Have you ever seen a bumblebee standing still in your yard, even as you approach it? Bumblebees are harmless insects to humans and not very shy, but if you observe one of them in one place for a little too long, it can become exhausted. You can then help him to get him back on his feet. A far from trivial boost for a species whose pollination is essential for our biodiversity. How to intervene without risking a misstep? Here are our tips.
Why care for bumblebees?
We often think of bees, but bumblebees are also excellent pollinators and therefore indispensable links in our biodiversity. Depending on the species, some plants will be more stressed than others. So, as remembered rustic, the bees abandon certain plants that bumblebees prefer. This is the case with peppers, tomatoes and aubergines.
With their beautiful fur, thicker than bees, hornets emerge from hibernation earlier than other pollinating insects. That is why it is important to offer them something to forage in February.
Plant flowers in your garden
First steps needed to pollinate insects in the garden, including bumblebees: sow, plant flowers in your garden† Choose varieties that bloom at different times of the year to provide as much nectar as possible towards the end of winter. Bumblebees are indeed heavy consumers of nectar: they need it to grow their queen’s offspring, but they also need to have enough energy to be able to fly. Without this energy, bumblebees are indeed doomed to remain on the ground and die of exhaustion.
preparing nectar
To give a depleted bumblebee a bit of a boost, all you need to do is come up with a sweet preparation for it. To do this, simply mix a little sugar with room temperature water. The mixture should be a little thick and not runny. Then present your preparation to the bumblebee, let him enjoy it and he can then fly away!
Install a bumblebee nest box
If your yard has enough space and flowers to pollinate, you can place a bumblebee nest box in your yard. There are models on the market, but of course you can also make your own.
Find out how in this video from the Loic Le Jardineur YouTube channel:
You now know how to care for bumblebees in the garden. If you liked this article, you can continue reading with other articles: