First aid for bees
Posted by theenook on July 9, 2009
Bumble bees are amazing creatures and with their gentle buzzing and bumbling flight they epitomise all that’s great about long lazy summers. Best of all they make honey! They are also incredibly important to our ecosystem and unfortunately are in dramatic decline. So every bee counts.
During the summer it’s not unusual to come across a grounded bee that’s been caught out by a cold spell or sudden down pour (like the one I found in our road, below, following last tuesday’s torrential rain) – sometimes they are so busy working they forget to drink and just end up exhausting themselves. If you come across such a bee in distress don’t walk away! Use a piece a card to pick her up and move her somewhere safe where she won’t get stepped on.
move the bee somewhere safe so she won't get stepped on
Bees need energy and warmth to fly so find somewhere sunny where he / she will be able to warm up and if possible leave some food nearby for her to feed on. Honey / water solution is best but sugar will do in a pinch. If the weather’s really bad or if it’s getting dark it may be possible to keep her overnight provided you feed her.
some honey and warmth will get them back to normal in no time!
Remember – by saving a Queen you may well be saving the whole nest! And without bees there would be nothing to pollinate our crops and other plants and the human race would die off in 7 years.
Find out more about these amazing, gentle creatures and how to encourage them into your garden here.
Pauline said
Hi there, I love the bumble bees, I ve often picked them cold and wet off the pavements in Spring, I keep them in wooden boxes with a honey drink until they are well and able to go on their way on a sunny day.
I found bumble bees were no longer visiting my garden, so I have been doing all I can to get them back, and this year I am feeding them, and the garden is buzzing, and they are so tame now, they are waiting for me in the morning if the honey drink has run out. Pauline.
theenook said
I now have this lovely image of all these bees lined up waiting for their breakfast! thanks for the comment, sara
dave said
if i came across a queen bee i think i would run! it would probably mean that the rest of the hive is probably swarming nearby.
interestingly enough, we were talking about royal jelly and queen bees this weekend.
theenook said
thanks dave – royal jelly! I knew i’d forgotten something! one more reason to love our bees.