Large numbers of ill/dead bees in meadow

[mart6]

Hi
I am not a bee keeper but i have followed the news on declining bee numbers.
Was suprised to see large numbers of bees in my meadow this year.
While walking the dog tonight i noticed 20+ thistle plants covered in distressed or dead bees never seen anything like it before.
The meadow does not get teated with anything any ideas.

Wont let me post photos but they can be seen here www
accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=63385.0

 

[kazmcc]

Hi I went to the link but still couldn't see any pictures. Were the bees on the thistles, inactive? Were they bumbles by any chance?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Drone bumblebees sleep in flowers at this time of year.
They have left the nest and are looking for females

 

[kazmcc]

I've just come back from the park and lots of bumbles were still resting on the thistles, and it is going dark.

Male bumble bees, as well as honey bees only have one job, to mate. Male honey bees are fed by the females but male bumbles feed themselves, then lazy around until they either find a female or get hungry again. For some reason they like to rest on thistles. A friend of mine just posted a picture of 6 cuckoo bumbles on the same thistle Hope this answers your question.

 

[mart6]

Hi I went to the link but still couldn't see any pictures. Were the bees on the thistles, inactive? Were they bumbles by any chance?

Link should work may need dot adding after www if you pasted link.
Shame i can not add photos here.
Try accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=63385.0;attach=21386;image
They look like bumble bees to me,must be 30 ish thistles each thistle has 30+ bees on it.
Will check if they have gone in morning, it was quite late afternoon when i spotted them 8pm ish.

Was quite suprised early in the month never seen so many bees before in a field

 

[kazmcc]

The link worked for me, but just took me to the small holding site, asking the same question but showing no images. Maybe I have to register to see them. It is the time of year when lots of different species of bumbles are producing males, it may be that because of the amount you have seen, that you are noticing them. It sounds to me like typical male bumble behaviour, there may be a few nests around there so that's why they have congregated in one area. I will register with the site and see if I can see the images that way, but it does sound like typical behaviour to me

 

[mart6]

my fault you need to be a member to view
loaded photos here you should be able to see them HERE

rockersreunion.com/bee1.JPG
rockersreunion.com/bee2.JPG

 

[kazmcc]

Yes, I saw the images after registering, great pics!!! You are just witnessing typical male behaviour. They are resting, awaiting a female. There are a lot of bees there, but this is completely normal. As I explained above, males only have one role in life, to mate. They will laze around all day, have the odd feed, then await a female. You are very lucky to have seen this, I love your pictures!

 

[kazmcc]

Private message sent

 

[mart6]

Thanks for repliesi have learnt something new.
All 30 thistle plants look the same must be a good year ?

 

[kazmcc]

Thanks for repliesi have learnt something new.
All 30 thistle plants look the same must be a good year ?

Must be where you live! What a find! I'm so jealous lol

 

[Excession]

Great photos! Very jealous!