Writhing bee?

[The Poot in Somerset]

Hi,

My bees are flying well and bringing back lots of, I think, apple pollen. (I live next to an orchard.) While I was watching the entrance I saw a bee behaving oddly.

It landed on the landing board but instead of walking to the entrance it went head down tail up and it's abdomen twisted slowlyfrom side to side and up and down. Wings at odd angles, hind legs made grooming movements. It kept this up for a few minutes and stumbled around eventually reaching the door but other bees coming out kept pushing it away from the holes in the mouseguard. (Lots of mice around here and still cold at night.) I went to get some kit to catch it but by the time I got back it was gone.

Any suggestions as to why it was doing this?

Thanks.

I think possible insecticide exposure. I had an experience with dozens of bees doing this in front of the hive after returning from foraging - it was with my first ever hive. It coincided with oil seed rape coming into flower and as far as I could find out - local spraying.

 

[Monkey]

Likely have your phobia fully tested later in the year - bee hives often very attractive to wasps

One of the reasons I started keeping bees was to try and overcome my fears around flying insects. Anything buzzing near me would result in me leaping about like an idiot, pub gardens in summer are a disaster area for me.

I am now pretty relaxed with the buzzing, I've learned the differences in sounds between flies, bees, bumbles, and wasps, so I can relax a little.

I do not envisage a time where I will stop loving killing wasps.