A house for the queen!

In nature, bumble bee queens usually search for existing cavities as their nesting place - cavities that are large enough, or can be made large enough, to accommodate an entire colony. Bumble bee nests can be found in former mouse nests, between stones or twigs, in compost heaps or dense tussocks of grass, or in hollow trees. Sometimes they can also be found closer to home: in cavity walls, sheds, among old newspapers or clothing, or even in an old armchair. Earth bumble bees prefer mouse nests.

In our bumble bee cultures, queens do not have to search for a nesting place, but are offered one. As the hive is to be used for large-scale production of bumble bees for natural pollination, the development requires a lot of attention. After all, not only bumble bees make demands on the design, but also humans (customers, distributors, carriers and we ourselves).

Most important is what the bumble bees want: where do they feel comfortable, what demands do they make on their food bowl and their toilet? These are questions to which often only long-term research can give clear answers. Combining the demands of the bumble bees with those of humans into a feasible design therefore requires the efforts of various disciplines.

All developments until now have resulted in a solid, high-quality hive - indeed a house worthy of a queen!

Koppert B.V. The Netherlands | Phone: +31 (0)10 5140444 | Fax: +31 (0)10 5115203 |  Disclaimer