Save Bees


Bumble beeHelp revive a cold or wet bee

I’m often asked by folks what to do when one finds a cold, wet, or sluggish bee. The good news is that in many cases, you can help! And depending on the , you may be helping many future bees, particularly if your bee is a queen bumble bee.

Spring and fall are often unpredictable weather and flower-wise, and sometimes you’ll find a bee who’s simply run out of steam and needs a helping hand. Unseasonable weather and a lack of flowers may trip them up, especially at these times of year. A foraging bumble bee is only ever about 40 minutes from starvation.


Chamomile flowers look like daisies

My first word of advice is don't panic. In most situations, you can help your bee (and you've almost certainly nothing to fear from an exhausted, cold, struggling bee)!

My next advice is to consider simply moving the bee onto a sunny bee-friendly flower (one close by, ideally where you see other similar bees foraging).

This works well for bees that are not too badly off, but it does require that they feel up to clinging onto a flower. Take care to move them gently (using a leaf works well), and observe them to see if they seem to recover. If your bee doesn't improve, keep reading.



Tap the closest button to your situation:

A quick sugar-water fix

Bee Boost Elixir

  • 1 part room temperature water (not boiled)
  • 1 part sugar crystals (avoid brown sugar / honey)

Mix vigorously, then offer small portion

The first thing to do is to feed your bee. A cold, hungry bee is nothing to fear (in fact, bees are nothing to fear anyway, and you’re probably not too worried if you’re reading this page… but if you are, keep in mind that a cold sluggish bee is in no position or mood to sting… they’re simply hungry and cold, and will be happy for any help you provide)!

Sugar Water Mix

To feed your bee, mix up some organic granulated cane sugar or refined white sugar crystals (never brown sugar or honey) to create a sugar-water solution. A 1:1 mix (50%-50%) is appropriate, and this can be achieved simply by stirring the sugar rapidly in room temperature drinking water (lukewarm is fine, but not boiled).

Offer a small portion of this solution (just a few drops is plenty for a bee) in a shallow lid or teaspoon placed near the bee’s head. Alternatively, add a drop or two of sugar-water to some cut bee flowers placed near your bee (orchard blossoms, dandelions, or any pesticide-free blooming flowers nearby).

Honey bee

When drinking, you’ll see her long tongue extended like a straw below her head. Try placing drops of sugar-water mix directly beneath the tip of her tongue. If you do offer a small dish, make it impossible for your bee to fall clumsily into sugary water.

Honey Bee

Watch her tongue unfold from beneath. Often a light touch of the antennae signals to a bee that there's an energy drink nearby

Bumble Bee

Adding a pebble to the dish would avoid any chance of your bee falling in (but the bumble bee above managed just fine)!

Carpenter Bee

One trick is to add a drop of sugar water to a bee-friendly flower (this is an eastern carpenter bee with a damaged wing)

It often works within minutes

In most cases, your bee will recover quickly after drinking some sugar-water. Offering sugar-water often works even if it appears to you as though your bee is dead! A quick sugar-water boost should help your bee on its way to living another day 😌 It may take a few minutes or a few hours for her to recover, depending on how weak she was to begin with. Don’t be surprised to find your bee gone if you’re not keeping a constant eye on her!

Try warming up your bee too

Note that if it’s cold out (particularly if it's near or below 55°F / 13°C), you’ll speed your bee’s recovery by warming her up. You may do this by placing her in direct sunlight, by letting her sit on your warm skin (a hand or arm), or by bringing her indoors briefly (in a ventilated box) to warm up and drink some sugar-water.

Definitely stay within your comfort zone if you offer up your skin, but if you move slowly and unthreateningly, your bee may crawl right onto your hand or arm (she'll warm up through fabric too, so a dark-colored shirt is good if there's sun). Remember that a tired, sluggish bee is not likely to sting!

Bumble bee warming on hand

Shared with kind permission by reader John (read his full bee story)

Is your bee still not flying away?

If it's getting late (near sunset) or particularly cold or rainy, you may want to consider to protect her from predators while she is in a vulnerable state.

Bees do stay out overnight in odd places if they're caught out in bad weather, and they may wait (almost unmoving!) for several days while they await better weather. So if you're not comfortable housing your bee, look for some pesticide-free bee flowers nearby, and gently place your bee on these flowers. The best flowers are ones on which you've seen similar bees foraging, growing close to the ground (not far for a sluggish bee to fall), out of sight from predators like birds overhead, and bathed in sunlight in the days to come.

Bumble bee sleeps in flower

A bumble bee queen sleeps in a flower

This is my own story of a bumble bee queen who found the perfect spot to spend a series of nights in early spring. Safely tucked inside a crocus flower, she enjoyed a delicious energy bar, whose enclosing petals would open to the sky only once the sun hit! Read more

Types of sugar to avoid

It’s important to avoid brown sugar (which contains extra solids from molasses) and avoid maple syrup (which contains extra minerals), both of which are difficult for bees to digest. Also, do not use boiling water (when sugars caramelize at high heat, they can create indigestible and possibly bee-toxic compounds).

It can be tempting to reach for a few drops of local raw honey, but this can be a vector for spreading bee diseases, so to be safe, avoid feeding honey. If you’ve fed honey in the past, don’t worry about it too much though. Chances are you helped by giving the bee the quick energy boost it needed (flowers are also a conduit for bee diseases, so to some extent, bees are always taking risks when they sip nectar).

Avoid high fructose corn syrup at all costs, as compounds toxic to bees can be formed during manufacturing (as a result of overheating). And it should go without saying to avoid the fake stuff! I avoid conventional sugar because of pesticide usage (especially when sourced from sugar beets, which account for most sugar production and consumption in the United States; Monsanto licenses a Roundup Ready trait to sugarbeet seed companies).


Sugar-water is only for emergencies

The sugar-water solution I detail above should only be used in bee-saving situations. Sugar-water is not sufficient for bees’ nutritional needs long-term (they need all the other trace components of flower nectar for a balanced diet). Putting a dish of sugar-water out may attract bees, but it is not a good idea and it will not help bees in your area, however much they may appear to appreciate it as free food (it can also incense some bees and cause them to be more aggressive than they usually would be, as they compete for such an unusually easy food source).

Bees need pure water though! One of the best things you can do (especially on hot days) is to provide a large shallow dish of fresh water with pebbles in it so that bees may easily reach the water without falling into it. Honey bees in particular need water on hot days in order to cool their hives, and you may see a variety of pollinators and other insects coming to your water dish if you watch for any length of time!

Bumble bee on hand

John’s story of the ‘Bee that Stayed’

Reader John first wrote to me in reply to my post about how to revive a cold, wet, or exhausted bee. In his words: “I can’t believe this, I love Bumble Bees, and when I find one in the garden lying there exhausted, I mix a bit of sugar with water and let them crawl on my hand have a drink, then they sleep for 3 minutes and fly off revitalized. Well. I found one lying on the lawn in a bad state, so I did my usual, NOW he has stayed on my hand and won’t go away, he stayed there whilst I mowed the lawn, and he is still here 1 hour later, he has stayed on my finger whilst I am typing, so I put him on a piece of kitchen roll next to me on the table.” Read more

Keeping your bee overnight

Sometimes you’ll find a bee in need of help in unseasonable weather (particularly in early spring, when bumble bee queens are emerging from hibernation). After , you may decide that the best thing to do is to keep your bee safe overnight. If it’s late at night and cold (below 55°F / 13°C), or raining or even snowing outdoors, then releasing your bee may not be an option.

