Breeding Kit "Wild Bees", with Voucher, 5 pcs.

The diversity of animal and plant species, the biodiversity of our planet, is under threat. This is becoming increasingly visible in gardens and school settings. The declining bee population has been a major topic in the media of late.

While most people are aware of the decline in honey bees, the decline in wild bees is even more drastic: almost half of the 560 species of wild bee in Germany are on the endangered species list or even under threat of extinction.

The wild bee breeding kit helps you support local biodiversity. Breeding red mason bees (insect of the year 2019) is simple. From April to June, these peaceful wild bees buzz and fly around the nesting box looking for food, laying eggs and building nests – an unforgettable experience for kids!

It is also entirely possible that other species of wild bee will settle in the nesting box. You can also observe the transformation from larva to wild bee in the special nesting box.

The wild bee breeding kit offers an exciting insight into the life of wild bees. At the same time, it is a nice way to design more natural outdoor areas and to create opportunities for other insects and animal species to become established.
Little by little, a piece of nature can be created in nurseries and schools. Children can observe the fascinating and peaceful wild bees and their buzzing relatives with their own eyes.

The wild bee breeding kit is naturally also suitable for the garden, home or allotment.

Contents:

• Nesting box kit with chamber and nest and observation compartment, 12 pcs, made from MDF - Made in Germany
• Fine clay powder in a plastic tin, 300 g
• Seed mix "butterfly meadow", approx. 10 g
• Voucher for 50 red mason bee cocoons
• Comprehensive instructions and teaching material (information, worksheets and interactive exercises)

The teaching materials contain lots of valuable ideas for environmentally friendly, climate-aware behaviour and to educate children about sustainable development. These ideas are flagged with the "We are protecting our earth symbol" and can be quickly identified.

The red mason bee
Since mason bees remain very close to home, they often return to the site where they hatched if they find sufficient food. Therefore, the nesting box should be positioned in its final place during hatching.
There are no worker bees and queen bees among wild bees and red mason bees. They are solitary workers who are left to their own devices.

Wild bees are extremely useful creatures and are very peaceful. This means they are ideal for projects involving younger children of nursery and primary school age. By dealing with these animals and learning about the development and lifestyle of wild bees, children and adults can overcome any potential fear of bees, wasps and other stinging insects.

The nesting box
The nesting box, made from MDF panels with nest and observation compartments, is tailored to the educational needs of nurseries and schools.
It consists of six nest trays in which the wild bees can lay their eggs. The nesting box also has a hatching chamber for the cocoons. Bees can safely hatch there away from predators.

It also includes a pull-out observation compartment. Children can observe and document the development phase (metamorphosis). The nest trays with nest tubes provide the wild bees with plenty of space for their young.
The nest compartment must be placed outdoors. It is supplied as a kit which is easy to assemble. You will find a diagram in the project folder which shows the individual parts to fit together.

Nest box dimensions: approx. 17 x 16 x 16 cm

• sustainable wild bee breeding for schools, nurseries and home
• with everything that's needed for breeding
• including teaching material
• Bee cocoons not included in the kit - delivery is free of charge at a time that suits you after redeeming the voucher (delivery only available from January to May).

Project schedule and planning
The cocoons can only be delivered from Januar to May as the wild bees hatch from mid to late April. The breeding kit however can be ordered from us all year round and includes all of the accessories along with a voucher for delivery of the cocoons.
After receiving the breeding kit, you choose when to receive the wild bee cocoons by redeeming your voucher - we'll take care of the delivery costs.
You will then receive your cocoons at your chosen time from January to May. The cocoons can easily be stored in a cool place, allowing you to plan the start of your project between April and May.

If you have planned your project schedule and want to ensure that the wild bees do not hatch too early, store the bee cocoons inside their ventilated bee tub in the fridge between 2° and 4° C. If you remove the wild bee cocoons from the fridge after their natural hatching time, they will typically hatch the same day. Wild bee hatching can be delayed until mid-May at the latest by keeping them in the fridge.
If you simply want to prevent the wild bees from hatching too early and want to store the cocoons in the nest compartment, you can keep the nest compartment in a cool basement or dark shed. This prevents the wild bees from hatching too early in warm weather, e.g. if your project is not yet due to start or there is currently insufficient food (flowers) for them.

Important: good hatching timing
In order to ensure that as many bees survive the first three to six days after hatching, the wild bees must hatch at the same time as the flowers start to blossom. So, if there are no suitable plants growing at your site, you will need to follow the instructions for sowing the seed mix provided, taking note of how long the plants need to grow and the time when they are expected to blossom.
You should also take into consideration the current weather conditions and climate changes which may affect your planned hatching time.

Ordering and delivery
When you order the wild bee hatching set, you will receive everything you need for the hatching process. Please keep the voucher in your package! You can use this to order the cocoons, which we only send in January to May.
When you receive the cocoons, remove them from the letterbox as soon as possible and store them in a cool place (e.g. unheated basement, garage). If you haven't planned an exact date for the start of your project, you can put them in the hatching compartment of the nesting block and simply wait with the children until the wild bees hatch on a warm day in mid to late April.

Note: we typically ship the cocoons at the start of the week, otherwise they would be in transportation for an unnecessarily long period over the weekend. You can redeem the voucher at any time of the year, however, the cocoons will only be sent from January to May.

Wild bees are specially protected animal species in Germany under § 42 para. 2 of the Federal Regulation for the Protection of Species (BArtSchV). The wild bees we provide are bred specifically and not taken from nature.

When planning, remember:
If you have received your cocoons, the mason bees will hatch from mid/late April unless their hatching time is delayed. This can be delayed until mid-May at the latest by keeping the cocoons cold.
Not a toy!

Tip
Order the wild bee breeding kit in good time, or even before you need it. This will give you enough time to plan your project. Please read the detailed instructions provided, the key information and tips on how to use in lessons. These can be found in the folder provided.