How to save a bumble bee
So this post isn’t entirely fitting with this blog. But I think it’s important because bumble bees are cute and their genus name is Bombus which is also very cute.
A very pretty lady once told me how to save sick and injured bumble bees. Often the bees get exhausted and you’ll see a poor fluffy bumble bee crawling along, struggling to fly away. So sad.
So here’s what you do. Trust me, I tried it out on a poor wee bee at my doorstep the other day.
Make a tiny amount of sugar syrup with a teaspoon of sugar and a couple of teaspoons of water. Pour it right in front of the bee. The bee will detect the sugar syrup and stick out it’s tiny little tongue and drink it. After a minute or so the bee will have enough strength to fly away.
Seriously and honestly, this works. And it is so cute to watch the bee revive.
D5 Creation
Oh is THAT what my neighbour was trying to do?
I found some little trays of water on the fence with about 5 drowned and drowning bumblebees in it – most disturbing. Had to tip them out and let them dry off – some revived, some died.
I think your method is much safer!
Q. Why do bumblebees always seem to run out of steam in the middle of the footpath? Wouldn’t it be safer to go off piste??
You can also use honey!
Oh yeah, honey. I don’t actually have any honey in my house. Maybe I should get some to save more bees.
[...] If you see a bumblebee having a bit of a kip on the footpath, pretty pretty pretty has some good advice. [...]
[...] this that I mentioned a while back? Well, it [...]
I Just saved a drowning bee today. It was in my sink with the dishes. I took it out, and I didnt think there was any chance for it as it was soaked and wings stuck to its body. Put it in a little box with a few holes, mixed a little water to twice as much honey,, and put a dab of it in the box… straight away the bee crawled over to it and drank. I then placed a towel on the radiator and the box on top for heat… and within an hour, the bee was well enough to be let free. Lovely feeling to think you just saved something.
Another bit of advice,, if you do see a bee that isnt flying, as well as being hungry,and feeding it honey/syrup… is it cold outside? Sometimes when the bees thorax drops below a certain temp,, bees cannot fly. The only way a bee cannot be saved is if its old and dying naturally. You will know if its old, if the wings are all ragged.
Just fetched a honey bee from the pool and was able to use the multiple posts of advice to save it…it took about 30 minutes of sunshine and the sugar water but she flew off into my Meyer Lemon tree!
they-land-on-steps-and-concrete-to-absorb-heat-most-bumble-bees-that-struggle-its-their-boby-temperature-goes-too-low-for-them-to-fly-landing-on-stones-or-steps-to-soak-up-the-heat-from-them
on my porch i found a honey bee and a wasp fighting!! the wasp was winning after about ten minutes the wasp flew away and the honey bee was left there to die i ran inside and went on the internet to finds how to save it but when i found how to i went out to the porch and gave it sugar
I just tried the sugar solution trick on a bumble bee that had been struggling on our path. After a little sip, off it flew. How lovely – thanks for the tip
I’ve had luck with bringing a struggling bumblebee flowers w pollen which they bee went for. Clearly it was dying of hunger and the pollen it was able to get revived it!
I found a bumblebee in my basement which is struggling. It’s winter so it’s very cold outside. I don’t know what to do to help it.
Anyone out there know what to do to save a bumblebee that should be in hibernation??
Well, it worked, although it took a good 40 minutes or so, This one was very weak in the kitchen of my house.I had to get a flower from outside to so it would actually climb into the syrup as at first it kept trying to walk away from the water. Anyway, after a good hour of feeding it and giving it a hand, it started walking at full strength and flying in small bursts until it had eventually built up enough energy to hover at the kitchen window (strangely as though it was waiting for me lol) then I opened the window and it flew off perfectly fine