Base your decision on the time of day, the weather, and your observation of the bee… if it’s morning or afternoon, and she looks ready to go after sipping sugar-water, then she’ll likely want to bee on her way (even if it’s cool and a bit rainy). If it’s approaching evening or night, the weather is worsening, and the bee seems sluggish, her chances will improve by keeping her overnight (some people even end up keeping their bees several nights in a row, until the weather improves… just be sure to mimic as much as possible typical day/night light cycles and temperatures, so your bee doesn’t get confused).

Creating your own Air Bee-n-Bee

In this case, it’s time to make a cozy home for your bee for the night. A shoebox works well for this (with small holes punched in it to provide ventilation). Although we like soft things to lie on, it’s best not to add materials inside the box, as things like fabric may catch on a sluggish bee’s feet and make moving even more of a struggle for her.

Place her in the ventilated box, and provide a little greenery too so that it’s not just a bee inside a stark, empty box. Generally speaking (for overnight stays), I’d avoid placing flowers in the box, as they will lose their nectar fairly quickly, and may confuse a bee looking for food. However, I’ve heard of times when having flowers inside the box is just the thing to “cheer up” a bee and speed her on her way. If the time of day and weather is just “iffy” and might still be good enough for your bee to go out in, then try adding flowers into her box and seeing if she buzzes around sufficiently to bee on her way. If you’re still left with a sluggish bee, remove the flowers but put something natural of interest in the box for the night.

Place the box somewhere that’s not too warm and not too cold… err on the side of cooler, simply because it’s going to simulate their natural environment better. But certainly don’t allow the box to sit in freezing temperatures! Somewhere “in-between” such as a garage, utility room, or other sheltered and lightly-heated area is ideal. I'd recommend removing any dish of sugar-water overnight, so as not to attract ants or risk the bee falling in. You can put it back again in the morning.

Gorgeous red-tailed bumble bee queen shared with kind permission by reader Emily

Keep an eye on your bee

Check on your bee from time to time; if she’s full of energy and buzzing, she may well wish to take her chances outdoors. Bumble bee queens in particular are fairly well-equipped for unseasonable weather. Bumble bees are quite special in terms of their ability to decouple their flight muscles from their wings and vibrate (or “shiver”) in order to warm themselves up. But if it's totally inhospitable out (very cold or wet) and she's still full of energy and buzzing, simply move her box to a cooler location and she'll settle down.

Prepare to release your bee

If your bee seems comfortable and settled in her box, then wait to release her until the weather is more favorable (at least 55°F or 13°C). Bees are not particularly early risers! On the next day of decent weather, make sure your bee has had a little sugar-water for breakfast, and then leave her box open in a sunny warm spot outdoors. Release your bee near where you found her, ideally near flowers where you see other similar bees foraging. It can take anywhere between minutes and hours for her to feel ready to leave. If you hang around watching for a little while, you’ll likely see her buzz around her box a bit first, before finally taking off happily!

Sometimes bees stay a few days & nights

A few years ago I read the most charming story about someone’s encounter with a bumble bee queen and how she rescued it with sugar water and a night in a shoebox. Read her inspiring story on the Bumblebee Conservation Trust website:

The Plight of the Bumblebee

Bumble bees mating

Hosting tiny guests at an Air Bee-n-Bee in San Francisco

Today I heard from Ann in San Francisco with a question after she found my post about how to revive a cold, wet, or exhausted bee. Astonishingly, a queen bumble bee—carrying three little worker bees, no less!—had sought out Ann’s help in the garden. In her words: “Hi, I have a queen bee that visited my back patio yesterday and she kept following me around and trying to get under a bag of potting soil…I moved the bag and then her…to under a sunny bush…she was then crawling back to me! So I put down my glove and she hopped on and I found a more protected area of the lawn where she spent the night. Today she is back with three small bumble bees on her back she is not moving and will not drink its going to get cold and windy soon…what do I do???” Read more

Rescuing bees from water

The easiest way to rescue a flailing bee from water is to use a leaf or some other object close-to-hand to scoop them up quickly. If you rescue your bee from water, the first thing to do is to put her in direct sunlight so she can dry out and warm up. While we generally prefer recovering in the shade, bees recover far faster in full sun.

Bees don't have lungs, instead they have a series of air sacs, with a number of spiracles (openings) along the sides of their bodies. You may see your bee's body pulsing as she recovers. This is the equivalent of us breathing heavily, and she's doing it to move more oxygen through her circulatory system.

Warm up and reenergize your bee

Avoid attempting to separate your bee's wings or correct other physical issues that appear amiss. Warm sun will help “reactivate” your bee, after which she can clean herself (if she needs) much more gently and effectively than us. It’s also a good idea to as above, if your bee doesn’t take off soon after being scooped up and drying off somewhere warm.

Offer a night's safe rest

If it’s too late at night for there to be any warmth or sunlight, then in a ventilated box, and release her the following morning.

Alternatively, look for bee-friendly flowers nearby, ideally low-growing (to avoid falls) and in sunlight come morning (also choose a spot where your bee won't stand out too much to a bird flying overhead)! Place your bee on these flowers, so that the following morning, she'll have breakfast ready as she awaits the warming day.

Preventing future accidents

Bees end up in pools of water for the most unsurprising of reasons: they hope for sips of water. Honey bees also use water to cool their hives in summer (they bring it back to their hives in a special stomach).

One way to help prevent bees falling into water is to offer a bee-safe drinking area (or several) nearby. Use something like a shallow dish, and place a number of pebbles to provide easy drinking perches. Keep the dish filled (ideally with filtered water), especially on hot days!


Tap to learn more about:

Knowing your bee helps

There are so many different kinds of bees, but when you find a bee, it’s very often one of the more common types. If it’s large and fuzzy, it’s probably a bumble bee. If it’s really large and fuzzy, it’s probably a queen bumble bee (especially in early spring and late fall). Honey bees are smaller by comparison, less fuzzy, and have that classic “striping” (light and dark bands) typically depicted in pictures of bees.

You can revive any kind of bee by , moving them somewhere warmer (into direct sunlight, ideally), or even warming them up a bit gently with your breath. If it's a bumble bee and it’s late in the day or the weather is worsening (dropping below 55°F / 13°C, raining or snowing), you can also potentially in a ventilated box. Release your bee the following morning once the sun is up, and offer sugar-water again to give your bee an energetic start to her day!

