  • easy to construct yourself
  • consist of a wooden box and a cardboard box
  • are filled with nesting material

Bumblebee box: material

If you opt for a classic bumblebee box, you need the right building material. The box itself is just a box that you can buy ready-made depending on availability. It should be a sturdy box with the following characteristics:

  • Dimensions: 40x40x40 cm
  • Wall thickness: 10 - 20 mm
  • Wood must be untreated
  • optional: weatherproof
  • with lid

Of course you can build your own box. In this case you will need the following materials:

  • 6 x wooden panels measuring 45 x 45 x 45 cm
  • 2 x hinges

The plates are slightly larger so that the box does not become too small after assembly. In addition to the actual box, you need other materials for the bumblebee house:

  • a cardboard box (slightly smaller than the box)
  • a cardboard or plastic tube (30 mm diameter)
  • a wooden slat measuring 50 x 10 mm
  • screws
To build a bumblebee box yourself, you only need suitable materials and tools.

Appropriate tool

In order to be able to implement the bumblebee box effectively, you need the right tools in addition to the instructions and the materials. Luckily, you'll already have most of these at home, which significantly reduces the cost of ownership. You need:

  • drilling machine
  • cordless screwdriver
  • Forstner bit with a diameter of 30 mm
  • scissors
  • ruler or ruler

Build box: instructions

If you want to build the box yourself, you can do that without any problems. If you have the right material available, the crate can be moved quickly and effectively. For this you just have to follow these steps:

  • Screw 2 wooden panels together at the edge
  • there should be an L
  • attach another wooden board
  • a U should be recognizable
  • Close the box with another board
  • Put the box on a plate
  • screw to the plate from below
  • the wooden panel serves as the floor
  • Install 2 hinges on one side of the box inside
  • Finally, connect the lid using hinges

Build a bumblebee box: instructions

Once you have your box ready, let's start building the DIY bumblebee house. Either pick a day with no rain, or build it in the garage or your apartment. The house can be used immediately after construction. The following steps explain the process in as much detail as possible:

  • Drill an entry hole at the beginning
  • select one of the sides as the front
  • put a mark in the middle for the 30 mm entry hole
  • use the wood drill for the hole
  • also cut a 30 mm entry hole in the cardboard
  • Place the entry hole a little lower on the box
  • use the scissors for this
  • Put the cardboard box in the wooden box
  • Place a cardboard or plastic tube in the entry holes
  • Tube acts as a connection between the wooden box and the cardboard
  • Bumblebees use them as entrances
  • Mount the 50 x 10 mm wooden slat under the entry hole on the wooden box
  • it serves the bumblebees as a landing and take-off runway
  • fill and place to finish

You can also ensure better ventilation if you drill air holes in the box with a thin wood drill. As a result, the heat does not build up as intensely and moisture is drawn off better.

Tip: If you cover the lid with roofing felt, the bumblebee house is better protected against spray and rainwater. The cardboard can simply be stapled to the wood.

Bumblebee house: filling material

After building the bumblebee house, you still need to fill it with nesting material. Without suitable nesting material, the queen will not appear in the box and will disappear again after a short time. You have to make the queen comfortable in order for her to move in. In addition, the nesting material protects against cold and moisture, which is important for a healthy colony of bumblebees. The nesting material is divided into two layers. The lower layer extends just below the entrance hole. The following are best suited for this layer:

  • small animal bedding
  • sawdust
  • dry hay

A big advantage of these materials is the possibility to provide them yourself. For example, when you have mowed your lawn, let the green cuttings dry and use the hay for the bumblebee house. Once you have filled in the nesting material, make a fist and make a shallow depression in the center of the material. Now it's time for a second layer, which the bumblebees use to build their nests. It is applied over the bottom layer using one or more of the following materials:

  • upholstery wool
  • moss
  • virgin wool
  • Animal hair (e.g. dog hair)

Notice: Make sure all nesting materials are untreated and free of harmful or synthetic materials. Even the smallest amounts of synthetic fibers or toxins in the filling material can kill the insects.

frequently asked Questions

When is the best time to set up the bumblebee house?

Bumblebees are among the first pollinators of the year. For this reason, you must already set up the house at the end of winter. The ideal time, depending on where you live, ranges from mid to late February. The milder the winter in your region, the earlier the Hummelhotel will be placed.

Which location is ideal for the bumblebee box?

The bumblebee house should ideally be placed in a semi-shaded or shaded spot so that it does not heat up over the summer. In any case, the blazing midday sun must not shine on the box. There's nothing wrong with a little sunshine in the morning. Furthermore, it should be an undisturbed place so that the insects do not feel permanently threatened. Small children and pets should not have easy access to the box.

Does the bumblebee house have to be cleaned in winter?

Yes. The bumblebees leave the nest before winter and only the queens survive. Late November or December is the best time to do this. Remove and discard all nesting materials. Then you can rinse the whole thing thoroughly with hot water and rub it off with a soft brush. The hot water destroys hibernating pathogens. It is stored in a dry place over the winter.

Can the box be embedded in the ground?

This is not recommended. The humidity inside the box can hardly be regulated underground and heavy rainfall can lead to flooding. In addition, you would have to dig up the box every winter to clean it. For this reason, the above-ground variant is much better suited for the bumblebee house.

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Category:

Animals in the garden