Bee's

quite a few bees here. predominantly bumbles and solitarys. but nowhere near as many as normal :(

 

Same here Scrungee...and i'm not happy

 

Am I wrong?
But dont those extra large bumbles go around this time of the year looking places to build a nest?
I've seen a few of those.
It's been colder than normal, so the nests will be later getting going, and I do know bumbles seem to either get drunk on certain nectar or suffer from the cold and unable to feed when temperatures are low.

As to honey bees, they have been rare around my place for the last few years, not seen any yet.

 

You are right Pete the large bumbles Queens and looking for some where to make a nest, and they do get drunk on certain flowers, tidying up the borders/cutting the grass doesnt help as when they come back from gathering nectar and pollen they cant find where the nest was.

If any one has had a nest in their garden when they come out then fly facing the nest for a couple of seconds then off they go remembering objects

Spruce

 

I was about to post a thread about that as well , I got a bee nest in the soil (strange), they do look like drunk as my cats are just catching them like soap balloons , not a great deal of flower at the moment and it`s cold as well ......
I had bumblee bee and wasp around , but keep finding dead bumblee bee around my garden .....
It very strange to have them in my area , no many garden around .....I`m the only one with a garden .....
Is there any way I can feed them with something?????

 

The only thing you should feed them is sugar water (white) not brown as it upsets the there stomachs and never from honey from abroad as it may contain disease , on a sponge is best , as I have said before put them in the sunshine to warm up.

The mix is half water half sugar and mixed in warm water so it looks like a syrup if you want to try .

Spruce

 

I will try to feed them and to take pictures as well , maybe they are not bees
I`ve never heard of underground bees .... ; )

 

I think alot of the bees are looking for nests alot of them scouting around the ground.. one even scouted me the other day!

I have seen a fair few bumble bees.. a few honey bees, and thankfully, a few Mason bees.. I honestly thought mason bees were in big trouble this year but thankfully there's been a good number of them.

 

I found a few more bee's this afternoon, this one look like it had had it , so i got out some honey (on a plate) and let him dinne for free,after a few minutes feeding and in the warm he came back to life , then he sarted to fly around so it was back outside on the crab apple tree so he could feed from there

 

The only thing you should feed them is sugar water (white) not brown as it upsets the there stomachs and never from honey from abroad as it may contain disease , on a sponge is best , as I have said before put them in the sunshine to warm up.

The mix is half water half sugar and mixed in warm water so it looks like a syrup if you want to try .

Spruce

Hope it was UK honey sorry to go on but honey from abroad really does spread disease

cracker photos though

Spruce

 

Aww poor thing. I hope it didn't go downhill again and your actions have saved it. I saw more of them on my Dad's lawn. There was no hope for them.

 

Yes local honey, he didn't look good at the time,so it was something quick, i now have some suger and water mixed up ready
Fern4, when i put him on the crab apple he was feeding so kept an eye on him and after a few minutes he was flying around the tree and visting lots of apple blossom so hopfully a happy ending

 

Thanks Spruce for the tip on sugar and water

 

Forgot to say there was a small mite/bug just behind the top of his head, so the bug is no longer with us

 

they dont do the bee any harm they live in the nest most of the time living off the detritus they are not like fleas sucking the blood , and are totally different species that are are a problem to honey bees.
Spruce