These are all bumble bee queens:

Black-tailed bumble bee queen Yellow-faced bumble bee queen Sitka bumble bee queen

These are all honey bee workers:

Honey bee worker Honey bee worker Honey bee workers

These are all carpenter bees:

Western carpenter bee (female) Eastern carpenter bee (male) Eastern carpenter bee (male)

These are all wasps:

Common Yellowjacket Western paper wasp Bald-faced hornet

These are all flies that mimic bees:

Hover fly Bee fly Hover Fly

On wasps & flies

Bees are simply wasps that went vegetarian! Adult wasps drink nectar just like bees, never eating meat themselves. It's baby bees and wasps that need extra protein: for bees, protein-rich pollen makes the perfect larval food, whereas for wasps, protein-rich caterpillars and other prey are favored. Although wasps have a formidable reputation, they are good pollinators, and unlikely to sting unless defending their nest or young.

Some flies can be excellent "bee mimics". The way to tell a fly from a bee quickly is to look at their heads: flies have short, stubby antennae (compared to the long antennae of bees), and flies also tend to have larger eyes that meet at the top of their heads (though not always). Note that both flies and wasps can tolerate lower temperatures than bees as well.

Honey bees & water

Honey bees need to get back to their hives for the night, but bumble bees can stay out a night or two just fine. Honey bees are most often found in need of help when they’ve on a warm day. Honey bees collect water in order to cool their hives, hence they face more dangers from falling into pools and ponds while trying to get to the water.

Help drowning bees by quickly scooping them out of the water, followed by placing the bee in direct sunlight to warm and dry it naturally. Offering replace lost energy quickly.

If you consistently find yourself rescuing bees from pools of water near your home, try placing pebbles in a shallow dish of water nearby to provide them a safer place to drink, especially on hot days!

Early spring brings bumble bee queens

In early spring, large fluffy bumble bee queens are emerging from their winter hibernation. They’re searching for the earliest spring flowers and looking for the perfect underground burrow in which to start their colonies for the year (colonies that will number in the low hundreds of cute, fuzzy bumble bees). Sometimes they'll appreciate a little help, especially if they're nearly out of energy. Since they're relatively large bees, they need more energy simply to get off the ground.

Interrupted bumble bee queen hibernation

Bumble bee queens often hibernate in small holes that they dig into soil in order to stay safely undisturbed and protected from frost. They also hibernate in log piles and under leaf litter from time to time. Sometimes, they get disturbed in these places, such as by leaf blowers, fleeting bursts of unseasonably warm weather, or accidentally digging them up while gardening.

Ideally, if you find a large (likely queen) bumble bee in the depths of winter, avoid warming her up indoors, and instead try to put her back in the same place if possible. If for some reason that's not possible, then place her near to some easily-diggable soil or good bed of leaf-litter (north-facing banks work well, since hibernating bees are less likely to be awoken by the warming earth too early, and a bank of soil helps any rain run off safely).

For further information in these situations, the Bumblebee Conservation Trust has excellent tips for helping hibernating bumble bees.

Bumble bees "shiver" to warm up!

Although cold-blooded like all insects, bumble bees can generate their own heat by decoupling their wings from their flight muscles, then moving these without flying... giving the appearance of shivering! Bumble bees are more likely to get caught out in bad weather, since they take more chances with cooler temperatures (and even light rain). Honey bees, on the other hand, stay clustered warmly together in their hives on cold and rainy days.

Any mites you see are probably not harmful

The bee mites we read about in the news are a very specific type of mite (Varroa destructor) that only affects honey bees because of their unique life cycle. If your bee is a larger, fuzzier bee, chances are it has harmless bumble bee mites instead. Bumble bees often have harmless mites… they’re far smaller mites, and they’re not dangerous for the bee. They’re typically “hitchhiking” to the bumble bee’s nest from flowers, where the mites then feed on small bits of detritus around the nest.

So there’s typically no need to try to remove tiny mites from bees you find. The only time these much smaller mites can be a problem is in rare instances, when hundreds pile onto a bee at once, impacting its ability to fly. I’ve seen photos documenting this, but it is highly unusual. Honey bee mites are far larger by comparison… it would be like one of us having a rabbit-sized tick!

Reviving bees while out and about

When I go for long walks in spring, I carry a small vial of sugar-water with me in case I see a struggling bee in need. This way I can drop a few droplets onto something like a leaf or flower (right below the bee’s head), in order to give it a top-up of energy. If you don’t have sugar-water with you, you might instead try gently moving your bee (using a leaf or similar) onto nearby flowers where you (ideally) see other, similar bees foraging.

And if you'd love to carry sugar-water with you at all times just in case you find a bee in need, I’ve discovered the neatest solution, complete with protective keychain carrying case for the glass vial! Although UK-based, they'll ship elsewhere too (note that I have nothing to gain by linking, I simply think theirs is a neat product):

Beevive, inspired by a spontaneous encounter with a tired bee


Wondering who's writing this?

elise-fog

I’m Elise Fog, a lifelong bee lover and hobbyist photographer. It struck me (more than ten years ago!) that it’d be cool to share the bee love with others. Bees are a wondrous and vital part of our world, and it wouldn’t look the same without them.

While searching for the critically endangered rusty-patched bumble bee, photographer Clay Bolt poignantly commented: “We spend so much time and effort trying to make life better for ourselves. The least we can do is make life possible for this bee.” I truly believe every single bee’s life counts. I also think that saving a bee’s life creates a special connection that will never bee forgotten.

Wild lawn with clover, dandelions, other flowers

Tip Jar

tip-jar

If you find what I share here helpful, donations are much appreciated


All the Buzz!

An occasional email newsletter with seasonal bee gardening advice, curious bee facts, current bee research, and other bee-related goodness.

I only use your email address to send you occasional bee-related emails (opt-out any time). Read my full privacy policy.


Still have a question about your bee?

I hope your bee is feeling better! If you're still concerned, drop your question here and I'll try to answer promptly (keep in mind I'm on the U.S. west coast, and sometimes I'm simply not around at the right time). The response to this page has been incredible, and I keep adding to this page based on hearing so many bee stories.

I only use the information you provide in order to help with your bee question. Read my full privacy policy.
Your email is important so that you know I've replied, and also in case we need to exchange photos of your bee.


1697 responses to “How to help revive a cold or wet bee

  1. hello,

    My names Megan I was wondering if you could officer any advice?

    I took in a Bee 2 days ago and he’s been living in a shoe box in my utility room, I’ve given him sugar water, fresh water and a couple flowers each day (don’t worry I remove them after an hour so they don’t wilt in the box) .I also put him out in the sun each day for a few hours. He drinks and goes into the flower and seems to enjoy this but he can’t fly and one of his arms if stuck to his chest (broken?) I also find him on his back quite often. At this point is it too late for him? Or is there anything else I can do? Do I keep doing what I’m doing as I am making his death more comfortable or am I just prolonging his death?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Megan Storie

  2. I found a queen bumblebee on my porch. After 9 hours of care protected in my greenhouse with a warm grow lamp, sugar water and flowers she remains wet and uncoordinated. Is she dying? What can I do to help her feel better? I’m really worried.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Beth

  3. I found what I think was a female Field Cuckoo bee in my garden two days ago. It was a wet day and there are few flowers about yet so I popped it in a plant pot overnight under some trees out of the rain. Unfortunately, it rained all night and next day the bee was not moving so I brought it inside, gave sugar water which it drank and kept it in a shoe box in the garage with greenery and a couple of crocuses. The bee took more sugar water and started moving about so I opened the lid and put some clear bubble wrap over the box (with holes in) and kept garage light on as it’s quite dark in there. I closed the lid at night and the bee was still alive this morning but seemed more sluggish so I offered more sugar water and eventually brought the shoe box inside and put it under my desk lamp while I worked. (Not too close, though) The bee then started moving about and seemed to be trying to dry its legs and wings, and then started to buzz its wings so I was really hopeful it would survive. I had decided to keep it in the kitchen overnight tonight but when I opened the lid to check on it just now the bee wasn’t moving and I think she has sadly died. I wish this story had a happier ending… could I have done anything else?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Gill

  4. Hi,

    I found a curled up bee and I made it sugar water but it is now really covered In the sugar water. I’m not sure what to do?

