Non-honey bees

Bumblebees nest in various places, like abandoned rodent burrows, clumps of grass, tree holes or old bird nests. Some species can inhabit nest boxes intended for birds. Sometimes a bumblebee queen finds a nest box already occupied but somehow likes it so much that she throws the bird out. It can happen at the stage of nest building, egg laying or even when there are chicks in the nest!

Bumblebee queen cares for her offspring in a way surprisingly similar to birds in some respects. In spring, when temperatures are often quite low, she may incubate their brood, to make them develop faster. Bumblebees, even though they are insects, can be effectively endothermic, generating heat inside their body when necessary. It proves useful not only for brood incubation but also during warm-up before setting off to forage in cold weather.