Hello everyone. I appreciate this forum is about beekeeping, but I’m hoping someone might be able to give me some help/advice about a big bumblebee I found in my yard yesterday afternoon. It was on the ground under a small rose bush (one of the few plants in my yard) and very sluggish. After a few hours of it barely moving I tried giving it a 50/50 mix of sugar water (as advised on several websites), but it wasn’t at all interested. With dusk coming on and the temperature dropping, I put it in a ventilated shoebox (again as advised on several sites) and brought it indoors for the night. It straight away went on the side of the box, head facing upwards, and this morning it is still in the same position. My plan was to try to give it sugar water again and release it this morning, but because it’s still in the same position after 12+ hours and it’s zero degrees outside and snowing (it was 14 degrees yesterday), I’m not sure what to do. Any help/advice gratefully received! Many thanks, Chris (Norfolk, UK)
Bumblebee help/advice please!
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Undoubtedly she is a queen out of hibernation and either looking for a nesting site , foraging or both. She will likely survive on body resources but may go back in to a semi comatose state due to the cold.
If they get too cold then foraging isn't possible and they try and conserve heat, some may die some may survive.
Best to place her and the box outside in a dry location with some cover like grass cuttings inside and a hole large enough for her to exit from.
Naturally they will seek out an old mouse hole or similar and make a nest.
If they get too cold then foraging isn't possible and they try and conserve heat, some may die some may survive.
Best to place her and the box outside in a dry location with some cover like grass cuttings inside and a hole large enough for her to exit from.
Naturally they will seek out an old mouse hole or similar and make a nest.
Hi Hemo, thank you so much for your reply and your great advice. She’s had a little of the sugar water and is much more lively now. It’s also getting a little warmer now, so this afternoon I will take her in the box to a sheltered wood that I know alongside a wild flower meadow and do as you have advised. Thanks once again for your help.
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Find a spot near where you found her
Once her energy levels are up again and she has warmed up then she will be ok, being cold blooded like other insects they rely on the sun to warm up.
If I find a bumble on the ground it is due to weakness /lack of energy so I don't pick them up physically but offer my finger for it to walk on to, then find a flower head for it to rest on and feed. They won't sting if you allow them to walk on to your hand voluntarily and very rarely will do so if not feeling threatened.
If I find a bumble on the ground it is due to weakness /lack of energy so I don't pick them up physically but offer my finger for it to walk on to, then find a flower head for it to rest on and feed. They won't sting if you allow them to walk on to your hand voluntarily and very rarely will do so if not feeling threatened.
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Except when it’s snowing
Many thanks for the additional info. It’s warmed up with bright sunshine here now, so I took her out in the box and she came out almost straight away. She was buzzing a lot and I thought she was going to fly, but instead she went down the gap between the paving slabs pretty much exactly where I found her yesterday and very quickly disappeared under the slabs. Hopefully she’ll be OK. Many thanks for all your help and advice.
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That may bee where she lives