    I ended up setting the bee on a flower in a plate and there were 2 bees that kind of started to fly around its area.

    Thank you in advance,

    Krista

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Krista

  5. Hi Elise, Saturday (today is Tuesday) I found a big bumblebee (probably a queen) on the pavement. She was not moving and I thought she was dead. After picking her up I saw she was still alive and I put her in a flower and gave her some sugar water, which she drank. I waited for a while for her to regain her strength and fly away, but unfortunately she didn’t. I brought her home with me and put her in a box without a lit with the flower I put her in and some grass and sugar water, on the balcony.

    It was quite cold in the weekend (even snowed), but she was still alive but moving very little. I checked up on her everyday and gave her fresh flowers but she never moved a lot.

    3 days forward, she’s still alive to my surprise and I gave her some fresh sugar water and just normal water (she was thirsty!). She didn’t seem able to walk much and wasn’t really moving. I went to research more on how to help her and stumbled across your website. After reading the advice, I brought her inside to warm up. She started vibrating and after that she started to walk around a bit. She became a lot more active! That made me very happy, but unfortunately I see that her hind legs don’t work and seem paralysed. She’s walking by dragging her body forward with her four front legs. Also one side of her wings seems to be sitting different from the other one (which was like this when I found her). She doesn’t want any sugar water since I brought her inside and she's napping every so often.

    I’m afraid her hind legs and wings wont get any better, but maybe she’s still just very exhausted. What advice would you give?

    Thank you so much in advance!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Amy

    1. I'm so sorry to hear about your bee, she does sound as though she's struggling. When bees are cold and exhausted, they do often have trouble moving as you've seen, but it's very worrying to hear that she's dragging her hind legs like that, as well as holding her wings differently on one side compared with the other.

      I really hope too that she improves as she warms up more, but I think you may well end up simply making her comfortable in her last days. I do think it's a very kind thing to do, to provide bees in such a condition with a safe place with plenty to eat and drink, since if they're out on their own, they're often found and torn apart while still alive by ants or birds.

      I'd be inclined to bring her some fresh flowers, perhaps dropping a few tiny drops of sugar water on those(since otherwise they lose their nectar soon after being cut). It might feel reassuring to her, to have something natural like that nearby, with all the smells.

      Do let me know if she improves at all, as it would be really good to know. Sometimes they can hold their wings strangely for awhile (in asymmetric fashion) and still be alright after warming up and cleaning themselves fully. But her hind legs are a particularly worrying sign (especially as she needs those to gather pollen to provision her nest, assuming she's a queen, which I'd guess she is given the time of year). I really do wish you both all the best 💛🐝💛

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  6. I wondered if I could ask for some advice, we found a bumblebee outside earlier this evening, she was barely moving, we thought she was dead but her feet were slightly waving when I picked her up. We brought her inside as it was only a 4 degrees celcius outside. We gave her some sugar water but she still isn’t moving. I think she is still alive though. What should we do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Immie

    1. I’d give her time in the warmth to see if she revives. She may well just be very chilled, and so she may take several hours to warm up. Hopefully she’s at least on her feet (rather than on her side or worse)? Other than warming her up to make sure she’s alright, there’s nothing more to do besides keeping her overnight somewhere safe. Will your weather be improving over the next few days, and are there bee-friendly flowers nearby for her?

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Hi, so unfortunately she didn’t make it to this morning. She was very cold and seemed to have some injuries on her. She was also laying on her back the whole time.

        But thanks very much for your help.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Immie

  7. Hello, we are in the UK and found a bumblebee this afternoon on the sidewalk. Took him home, offered some sugar water which wasn’t wanted. Left him in the garden for a bit to see if he’d recover but he was very still. As it got dark it started raining and getting cold so I’ve taken him inside now with some sugar water in a shoebox. The problem is, I live in a place that currently has a lot of construction and I don’t know where the last flowers i’ve seen are. I’ve got to leave tomorrow morning and can’t take him with me. The weather forecast says it will be 5 degrees celsius feeling like 0-1 degrees. I’m worried about what to do with him. He has perked up lots since coming into the warmth, but not sure what to do with him tomorrow. Grateful for any advice

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kendra

    1. I'm guessing you found a young queen, , as they're most likely to be around at this time of year, assuming she's a large-ish bumble bee? It's always tumultuous weather-wise in early spring, when these young bees are emerging from their winter hibernation.

      Assuming she's a freshly emerged queen bumble bee, she doesn't need to be released near where you found her. But she does need to be near flowers, or within flying distance of flowers. If she were on her own, she'd try to hunker down near some flowers, while waiting out any cold and rainy weather. Sometimes bumble bees shelter inside or under flowers, and sometimes under leaves nearby.

      If you can find any patch of flowers, that'd definitely give her the best chance. Even if you could take her just a little bit of the way with you, and drop her off where you see the first bee-friendly flowers? Maybe crocuses or winter honeysuckle might be around somewhere? If that isn't possible, I think my advice would be to warm her up indoors really well in the morning before you leave (putting her enclosure in a warm room, even near a heater so long as you keep a really close eye on her), and then offer her more sugar-water mix, so that she has some real warmth and energy built up to be able to fly some distance, in search of flowers herself.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thank you so much for your helpful advice! I went on a walk and it seems there’s almost nothing in bloom at the moment. There is a patch of daffodils on a wall by a restaurant that seems the safest/most protective option given it’s meant to rain lots and be cold tomorrow. But I did also find some rosemary outside someone’s home, but it’s quite a bit more exposed. I’m not sure what to do. If it doesn’t seem safe enough I’ll take her on a part of my train journey with me! Thanks again :)

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Kendra

        1. Go with the rosemary over the daffodils for sure, even though the one is more exposed than the other! Rosemary is a great plant for bees, but daffodils (kind of surprisingly) offer little nectar at all these days, because of the selective breeding they’ve gone through for showiness. So long as she can hide amidst the rosemary sprigs or beneath leaves underneath the plant, she should be alright even in cold, rainy weather. Definitely the more sheltered the better, but rosemary is such a bumble bee favorite it may be her best bet. Bumble bees can get wet and be alright too, so long as they’re not immersed. It just takes them longer to get going afterwards, since they need to be able to dry off fully in the sun once it comes out again. I wish her and you all the best!

