Bumble Bee Queens

Millet · Apr 7, 2016

When do you or me draw the line trying to save them, my lady friend has saved many but after the weekend of warm weather they where everywhere, then all of a sudden it lashed down, i seen two tightly tucked into the hyacinths i planted and left them too it while digging the new pond, the next day one was dead on it's back, so the surviving one was brought in and fed, the start of the next day was warm and she was let loose, then again it lashed down and 1 more was recovered, why are they doing this. ? surely they should know what is best.

Fatbee · Apr 7, 2016

It's all about numbers - there is always enough that come through and raise a nest

kazmcc · Apr 7, 2016

In the BWARS group we are advised to leave them alone. When you see a bee sat still it is usually just waiting to warm up and doesn't need any intervention. They say that if you must move it, place it somewhere sunny on a nectar rich flower. In your situation they are just being caught in the changeable weather. They are hunting nest sites at the moment, so don't always have somewhere to shelter yet.

On the subject of bumbles, there is a worrying amount of people who, on finding a bumble queen carrying mites, are deciding to " put it out of it's misery " because the have heard about bees suffering from varroa, so are adding 2 and 2 and getting 6, without even trying to find out more first. It's not just the odd person either. Very worrying.

Millet · Apr 7, 2016

kazmcc said:
In the BWARS group we are advised to leave them alone. When you see a bee sat still it is usually just waiting to warm up and doesn't need any intervention. They say that if you must move it, place it somewhere sunny on a nectar rich flower. In your situation they are just being caught in the changeable weather. They are hunting nest sites at the moment, so don't always have somewhere to shelter yet.

On the subject of bumbles, there is a worrying amount of people who, on finding a bumble queen carrying mites, are deciding to " put it out of it's misery " because the have heard about bees suffering from varroa, so are adding 2 and 2 and getting 6, without even trying to find out more first. It's not just the odd person either. Very worrying.

Funny you mention the mites, the dead one i tried to warm up in my hands resulted in mites coming from everywhere out of the fur. ( body hair) none of which where varroa, they where much quicker with longer legs and smaller..

Millet · Apr 7, 2016

Fatbee said:
It's all about numbers - there is always enough that come through and raise a nest

The weather is so up and down though, maybe that does not help with the decline.

kazmcc · Apr 7, 2016

Millet said:
Funny you mention the mites, the dead one i tried to warm up in my hands resulted in mites coming from everywhere out of the fur. ( body hair) none of which where varroa, they where much quicker with longer legs and smaller..

They are harmless. They jump on board queens to get to the next nest, where they hoover up the detritus. They don't live off the bee itself, but sometimes they can carry so many that it can affect the way the bee flies, the advice being just brush a few away with a soft paintbrush, although that is quite unusual and we have to remember that they need each other to survive so not to brush them all away.