Bumblebees are one of the most important pollinators in all of North America and most Canadian National Parks rely on the Bumblebee for pollination of the most important plants. Without them, we would lose thousands if not millions of plant species overnight. This is why protecting bumblebees is such an important pursuit. Most exterminators in Toronto will not exterminate bees and those that will deal with them still won’t kill them but will safely relocate them to a new home away from residential areas. This is because of Neotics and the dangerous pesticides that are killing bees around the globe. Neotics are illegal in Europe but not yet in North America where bees create almost all of our food.
The general nesting sites for bumblebees can be similar to the sites chosen by yellowjacket wasps. They prefer to be away from sunlight as that could heat up and damage the nest. The bumblebee nest is not at all like a wasp or honey bee nest. It is not wrapped like a honey bee nest in paper and wood fibres nor is it hexagonal in construction. They actually look like they are in disarray with round egg-like cells used for storing honey and breeding more bees. The outside of the nest is often surrounded by grubs and dead bees as they are very careful to keep the nest clean and sterile for the larva. Some will make nests in rodent holes, tree bumblebees often make nests in bird boxes. The male bees will swarm outside of the nest but this is normal. They are waiting for a queen to come out and mate with them. They cannot sting you as they have no stinger so you should not worry about them, even if they buzz around your head. Some will make nests above ground under trees and within the roots, the nest is very molten and looks like it’s falling apart which is normal.
The population of a bumblebee nest is a fraction of a honey bee nest. The honey bee nest has close to fifty thousand bees in it. The bumblebee nest contains no more than four or five hundred bees. This is why they tend to hide underground. When a new pregnant queen searches for a place to nest she will thoroughly inspect it with both her sigh and her sense of smell. She will search for rodent holes that are abandoned and sites that do not have predators’ urine marks. When she finds a good spot she hunkers down and builds a small nest around her and then lays her eggs.
If you find a bumblebee nest on your property it is best to leave it alone. Exterminators won’t kill them and while you can hire someone to remove it and relocate it the process is expensive and mostly redundant. The bumblebees will not bother you, they are after insects and honey. What they want is to be left alone and to collect pollen from plants and use it to make honey for the queen.
Now if the bees are living somewhere on your property that is causing issues with your pets or children then it is a good idea to either relocate it or redirect its exit. You can do this with some rubber piping large enough that the bees can fly through. Burry, it so it sticks out by the nest and then places a large heavy container over the nest. The bees will have to enter through the tube to access the nest and your pets and children will be safe.
