Some dead bees on hive roof

[Beezy]

I'm a bit concerned about the fact that over the past few days I've found a few dead bees on top of the polystyrene on the hive roof. They have obviously gone out to collect pollen as they've got pollen on their legs, and then succumbed to the cold before getting back in the warm hive. There aren't loads; just 2/3 each day.

Is this something to worry about? I just wonder why they'd land on the roof rather than going in the entrance.

 

[Vergilius]

No need to worry. The cold does claim some foragers at this time of year.


Ben P

 

[Silly Bee]

Had a couple here, on the ground, walking about, I put a leaf in front of them, let them walk on, then put them on the landing board.

Probably a waste of time, but I'm a bit daft like that.

 

[Grub]

Had a couple here, on the ground, walking about, I put a leaf in front of them, let them walk on, then put them on the landing board.

Probably a waste of time, but I'm a bit daft like that.

I am just as daft as you , saw one land little orange legs climed up the hive then fell off with a gust of wind blowing , two minutes later warmed up in my hand and in she flew

Grub

 

[kazmcc]

I saw one dead on the landing board, but it had been very cold....I felt bad for it though, like it had almost made it It looked like an old bee though, not fluffy like the majority of the bees at the moment.

 

[Poly Hive]

To turn this round a bit.

Bernard thought he had a case of spray kill when he had the bees on the OSR in an empty silage pit.

The concrete was near covered in dead bees.

What was actually happening was quite normal: winter bees dying off before they could get back to the hive.

We forget just how many bees die every day in the normal life cycle.

We forget because normally we don't see these fatalities yet every day they occur.

PH

 

[MuswellMetro]

I'm a bit concerned about the fact that over the past few days I've found a few dead bees on top of the polystyrene on the hive roof. They have obviously gone out to collect pollen as they've got pollen on their legs, and then succumbed to the cold before getting back in the warm hive. There aren't loads; just 2/3 each day.

Is this something to worry about? I just wonder why they'd land on the roof rather than going in the entrance.

i expect they have got to cold on the flight back and did not have enough strength to navigate properly and crass landed as near as possible to hive

y

 

[richardbees]

I came across dead bees on the hive roof this summer. A new beekeeper in a suburban terraced row of house had positioned the hive facing inwards 5ft trom the dividing garden fence to force the bees up and away. Meanwhile, a vigorous climbing shrub had grown up to the top of the fence, bushed out and closed the gap from the entrance to less than 3ft - bees were coming out on training flights and somersaulting back onto the roof upside down, a shallow puddle of rain or dew meant they died there.

 

[Dishmop]

and then succumbed to the cold before getting back in the warm

I know how they feel.

My bees found the fallen leaves quite handy.

If they missed the landing board and went on the wet grass they couldnt take off because they were wet. They often climb up long blades of grass and try and take off but they also found the leaves Ok for sitting on until they dried out.

I tried to teach them how to crumble the leaves so they could roll their own ciggies to pass the time but they lost interest.

 

[BeeNice]

Had a couple here, on the ground, walking about, I put a leaf in front of them, let them walk on, then put them on the landing board.

Probably a waste of time, but I'm a bit daft like that.

I've done this in the past and got stung for my trouble, when one came out a got me on the nose, never again.
Regards
Steven:

 

[Vergilius]

When a colony is tens-of-thousands of bees strong a couple of bees dying isn't the end of the world.


Ben P

 

[Biddly]

I have found some on the hive roof and lying on the slabs just short of the landing board....solution...i put them in a tupperware box, put a tea towel on the top, place for 10 mins on the radiator to warm them up ...then when they are buzzing about pop them back outside infront of the hive and back in they go

 

[Beezy]

I have found some on the hive roof and lying on the slabs just short of the landing board....solution...i put them in a tupperware box, put a tea towel on the top, place for 10 mins on the radiator to warm them up ...then when they are buzzing about pop them back outside infront of the hive and back in they go

Oo, maybe I'll try that to bring them back to life! Seems so sad that they peg out after going to all the effort of collecting pollen in this weather.