Why do some bumble bees...

[Prophecy]

Crawl along the ground at snail's pace?

You know how you see them on the pavement, sometimes just sitting there or sometimes walking realllllly slow?

I've always wondered that - and I can't find anything online about it.

I used to think it was the weather/temps but they seem to do it all year round!

 

[Shambling Shaman]

They are the one that read the physics books, and now under stand they aren't suppose to be able to fly.

 

[Dan1982]

i always thought that if they were on the floor then they had used their sting and were in the process of dying??

i dont know alot about bees though so thats probably something i made up!

 

[Toddy]

At this time of year it's usually 'cos they're too cold. If they show no signs of damage or mite infestation (crawling things all over their heads) put them out of the rain somewhere where the Sun will warm them up.
I've got a white meter box at the front door and it's a Sun trap, there's usually one or two a day on it just now warming up. They seem to seek it out, sit at peace for twenty minutes or so and then buzz off.
If the bee is still wandering/ staggering around the sameplace tomorrow it's probably not going to survive.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Prophecy]

Thanks Toddy.

What about the ones in summer then?

In an old workplace, under a canopy area in summer it got seriously hot. There were loads of bees all the time just sitting on plants, very dosile - and on the ground. I assume they can feel the extreme effects of that as well?

 

[Toddy]

By Summer a lot of them are getting old, some are sick....those mites again....these bumble bees aren't *hive* builders as such like the honey bees, but they live in small colonies, sometimes containing several hundred worker bees.
Sometimes though bees just sit in the Sunshine, especially the mining bees, they bury their egg with a bit of honey and sit on the surface and have a sit down sometimes.

http://www.bumblebeeconservationtrust.co.uk/about_bees.htm
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/projects/bombus/bumblebeeid.html

No idea why you have so many sitting around though. Hopefully the beekeepers will see this thread and reply.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Prophecy]

Thanks Toddy - great info!

I was working the other day in a garden centre, and I was chatting to a friend, who had her little 3 yr old boy with her.

He noticed a bee 'resting' on the ground, to which I and his mum both told him to be careful not to stand on it - I intended to lift it to safety once I had stopped chatting.

But of course, he was pratting about and stood on it slightly - but it wasn't dead - almost.

I quickly stepped on it hard to put it out of it's misery - much to the surprise/bewilderment of the little boy. He was transfixed at the squashed bee, and just kept staring at it - bottom lip quivering!

 

[Ogri the trog]

I pick them up and hold them for a few minutes between my cupped hands - following my fathers example - he'd rush indoors and get a small blob of honey or jam on his fingertip to feed them. They either soon pep-up and fly off, or they end their time in your company.

Lovely creatures

Ogri the trog

 

[Prophecy]

I pick them up and hold them for a few minutes between my cupped hands - following my fathers example - he'd rush indoors and get a small blob of honey or jam on his fingertip to feed them. They either soon pep-up and fly off, or they end their time in your company.

Lovely creatures

Ogri the trog

Don't they sting in that state?

 

[fishy1]

My dog eats them and doesn't get stung.

 

[Prophecy]

My dog eats them and doesn't get stung.

Yeh, funny that. Dogs/cats never seem to get stung - or if they do they're very good at dealing with it.

 

[Ogri the trog]

Don't they sting in that state?

Never been stung yet!

Ogri the trog

 

[pentrekeeper]

Funny that I have one this morning, crawling about on the patio very slowly, than crawled up one of the chairs, nearly sat on him by accident, then he climbed to the top of the back rest which is where i took the following pictures.
It seems to be in reasonable condition.

It's walking about along the top of the chair at moment.