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Build a home for bumblebees


Encourage bumblebees to call your garden home by creating an artificial nesting site. You can buy a ready-made bumblebee box or make your own.

Why build a Bumblebee box?

Bumblebees are in decline and need our help. In some areas bumblebees are unable to find natural nesting sites. So why not put an artificial nesting box into your garden? There's no doubt that having extra bumblebees around will help your garden to bloom.

What sort of box do I need?

A bumblebee box should be around the same size as a small bird box (it can even be a small bird box if you have one to hand). Put in a handful of dry moss, hamster bedding (from a pet shop) or hair felt for the bees to mould into a nest.

Where should I put it?

Warmth and shelter are very important for bumblebees. Ideally, the box should be south or east facing but protected from direct sunlight. You will get best results if your box is near the bees’ food supply, eg flower beds, fruit trees or even a plant growing up a wall.

Where do I get a bee box from?

If you’re handy you can make your own by drilling entry holes into a 4x4 block of wood. Alternatively you can buy a bumblebee box online. Follow the link to find the Bumblebee Conservation Trust’s recommendations.

A small bird box will also do just fine. Remember to add some nesting material as bumblebees never collect their own - and it may pay to ensure the entrance hole isn't large enough for a bird to fit through.

Other potential homes for bees

Bees can also make their homes in other places around your garden. Bumblebees like tussocks of grass – so try leaving a grassy bank somewhere in your garden and resist cutting it.

Wood piles act as safe homes for bees, and you may find that your garden shed comes in useful as a winter hibernation site.

Get creative

Many bumblebee species like to nest below ground. You can make a nesting site for them using just a flower pot and a length of hosepipe.

Sink an upturned >20cm diameter flower pot into the ground. Put a slate/ tile over the drainage holes to keep out rain. Run a hose or pipe underground to the pot, leaving a prominent entrance. Be sure to make drainage holes in the pipe.

Finally, make a chicken-wire cradle for ventilation, and fill with a generous handful of nesting material.

Find out how to attract bumblebees to your garden.

Thanks to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust

Last updated: 01/04/2009