Award Winning Bumblebee Nest Box
All of the products which I designed are shown for reference and educational purposes only. I do not sell or stock them anymore.
Each bumblebee nest box now comes with all the special bedding materials a bumblebee queen requires, the importance of which is greatly underappreciated, as well as access to a preparation video.
Bumblebee and solitary bee nest boxes manufactured in NW England.
Bumblebees using anti-wax moth cat-flap – watch the video
Prof. Dave Goulson’s tweet Mar 2014 Bumblebee ecologist Sussex University
Review of nest box by Dr C Moffat bumblebee researcher, Dundee University
The Nurturing Nature Deluxe Bumblebee Nest Box – Inspired by nature, driven by science
Deluxe Bumblebee Nest Box. ” Inspired by nature, driven by science.”
New stock with design improvements, shelter over the porch, NEW stainless steel vents AND eco-friendly painted.
Nest box includes full and detailed instructions, including red tint window, natural bedding, wooden batons, bumblebee cat flap, fine metal mesh ventilation covers and mouse excluder.
Sales include support and advice ‘surgeries’ by email or telephone regarding bumblebees and the nest boxes.
I am also available to give talks about bumblebees/solitary bees and their ecology. Please email me for details nurturing-nature@virginmedia.com or telephone 01925 452819 and leave your details.
Highly likely I will be out nature hunting or teaching!
Prof. Dave Goulson, Stirling University, Anthony McCluskey, Bumblebee Conservation Trust and George Pilkington discussing the features of the bumblebee nest box at Stirling University.
Find out more about the research behind the Nurturing Nature Bumblebee Nest Box
Having owned many bumblebee nest boxes over several years with no occupation, I become dismayed at the designs of bumblebee nest boxes, the woeful supply of bedding, the lack of pest/predator features designed into them and the pro educational value of them. As the result of my frustration with their design and a lack of success with bumblebees breeding in bumblebee nest boxes confirmed in the scientific literature as a problem throughout the UK, I set out to see what could I could do.
There are at least four ways of obtaining queen bumblebees for your nest boxes. One thing is for sure; there is much more to buying a nest box and positioning it the garden hoping a queen will accommodate you! From an idea to drawings to prototypes and now an actual product, I produced a nest box, with a Registered Design, which acknowledges bumblebees and their needs as well as minimising the harm done by their pests. It is now available for sale as a sustainable product.
The Nurturing Nature Bumblebee Nest Box is a high-quality product, precision made, hand finished and manufactured locally in North West England.*
Read more articles about the bumblebee nest box
Research and Development
As a founding member of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, I became very concerned about the decline of bumblebees in the UK, the lack of public knowledge about their decline and a lack of educational resources available to the general public.
Scientific research finds that bumblebees and solitary bee pollinators contribute more than honey bees. As honeybees are in decline, it becomes increasingly necessary for us not to put all our eggs, into one basket.
I have devoted considerable time to the study of scientific papers and practical experimentation to understand the ecology of bumblebees and trying to identify the reasons for their apparent lack of interest in using bumblebee nest boxes. I experimented wanting to find solutions, using purchased nest box and my designed nest boxes.
Obviously, there will be many questions still to be answered about what exactly bumblebee queens are looking for in selecting a suitable nest site and ways in which we can help minimise attacks by pests, predators and parasites. I hope this will open the debate for other researchers both full-time professionals and part-time enthusiasts to study! As I learn more and experiment more, my articles on bumblebees will evolve with my learnings.
Read more articles about bumblebees.
“This is the Rolls Royce of nestboxes. It comes complete with all you will need, most importantly the nesting material. I have yet to see a better designed nest box” from the bumblebee.org site
The importance of gardens and citizen science
Researchers have found many bumblebee queens emerging from hibernation and looking for nest sites to establish a colony, perish and do not succeed. Many factors affect this from happening, including a lack of nesting sites, when queens sometimes fight to the death for such an essential resource.
They also found that numbers in the countryside are declining but that gardens had a positive effect on the density of bumblebee nests, suggesting that gardens now provided a stronghold for bumblebees in an otherwise impoverished landscape. The positive influence on gardens on their population meant that the bumblebees could spill over at least 1km into surrounding farmland. Providing a bumblebee nest box at least gives queens more chance to establish a colony.
