This week we are going to make a bumble bee together. When you are done making your bee we will take it on a journey through your backyard and see what interesting things she finds there.
You may have seen a few bumble bees already this year, maybe you thought they looked very big!
The first bumble bees you see in the spring are almost always queens looking for a nesting site. Bumble bees around here tend to make nests deep underground or in very undisturbed parts of yards like siding, under stairs and eves. Bumble been nests are generally quite small and only used for about four months before the queen moves out to find somewhere to hibernate until next year.
You will need:
- A cone (alder, pine, fir, whatever you can find)
- Yellow yarn or wool
- A scrap of stiff clear plastic or netting
- A long piece of string
- A stick half as long as your arm
Have a watch of this little video from Essex Wildlife Trust to see how you can make your little bee on a stick. She is making a mobile but we are going to just have one been on a stick.