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