Study

Rearing bumble bee colonies in captivity

Actions

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

Action Category

Rear declining bumblebees in captivity

Action Link
Bee Conservation
  1. Rear declining bumblebees in captivity

    Plowright & Jay (1966) induced mated queens of seven Canadian bumblebee species to found colonies in captivity, by confining them singly or in pairs in wooden boxes kept at 21° or 29° C, regularly provided with fresh pollen and honey solution. Twenty-eight of the 30 B. terricola tested and four of the nine red-belted bumblebees B. rufocinctus reared adults using this method, but a single yellow bumblebee B. fervidus did not. Some queens confined in waxed paper cartons laid eggs, but none successfully reared adult workers.

Output references
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