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  8. Hello, I apologise, this may be a long question.

    I found a bumble bee yesterday on the pavement in my garden not moving. I gently nudged her to check if she was alive and she started moving so I offered some sugar water (which she didn’t take) and moved her under a flowery bush in my garden. I went back to check on her a few hours later and she still wasn’t moving so I decided to bring her indoors as it was cold and starting to rain. I put her in my conservatory and gave her some sugar water which she took that time and also a flower which she seemed to take the nectar from. Then she started buzzing and flying around my conservatory so I led her back outside to the same flowery bush but I think she may have used up all of her energy and just burrowed into a flower and stayed there. I thought I’d just leave her be as I thought she must be fine having been able to fly around but when I went back this morning, she was still there in the same position and it was raining quite badly again so I decided to bring her in in a shoe box with small holes at the top and some more sugar water again. It’s night time now so will be keeping her in over night but I think it will be quite cold and rainy for a couple of days atleast and temperatures will be dropping to 6 degrees Celsius on Friday according to the weather app. She seems to be fine when I bring her indoors and walks around the box fine and then goes still again when outside in the cold. Just wondering what I should do, when would be the best time to release her and what I can offer her in the meantime etc. Thank you very much for your help

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Emily

    1. I apologize for my late response! How is your bee doing? All her behavior sounds normal for this time of year. I'd imagine that she was burrowing into a flower and staying put, as her way of sheltering from the elements. Though she's safer with you out of the rain, while she's so immobile! It's not surprising either that she buzzes about in a warmer conservatory, and walks around once she's warmer too. It sounds just too cold and rainy out right now, for her to do much other than attempt to shelter until it's warmer.

      Do you have any days closer to 12°C on your forecast? She'd be much more likely to get going on a sunny day with temperatures above 10°C. Ideally releasing her on a sunny, warmer day into the flowery bush she liked nearby would be good, so that she has time throughout that day to forage and begin to search for a place to start her colony (since I'm guessing she's a queen bumble bee freshly emerged from winter hibernation, given the time of year).

      While she's with you, I'd check on her from time to time, keeping her enclosure somewhere cool-ish so that she doesn't get expend energy thinking it's warm, when it's still cold out. Naturally, she'd be sheltering wherever she could find, but it is a risky time of year for queen bumble bees, and we need each and every one of them to have the best chances they can! It's very thoughtful of you to keep her safe until the weather improves, and she'll be just fine in an enclosure if you offer sugar-water from time to time in the day, and place some natural objects of interest in there too.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thank you very much for your help!

        I went back through some previous questions you helped with and have kept her in the shoe box with some greenery and have been giving her sugar water every so often as you suggest. She seems fine and is walking around the shoe box. The conservatory she is in is cool so I will keep her in there until the weather picks up. It says it’s still going to be quite cold for a few days and will pick back up again to 11°C on Tuesday with some sunny spells so planning on releasing her then.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Emily

  9. Found a queen bee on my balcony not flying, at 2pm yesterday ( its now 7.11pm )I gave her sugar water to hydrate her. And bought her inside to try warm her up a bit . I put her back outside this morning and been keeping an eye on her, she's still moving, just about . But still not able to fly or move away . Its starting to rain and queen bee is currently in an open container with a cloth with sugar water and some greenery. Is there anything I can do to help her ? I'm putting a lot of trust In her as I'm actually allergic to bees and wasps but I know she needs help.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Leanne

    1. That's very kind of you to help her, even with a known allergy! Do you have any warmer weather coming up, closer to 12°C ideally (or above)? Given that she's a queen bumble bee, she'll need a good bit of energy and warmth to get flying again. It often takes them several hours of basking in direct sun rays (as well as drinking nectar) before they're able to fly. You'll know she's readying for it when she starts doing little "test buzzes" with her wings.

      When it's colder, they're often still able to forage (even if they're not warm or energized enough to fly) if they still can walk up and down flowers (early spring bulbs like crocuses are good for this). Do you have any good patches of early spring bee-friendly flowers in the area? Since she's a queen bumble bee, you could also take her in a covered container somewhere, and release her into a patch of nice flowers (winter honeysuckle is another one that might be around).

      Since it's late where you are right now though (and raining), I'm sure she'll be staying put tonight. Do you have warmer, dryer weather on the way? If you get some good bursts of warmth, then putting her out in the direct sunlight on such a day might be enough for her to get going again from your balcony. She just needs to be nice and warm, as well as energized (which the sugar-water will do)!

      Oh, and by the way, it's definitely unlikely for her to feel any threat from you, but if she does, she'll raise her middle leg, as a kind of warning that she feels uncomfortable (if she's really concerned and feels you're too close, she'll raise both middle legs). So long as you're not seeing that behavior, there shouldn't be anything to worry about from her. When cold, they're quite incapable too.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  10. I'm so happy to have found your site! We had a 50 degree day today and I found a bee staggering on our driveway. He fell over a couple of times and looked completely un-beelike. I carefully moved him to a warmer spot in the sun and he stayed there past the sun going away, not moving. I offered some sugar water and he drank it (which was amazing). I have fed him 3 times so far and he has not gone anywhere. The sun will be going down soon and so I've put him in a shoebox with some dried leaves, covered but with an airhole, and he is on our 3 season porch. We are supposed to have rain and snow tomorrow (Wed.) and then temps in the 20s and wind on Thursday. If he makes it through tonight how should I consider the upcoming weather and temps to release him?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Mrs. Bun

    1. How is your bee this morning? I apologize for replying a day late, I hope all is well there!

      It sounds from your weather forecast that you'll have a bee guest for a few days at least. If the weather forecast I'm looking at here proves to be close to what happens, then I think your best bet is to keep your bee safe probably even through Saturday. They don't do well in high winds, nor are they able to move around once temperatures drop below 50 or so (though if they're basking in direct sun, they can walk around a bit clumsily closer to 50F; typically they're not able to fly in the low 50s, becoming able to fly in the mid 50s if there's also enough sunlight).

      Keep checking in on your bee from time to time! So long as the shoe box is in a coolish spot, your bee is probably not going to be doing a great deal other than quietly sitting and waiting for warmer weather. They're accustomed to variable weather at this time of year, but unseasonably warm weather confuses them, causing them to emerge too early, before there are enough flowers around.

      Is your bee a large fluffy bumble bee, by chance? I ask because it's common in early spring for young queen bumble bees to be emerging from their winter hibernation. They take their cues from the warmth of the soil, but sometimes that can cause young bees to emerge far too early (heavy rain, high winds, and below freezing temperatures are all dangerous for bees). It's a good thing you found your bee when you did! Oh, and it's not surprising at all that your bee didn't leave, even after being placed in the sun. That's probably owing to not being warm enough, and maybe also exhausted, possibly not having found much (or any?) nectar.

      Let me know how your bee is doing today! Not moving is normal enough. Especially if it's a large fluffy queen bumble bee, she'll be able to walk and clean herself long before she's able to try to fly. Large bees need to be pretty warm and energized to gain lift-off!

