Bumble bee mystery

[firecrest]

My cousin has bought a rather large "paddling pool" for the kids. (its one of them giant things you see exploding on youve been framed all the time)

Anyway, every morning, there is about a half dozen new drowned bumble bees in it. No other insect keeps drowning in it in droves, just the bumble bees. The bottom of it is blue chequered, but what is attracting this bees and no others?

 

[British Red]

Bees need to drink. If there is no other available water they are probably trying to drink and failing to find something to settle on.

I leave an old dustbin lid tilted on its side with a pool of water and a couple of sticks in. Even with my huge pond with lillies and branches for birds and bees to settle on, the dustbin lid bird bath / bee reservoir sees a lot of use. Leave something in the pool (length of hose etc) the bees can settle on to drink and you may find less drowned ones

Red

 

[headrox_inc]

Bee's I havnt seen any bee is ages, looks like all the ones that have been dispeaing have been finding themslelves drowning in you pool, hahaha

 

[firecrest]

Bees need to drink. If there is no other available water they are probably trying to drink and failing to find something to settle on.

I leave an old dustbin lid tilted on its side with a pool of water and a couple of sticks in. Even with my huge pond with lillies and branches for birds and bees to settle on, the dustbin lid bird bath / bee reservoir sees a lot of use. Leave something in the pool (length of hose etc) the bees can settle on to drink and you may find less drowned ones

Red

Hmm, it could be, especially as your bees use a bin lid, but I can't help thinking it would be a poor evolutionary design if bee's drowned themselves in deep water for want of a drink on a regular basis. The hosepipe is a good idea though, we should try that.

 

[CLEM]

Another once common creature round my way was the bumble bee,aint seen any round here in years now!

 

[firecrest]

well we have been fishing the live ones out and letting them dry off in the sun so hopefully the paddling pool of death wont be depleating their numbers too much!

 

[FGYT]

Hmm, it could be, especially as your bees use a bin lid, but I can't help thinking it would be a poor evolutionary design if bee's drowned themselves in deep water for want of a drink on a regular basis. The hosepipe is a good idea though, we should try that.

trouble is in the 100s of 1000s of years of evoloution of the bee few have bumped into deep water with vertical slippery sides so it may be a while before they develop an answer

even nature has cottoned onto the idea with pitcher plants

ATB

Duncan

 

[firecrest]

Thats a good point actually, I hadnt imagined them crawling in, I had a picture in my head of them dive bombing it!

 

[redcollective]

If you interested in finding out exactly what type of Bumble bee you are seeing/rescueing: try this ID guide:

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/projects/bombus/key_british_colour.html

There's even a field guide you can cart around with you:

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/projects/bombus/_key_colour_british/QuickCard.pdf

We still see bumble bees in our garden in Leeds, it would be sad to see them go.

 

[Jodie]

Material World, today 16.30pm, BBC Radio 4 with Quentin Cooper (excellent) is
looking at the bee issue.. in about 20 minutes
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/thematerialworld.shtml

It's podcasted later / listen again-able for those who'll find that easier.

 

[scrubcutter]

My cousin has bought a rather large "paddling pool" for the kids. (its one of them giant things you see exploding on youve been framed all the time)

Anyway, every morning, there is about a half dozen new drowned bumble bees in it. No other insect keeps drowning in it in droves, just the bumble bees. The bottom of it is blue chequered, but what is attracting this bees and no others?

Hello Firecrest. It could be the colour of the paddling pool. Certain insects are attracted to certain colours including ultra-violet. For example, spiderwasps, amongst others, have a definite liking for yellow but avoid others. Each insect has its own preference it seems. I can't be certain on this but it could be that the bumblebees are attracted to 'chequered blue' or the ultra-violet wavelength of that 'colour'.

Scrubby

 

[rik_uk3]

Last year we had plenty of bees out back, and lots and lots of wasps, this year, nothing

 

[crazydave]

bumblebees we've had loads of this year for a change

 

[Rhoda]

We've got loads of bumblebees this year too

 

[SimonM]

We have seen an increase in the last few days. Heres one from the front garden tonight...

I took both kids out to watch them for a few minutes... lovely creatures (the bees, not the kids )

Simon

 

[demographic]

There's even a field guide you can cart around with you:

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/projects/bombus/_key_colour_british/QuickCard.pdf

We still see bumble bees in our garden in Leeds, it would be sad to see them go.

Thats great, Thanks

 

[Makar]

The drowning thing is not just confined to bees. I kept birds in aviaries for years and always had a large stone in the middle of the water pool or else I would end up with drowned birds.

 

[Celt_Ginger]

Loads of wasps and bumble bees, the ones with the orange backs though, not the normal black and yellow ones.