In a message dated 10/16/98 9:28:44 AM Eastern Daylight Time, [log in to unmask]
writes:
> I'm just curious about some imported (Belgian) bumblebee hive boxes my dad
> saw the other day in a cranberry bog. Since he's been working honeybees
> for years, he was interested in finding out more about raising these kind
> of bumblebees. Could someone answer a few questions for us? Does anyone
> know what kind of food do the suppliers ship bumblebees boxes with to hold
> them until hive is established? How would you winter bumblebees over? How
> are bumblebee queens reproduced for commercial purposes?/How are they
> propagated? Is there a list or website for bumblebee keepers?
Those who culture bumblebees today are highly secretive about their
methods. The best info I've seen is a series of articles by Dr. Keith
Delaplane (see the pollination page, under alternative pollinators).
[log in to unmask] Dave Green Hemingway, SC USA
The Pollination Scene: http://users.aol.com/pollinator/polpage1.html
Jan's Sweetness and Light Shop (Varietal Honeys and Beeswax Candles)
http://users.aol.com/SweetnessL/sweetlit.htm