Bumblebees Condo

15 July 2013

Around the 9th and 10th July I posted the battered bumblebee nest - but other than the photos I didn't interfere with their lives immediately.  However as the day was coming to a close the weather forecast was torrential rains so I tried to think of something quick that would not get me stung but would get the bees and the larva out of the weather.  When I carried the coffee can and the old metal toy truck down something had already broken the nesting material into two halves.  Using an ash shuttle I scooped up the best half and slid it into the coffee can.  They were buzzing madly even though it was coming dusk so I left them as shown above and didn't return for a day or so.  When I gently shook the can I could hear the buzzzz and saw a bee or two wandering about at the back (bottom?) of the can - so yes the make-shift arrangement had saved their chitin.