      I know Sunday sounds like quite some time from now, but your shoebox is a safer place for a bee to wait out the weather than anywhere else outdoors right now. When they're really cold, they can't move even to defend themselves, or to get out of a sudden deluge of rain. They'll try to shelter outdoors, but it's much safer for your bee to be somewhere frost-free and predator-free right now! They do quite well in boxes too, waiting out the weather.

      My only concern is looking further along in your weather forecast. Are there any early spring flowers in your area yet? Naturally, they'd shelter in or near a patch of early spring flowers, either hiding inside the flowers themselves (when flowers close around them protectively, like crocuses), or hiding beneath leaves or pieces of wood or similar near a patch of flowers. It's hard for them to find a good spot like that when the weather is shifting so much though, since it needs to be frost-free and safe from rain, while also warming up once the sun hits it, so they can move again. Perhaps you know of a likely spot?

      Oh, and if yours is a large bumble bee, there's no need to release her near where you found her, because she won't yet have established another home, and she'll do best in a flower-rich area (bumble bee queens first spend time foraging to top up their energy after their winter hibernation, before starting to scout around for abandoned rodent holes or similar tunnels in the ground, which they then turn into a home for their new colony for the season).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Oh, Elise, he was doing so much better last night when I gave him his sugar water at dinner! Then only an hour later he got out through one of the airholes in the shoebox and was flying around the enclosed porch bonking into the windows. He ended up on the floor barely moving. I put him back in the box and kept him warm but he curled up on his side and only waved a couple of legs for a bit...then no more. :( He was not a big fuzzy bee, to answer your question. I am very sorry he didn't make it - if I have another bee to care for I will be sure the air holes are smaller. Thank you for all your help. You have a great site!

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Mrs. Bun

  11. In this warm up period in Feb, seems likely some bees will re-emerge. There are NO flowers blooming (or, none I can see), so should I put sugar water (1:1) out in a dish in the garden? Woujd that e helpful, or is that unnecessary? 🤔

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Leslie

    1. It's a good thought, but I'm leaning towards it being unnecessary, unless you see bees reemerging there and searching for flowers, with nothing at all available in the area for them. Flowers are always better for bees than sugar-water, because flowers have various amino acids and such in their nectar that is beneficial for bees. Sugar-water is good for emergencies, but like any creature, sometimes bees will prefer easier sources (like a dish of sugar-water) when they'd be better off (healthier) foraging from flowers.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  12. Hi ! I found a bumble bee this morning on the path and brought her home (assuming it’s a her). When offering some sugar water on a spoon I accidentally got some on her wings and I feel dreadful. She’s moving along now though which she wasn’t doing 4 hours ago. What do I do now ? It’s 8°c here in the U.K. and very windy.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Gina

    1. It'd be a female bumble bee at this time of year for sure, and if it's a large-ish bumble bee, then she'll be a queen (which would also be most likely at this time of year, since bumble bee queens emerge from their winter hibernation around now, foraging for themselves until they start new colonies).

      Did she try to clean off the sugar-water on her wings? Did they stick together at all that you saw, or was it only a little sugar-water? So long as she has enough energy, she'll be able to clean herself off just fine. Occasionally, if it looks as though the sugar-water is drying (or has already dried) and might cause her wings to stick together (since bees have four wings, a pair on each side), it can be helpful to drop a very small amount of slightly-cooler-than-lukewarm water on the spot, in order to dissolve the sugars. But I'd tend to recommend against this unless it really seems necessary, since bees don't like getting wet! It has worked for a few folks with sticky bees though.

      It's possible that you may find it a little hard to tell if her wings are sticking together or not, if she's not attempting to fly. You might still be able to tell by closely observing her as she moves around though, since they do flex and move their wings at times naturally.

      Is your weather going to improve any day soon, and are there flowers emerging yet (spring bulbs, perhaps) in your area? You can keep her safely for a few days there, just keep an eye on her behavior, and keep her enclosure somewhere relatively cool, so that she doesn't expend too much energy, nor get confused and think that it's time to fly when it's still so chilly and windy out.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  13. I rescued a queen Bufftail yesterday, it was on the ground whilst we were out on a walk, it was end of the day, cold and starting to rain. I picked her up and after searching around for an appropriate flower, I found nothing, it's obviously a little early for her. So I had to take her home. I think she took a little sugar water and became quite energetic, but then settled back down to sleep in my hand. Popped her in a box overnight. This morning she was lively, took her out and showed her the sun, she was warming up and buzzing (I had offered her sugar water again, but she wouldn't take it) she took off, but just didn't have enough energy to go far. I have her back in her little box, sat on the edge in the sun in the kitchen. What should I do? There are just no flowers etc to offer her at the moment and she's not strong enough to fly. Thank you.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sophie

    1. I have heard that bumble bee queens are emerging too early in areas of the UK this year, before there are any flowers for them. Usually their timing cues for emergence (warming soil being the main one) coincide better with the emergence of flowers.

      I'm not surprised that she has energy enough to fly in the warmth of the sun, but not sufficient energy to fly very far. Bumble bee queens often don't fly very far at this time of year. I've often seen them with enough energy to crawl and bumble around a patch of early spring bulbs, but not sufficient energy to fly any distance from the patch. Do you know of any places you might be able to find early spring bulbs (such as crocuses) that may be coming up soon?

      Queen bumbles can wait out cold, rainy weather, and often do at this time of year, however usually they're able to do so near a patch of flowers, retaining their energy by moving very little (hiding out under leaves or inside closed flowers) until the sun comes out and the flowers open, at which time they can begin foraging again. So she should be fine staying with you for a few days, if you keep her enclosure in a frost-free but fairly cool spot, which will naturally slow her down. As long as she's not using much energy, she'll be alright, even if she's not sipping much sugar-water mix (though I'd definitely still keep offering that while you have her).

      If you can find a spot to take her where there are early spring bulbs emerging, it'd be worth doing, but it sounds like those simply aren't available currently. In which case, keeping her with you would give her the best chances. Otherwise, if it's sunny, she'll expend energy outdoors, without finding any flowers to replenish her energy.

      I really hope there are bee-friendly flowers emerging soon for your bumble bee queen, and others like her emerging from their winter hibernation! Given experiences with other bumble bee queens housed at this time of year with folks, she should be fine even for a couple of weeks with you, but she'll be eager to be out foraging if it's sunny. I would watch her behavior closely, keeping her cold at night, and slightly warmer during the day (to where she can crawl about a bit, ideally drinking a little sugar-water to ensure she's not hungry).

      I'd release her as soon as there's a sunny day that's above 12C or so, as well as bee-appropriate flowers available (even if it's some distance from where you originally found her, since having recently emerged and into an area without flowers, she will not yet have begun the work of establishing her colony).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thank you for your reply. I will keep a close eye on her and take it day by day. The weather has closed in again this evening and it doesn't look good for the next week, but things may change.