A recent report emphasises the valuable contribution volunteers, citizen scientists, have made to science. This review suggests it is vital, not only do citizen scientists contribute to the professional body of scientific research, but they also help to monitor our environment. It has enabled professional scientists to collate vital information which they may never have achieved alone. Gleaned from volunteers, who by observing, monitoring and recording wildlife have, besides stimulating an environmental education and interest for themselves and others, enjoyed doing it!
Such enthusiastic volunteers may well add to this pool of knowledge by studying wild bees that nest in suitable nest boxes in their back gardens, without disturbing the bees. For example, note how easy it is to observe the full life cycle of Red Mason Bees (Osmia bicornis) through large observational windows. Imagine the useful data that would be helpful to researchers with the help of citizen scientists with bee boxes in their gardens.
*Although the Nurturing Nature Bumblebee Nest Box with optional extras (Reg. Design. 4020826) is made using FSC wood; the premises is a non-FSC accredited site.
Additional information
| Weight | 4.8 kg |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 38 × 30 × 23.5 cm |
| Internal Dimensions | Height: 18cm Length: 25cm Width: 22.5cm |
Dr C Moffat –
Dr C Moffat- “Why we chose Nurturing Nature for our bumblebee research programme” JANUARY 30, 2015
I’ve spent several years working with bumblebees both outside in the field and indoors inside a research laboratory at the University of Dundee. While looking for well-designed nest boxes to augment our current laboratory set up and also for use outdoors in field experiments I encountered many commercially available bumblebee nest boxes. Unfortunately, all too often their design seemed generic.
The bumblebee nest boxes offered by Nurturing Nature and the siting/usage instructions have clearly taken into account the needs of a bumblebee queen and colony during its establishment and growth. Using very fine steel mesh to prevent parasites from gaining easy access to the nest and incorporating an innovative wax moth panel are two features that made these nest boxes stand out in my mind.
The nest boxes are sturdy and well manufactured.
They have a base built in, ensuring they are elevated slightly from the ground and the red perspex panel under the lid ensures that bees are not disturbed when the nest box is opened for observation, as bumblebees cannot see red light.
After seeing the nest boxes and speaking to George, it is clear that he has taken the time to observe bumblebee queen behaviour and test many prototype nest boxes before finalising the design. The customer service I received from George was excellent. He personally delivered 12 nest boxes and took the time to give a presentation, demonstrate their use, explain their design and tell me about their development in full. Having managed bumblebee colonies in a laboratory on a daily basis and having conducted several large field experiments outdoors, I decided to use nest boxes from Nurturing Nature as they are in my opinion, the best commercially available nest boxes. I will be using them to host bumblebee nests indoors and outdoors over the spring and summer and I am optimistic that they will perform well.
Christopher Moffat PhD
Division of Neuroscience
Medical Research Institute
Ninewells Medical School (Level 6)
Room L6/094
Mailbox 6
From the old website
George –
In the design of the bumblebee box nearly everything has been thought of, so I can really recommend it. This is one of the very best bumblebee nest boxes I have ever seen. So if you only prepare the nesting material properly, you have a pretty high chance to get a bumblebee nest in the hive. But you also need to have nest searching bumblebee queens in your area and place the box, so the queens do find the nest box. Read the full review By Atle Mjelde, bumblebee biologist, Norway
From the old website
Steven Denness (verified owner) –
I’ve been looking for nesting boxes for bumblebees for some time, and finally ordered one of these. The box itself is very well put together and comes with all the materials and bedding to help encourage a queen to take residents, including mousecscented material. Everything has been well thought out, inclueding a flap to protect the nest from the dreaded wax moth. The guide that comes with the box is truely first rate and the best I have seen regarding bunblebees. Thank you George.
nurturingnature –
My pleasure Steven. Thanks for taking the time to write about it. Cheers, George
nurturingnature –
My pleasure Steven. Thanks for taking the time to write your comments. Cheers, George
Roy Williams –
Love my bumble bee box watching the bumble bees coming and going. Well made and designed but the only problem is the cat flap doesn’t stop wax moths. I’ve found 2 inside the nest so I’ve worried they have laid eggs.
nurturingnature –
Hi Roy, If used as per the instructions and at the right time as per instructions, I have not ever found one wax moth inside any of my nest boxes and over the years that would run into several dozen placements. Timing is rather critical as is keeping the entrance clear of anything likely to hinder the closing of the cat flap. George