Impacts of competition and abiotic conditions on colonization rates of bumblebee boxes

Bumblebees are very important pollinators, especially since they can fly in colder temperatures than many other bee species. Bumblebees, like many pollinators, have been declining. In an effort to promote bumblebee conservation we deployed 60 bumblebee boxes in 2019 and 2020 and 48 in 2021. Boxes were placed at varying heights with two different types of openings, hole or pipe, at five locations. iButton temperature loggers took readings every 4 hours. Boxes were inspected for use every 3 weeks using an endoscope throughout the summer and opened in the winter. We hypothesize that Bumblebees prefer to nest in boxes with steady temperatures, low moisture, and that are not colonized by competing organisms. Although no boxes were colonized, the variety in box type and placement allowed us to test for competitors and abiotic conditions. We compared these factors by box opening style, position (tree or ground), and location of the box. We also compared the standard deviations of temperature. The data showed that the most abundant biotic competitor was ants, and they preferred boxes on the ground with a pipe. Wasp competitors preferred hole openings in trees. The RCC and UNCP garden locations had the biggest issues with competitive species while the Locklear farm location had the biggest issue with moisture. The Pine cottage location may have the most potential for bumblebee houses due to boxes at this location having the least amount of both competitors and moisture. Future work will continue testing factors influencing these boxes and potential colonization.