        Thank you so much for your advice. I will give you an update when I release her. 🙂

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Sophie Holden

  14. I have a bee on my daffodils and he's been there for 3 days. Is he dead? I move the flower and he doesn't move

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Tina

    1. Daffodils don't tend to be attractive to pollinators, owing to the amount of selective breeding that's been done with these flowers (highly ornamental flowers often lose other characteristics, such as plentiful pollen and nectar, so become far less attractive to bees). Then again, you have a been on your daffodils, so clearly the bee thought it a possible food source, but it's unusual to see them there (though they adore other early spring bulbs like crocuses),

      If it's very cold, your bee may appear dead even when you move the flower, but still be alive. Is it a large fluffy bumble bee, by chance? I ask because it's around the time that queen bumble bees may be emerging from their hibernation in your state. They often spend days barely moving, waiting out the cold weather (and rain), until the sun shines on them and gets them moving again.

      If you happen to have other more bee-friendly flowers nearby (such as crocuses), it might be worth gently relocating your bee. But if the sun will shine on her, and if she's still clinging to her flower right now, she's probably fine where she's at until the next sunny day.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  15. Yesterday late afternoon I found a bumble bee on my drive. It had been raining so ground was wet. It’s 13 degrees here (day time).

    I moved the bee into a paper bowl overnight, gave it some sugar water and I’m delighted to have found it alive this morning!

    The bee is now trying to fly a little so I guess I should move it outside but it’s still wet and there really aren’t many flowers around for it to reach any pollen.

    My question is, should I still place it outside or keep it safe for a few more days (with sugar water)?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Joanne

    1. Is your bee a large fluffy bumble bee? I'm guessing so, since this is the time of year for bumble bee queens to be emerging from their winter hibernation. These queens can tolerate colder temperatures than one would think, and at 13C they should be able to move about a bit, if not fly, when the sun is shining on them directly.

      Though with few flowers about, that can be problematic. Bumble bee queens do well foraging on early spring bulbs (such as crocuses) at this time of year, since they can clamber up and down them, rather than needing to fly between them. Crocuses also close up when the sun isn't shining on them, giving such bees a protective overnight shelter in which to avoid rain.

      Bumble bee queens also have an additional trick for warming up, whereby they decouple their wings from their flight muscles, and then "shiver" in order to generate heat.

      I'm thinking you may still have her with you (I realize I'm writing later, since I'm in a different timezone), and it certainly won't hurt to keep her for another day or more, if the weather continues to be rainy rathe than sunny. If you do keep her, make sure to keep her in a relatively cool (but frost-free) area, so that she doesn't get frustrated, thinking she might be able to fly off.

      If I'm right in guessing she's a large bumble bee queen, then the location to which you return her does not need to be the one in which you found her. If you know of some patches of early spring flowers that are bee-friendly (ideally where you see other bees foraging), you might release her there instead, ideally on a sunny day after she's nicely warmed up from being with you.

      If you have any more questions, let me know! Feel free to attach photos or videos by replying directly to the email from my website.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  16. I have a carpenter bee my husband rescued and being on the East Coast, he/she was cold. I have it by a sunny window and I gave it sugar water. It's alive and energetic. what else can I do for it in this bitter winter?

    Adel

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Adel

    1. I am so sorry that I was unable to answer your bee question in a timely manner (I've been traveling off-grid).

      It's very kind of you to have taken in your carpenter bee, and if something similar happens in the future, I think the only thing to be done is to release your bee once it's fed, warm and energized (ideally on a day that's sunny, even if bitterly cold), so that it can find its way back to wherever it was overwintering. Carpenter bees overwinter in the nest tunnels that their mothers built, often keeping warm nestled together with their siblings.

      It'd be very difficult to know where the right nesting tunnel is though, in order to release your bee at the right entrance. That's why I think that warming your bee up and releasing it on a sunny day near where it was found, would give it the best possible chances.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  17. I found a lethargic bumble bee while taking down my seasonal gazebo. I brought the bee into my heated garage to warm up. Where can I safely put this bee for the winter?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Melissa Hollings

    1. I am so sorry that I was unable to answer your bee question in a timely manner (I've been traveling off-grid).

      It's very kind of you to have cared about your bee. For the future, if you find a lethargic bee in early winter, I'd advise releasing it on the sunniest of days that week, ideally after warming it up and offering a sugar-water solution, to give it its best chances.

      If it's a rather small bumble bee at that time of year, unfortunately they don't last through the winter (only the queens hibernate, awaking in spring to start new bumble bee colonies).

      If it's a large bumble bee at that time of year, it might well be a queen, who'll be searching for a spot underground in which to hibernate safely for the winter. Much as we know a fair amount about the spots they tend to choose, individual queens always insist on choosing these spots for themselves, so it's impossible to place her where she needs to be. Instead, giving her a boost of warmth and food is all we can do, before letting her take her chances.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  18. I recently saved a cold bee from some hail here in NM and I have released it. However, the bee just keeps walking around in circles without trying to fly at all. Should I be worrying about this?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Bob

    1. I am so sorry that I was unable to answer your bee question in a timely manner (I've been traveling off-grid).

      For the future, I'd say that a bee walking around in circles is a worrying sign. If they circle in ever-larger loops once they're flying, that's normal though; it's their way of locating themselves based on remembered landmarks. But if they're just walking in circles repeatedly, I'm sad to say it tends to be a sign of acute pesticide poisoning, in my experience. Occasionally they can still recover with time, but it's usually a sign of some neurological damage, impairing their otherwise excellent abilities to find their way back home.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  19. How can I save a really cold bee that is shaking

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Luke

    1. I am so sorry that I was unable to answer your bee question in a timely manner (I've been traveling off-grid).

      For the future, it's not necessarily a worry to see a bee "shaking"... if it's a fluffy bumble bee, it's actually their way of warming up. They have a little trick whereby they decouple their wings from their flight muscles, then vibrate their muscles to warm up. To us, it looks like a strangely shivering bee! For them, it can warm them up just enough to be able to get going again on a cold day.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  20. Hello! Yesterday I found a bee in the front garden upside down and completely soaked. I brought him/her in and put in a box. After a few hours she started moving around and trying to get out the lid and was much dryer. The sun came out so I popped her in the flower bed but stil with sugar water a rose.

    It rained again later and I went back out, she was back on her back. She’s been back inside in a bowl (lined with tissue to help dry, some flowers, leaves and thick sugar water) with a sieve on top (I have a cat!).

    There’s been minimal movement since she came back in, the odd leg raise and some twitching here and there but not the walking around she was doing originally. She’s fallen on her back and face quite a few times too.

    She does seem quite bit so I’m inclined to say she’s a queen but could possibly be a worker getting to the end of his life?

    The weather looks pretty rubbish the next few days (I’m in northern England) so unsure wether to keep her in or let her out to the flower bed

    Thanks!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lee

    1. I am so sorry that I was unable to answer your bee question in a timely manner (I've been traveling off-grid for quite awhile).

      For the future, I'd suggest that for a bee that ended up less energetic when re-found, having not flown off after being released earlier, it'd be best to keep your bee indoors until a sunny (even if still cold) day with no threat of rain, releasing her after first warming her up well and offering more sugar-water solution.

      Unfortunately the behavior you described (especially the repeated falling) may well have been indicative of a bee nearing the end of their life. Especially if your bee was exhibiting this behavior after warming up indoors again, and having had some sugar-water.

