Bumblebees

[Rob the Radish]

I have always wanted to keep bees but my hectic schedule means I need to look at other options, I found a beepol lodge and hive, not the cheapest option, and considering the bees need renewing every year an on going cost.

Having read up on them, it seems the ones available are not properly native bees, and certainly not in decline as some of them are.

My question is, is it something worth doing ? I already provide a good bee habitat and have many bees visit my plot, but I can't help but hanker after my own hive/s

[veggiechicken]

Try these earlier threads.
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...pol_77970.html

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ees_71714.html

Personally, I'd rather encourage native bumblebees to live in my garden in a natural environment.

[Rob the Radish]

Thanks vc, I already do a lot for the bees in the area, lots of plants especially for them, and many nesting sites, rockeries, log piles, stone piles etc, I am certainly not short on visiting bees, and I am confident I would have wild nest although I have not managed to see any yet, what I was hoping for was a lodge/hive so we can sit and watch them coming and going, watching them go about the daily business of been bees so to speak.

Ps, thanks for the links, I had read through them previously.

[veggiechicken]

I used to keep honeybees so understand the fascination with them. Intriguing to watch them - I would stand by the hives for ages watching them coming and going with their full pollen sacs.
Some of the Bumblebees here seem to live in holes in the ground and pop out when I least expect them to. Great to see them wherever they are.