What must a founding queen of Bombus bohemicus find instead of excavating a nest?

An already established nest belonging to a compatible host species

The Gypsy Cuckoo Bumble Bee, *Bombus bohemicus*, is characterized by its obligate social parasitism. Unlike typical bumble bees that either establish solitary nests or rely on eusocial structures they build themselves, the founding queen of *B. bohemicus* does not gather pollen or excavate soil for her own colony. Her entire existence is predicated on locating an existing, active nest belonging to a suitable host species. Once found, the parasitic queen invades and usurps the nest, typically killing the host queen and then manipulating the host workers into raising the cuckoo's brood. This dependency means the 'habitat' for *B. bohemicus* is effectively a thriving, underground colony of another bee species.