# Bumble Queen Confinement



## jwcarlson

I have confined two queens this spring and neither have done anything. I do now have straight pollen so I placed some soft patty that I have for my honey bees in a ball with a small jar of sugar syrup with cotton balls. Will sub patty work? 

I also wonder if my chamber is too big. It is probably about 14" square and I have a small entry chamber too. There was mention of putting several young nurse bees with her on here in an old thread, but I cannot find that suggestion anywhere else. 

Or is it just luck?


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## JRG13

Sure they're queens? I've seen youtube on it, what kind of nesting material do you have inside?


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## gezellig

To what end are you seeking? Are you sure they're queens? If so, are you sure they're mated?


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## jwcarlson

They'd have mated last fall...? So I guess the answer to that is I can't be sure? They are the only bumble bees I have seen around. It was like a switch was flipped. This is the time of year I noticed them looking for nest sites last year too, I just didn't have an interest in catching them at the time.

Both of these have been caught while they're rifling through leaves and cracks seemingly looking for cavities. No pollen on them and they're not going at flowers, checking all dark spaces they can find. One of them was in my garage poking around. The other checking cracks in concrete pad at one of my outyards.

The end I'm seeking is just trying to have them raise a colony in my backyard. 

Nesting materials. Torn up old cushion from a chair, dry grass/leaves, and a little bit of horse bedding (unused) from one of my quilt boxes.

I have read that it's unlikely for confined queen to start a nest, something like only four in ten or so will respond to it. And that depends on the species too, I am unsure which species I have, however.


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## jwcarlson




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## tech.35058

I realize that this is an old thread, but JW, how did this work out?
Did you end up with a bumble bee breeding colony, or a BB observation hive?
( kind of dreaming about next spring  ) CE


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