      It's so kind of you to have cared about and helped your bee, even if she was near the end of her life. Late autumn, verging on early winter, is always a challenging time for bees (just as early spring, verging on still late winter, is similarly challenging). Any help one can offer them is always good at such times.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  21. Hi, I found a bee lying on my drive. I tried to give it sugar water and I went away and when i got back it was still there. It got dark and so I brought it in the house from other predators. The bee started to show signs it was walking. But it’s still not feeding or drinking. It keeps walking away from it. Once it’s away it just stands still. Is there anyway of saving my bee?

    It’s not moving it’s wings so I’m thinking may not be able to fly.

    So what shall I do?

    I hope you can help. My bee is just stood still.

    Thank you so much. I look forward hearing from you.

    Yours sincerely

    Sarah

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sarah

  22. Have noticed a bumble be yesterday or even maybe a day before. I was surprise to still see it inside a empty plastic garden container from one of the plants I had bought in the spring. It is much colder here now. Last week we had a light snow fall which did not keep as there were still days of 7-8-10 and today just 4 degrees C. However, at night it is below 0, tonight -10C. I put sugar water in a empty cap but not drinking it. After I nudged her/him, it did buzz it's wings for few seconds. I don't know what to do. This is November 5 and the weather is not getting better. I will try to take in today in a box and remove from outside for tonight will freeze. HELP!!!!!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Tania

  23. The weather here in TN has gone from 75° to around 40° in a matter of 48 hours. I found a bee right on our pathway leading to our front door…he was still alive, but barely. I scooped him up, brought him inside and set up a little sanctuary in a casserole dish. (Ventilated, of course.) I didn’t have time to look up proper ways to help a bee out, so I sliced a banana and gave him a small cap of water. When I got back home, I googled how to help a cold bee and stumbled upon this page. I gave him sugar water and he is lapping it up. It’s cool to watch him drink…I never knew they had such long straw-like tongues! I added some leaves and a piece of paper in case the glass from the casserole dish got too cold. I really hope he makes it through the night. it’s supposed to get up to 70° on Saturday, so I’ll take him outside then and see how he responds. If he’s not ready just yet, he’s more than welcome to stay as long as he likes. :)

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Gabby

  24. I found a bee in my garden 3 days ago its still there its very cold to touch can i put it under a uvb heat lamp on a very low temperature to help warm it up ?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jess

  25. Hello! Thank you for your site. I live in Nova Scotia Canada, right now our temperatures are becoming colder and as I write this, it’s snowing outside. The other day there was a little bumble bee in my porch inside my house. I was unsure if they were alive or not but upon taking a closer look I noticed small movements. Soon They were moving and crawling but not flying. They appeared at first to not be alive.I did offer sugar water but they would not drink it. I placed the bee in a small container with an open top and have kept them overnight now three days. Is it possible this bee is hibernating? If so what can I do to help?They are sitting upright and have not rolled to the side or on back. I am not noticing any movement. There was a point they were on their back struggling so I helped them turn the right side over. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Mickie

  26. Hello,

    I rescued a very water logged bee from our pool. It looks to be a carpenter bee. I scooped her up on a leaf and set her in direct sun- very hot today-near 80 degrees. She was clinging to leaf and seemed to have a little life left. I googled, got this page, offered sugar water which she drank up a bunch. Definitely got her energy up- my pug looked close and she jumped and scared her away , lol. But now she’s trying to get moving and it appears that the bottom part of her body is separated largely from the top yellow striped area. Have no idea if that’s normal or if she is injured. It will only go down to 63 degrees tonight. I don’t have any blooming flowers but have mums potter from store outside. Should I set her there? I will try to send picture of her physical situation. She seems so ready to get up and go but her body isn’t letting her. I don’t know how to help. 😞

    (Not able to attach video or pic. I’m not sure how to on here.)

    Thank you- Julie

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jules

  27. Today I helped a waterlogged bumble bee with a little warmth and honey inside of a shallow ceramic pot to stop it wandering away before it was capable of flying off under it's own steam.

    It soon perked up and immediately flew away when back outside in the sunlight.

    My question:

    It secreted a clear liquid from it's back end prior to release.

    I was wondering whether this was sting venom as it may have aggrieved by the slippery pot, or simply excrement?

    Thanks

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Tom

  28. I found a bee on my decking barely moving an hour later still there so I put it in a small box with leaves and sugar and water and tried to warm it up. It stayed overnight night next morning I put some flowers in seemed to be trying to climb the box so put in garden on a plant. Well it’s still there and I don’t know what to do.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Deborah

  29. I have numerous spring summer and fall flowers that pollinators love. I also have so many bees. Right now because flowers are becoming extremely limited because of the cold once again, the flowers will die and there will still be bees looking for flowers, Is there anything to feed them?

    Temps are now dropping to low 40s and lower next week

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Mich

  30. Hi, it's early morning here and there has been a lot of rain fall the past few days. Just found a bee in my garden soaking wet and cold. It's still alive! Very sluggish at the moment but moving when I touch him. I have brought him inside in a ventilated box with some flowers and sugar water but he is still not moving. Will he be OK? Do I just leave him in the warm to dry up and get warm. Really want to give him a chance. He is a big chunky bumble and would be nice to try and help him. Thanx in advance.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Stacey

    1. If it’s an unusually large bumble bee, it’s likely (given the time of year) that she’s a young queen. Before winter, these queens individually dig small burrows in the soil in which to hibernate.

      I would let your bee dry off indoors and warm up, as you’re doing. I’m hoping you have some weather coming up above 12°C or so without rain? It can take quite awhile for a bumble bee to warm up enough to dry off completely, but while you’re not able to watch your bumble bee (at night), it’s good to keep your bee in a cooler area closer to outdoor temperature.

      So long as there’s a day with sun that’s above 10°C or so, she should be ready to go again once she’s dry! You can give her a boost by warming her up well indoors first on a good day to release her, and offering more sugar-water mix. Given that she’s such a large bee, don’t be surprised if she doesn’t fly off right away. Particularly because she may be investigating the ground too, for good spots to hibernate (they like nice, loose soil with a north-facing direction).

      Even though your bee has been so sluggish, you should see a marked improvement once warmed up and dry!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  31. Just rescued a bumble bee from my screen door. She is drinking sugar water from a soaked paper napkin in a ventilated enclosure (colander with a glass plate on top. It’s getting dark and I’m worried about releasing her. Temp is about 55 degrees. Should I keep her overnight?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lisa

    1. Yes, I’d keep her overnight in her enclosure, somewhere similarly cool to the outdoors, but safe for the night. Tomorrow looks like a warmer day there, even with cloud cover, so tomorrow morning, I’d warm her up well indoors first, and also offer her more sugar-water mix, and then put her enclosure outdoors (once it’s warmer out) without the plate on it, so that she can leave as soon as she feels ready to do so! That’s a great idea, a colander ☺️

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  32. Hello I have a little bee situation that I could use some help with. It just turned fall and the weather just started getting colder. And I was walking into my house. When I saw a little bee on my chair by my door and it looked. He was struggling to walk around moving very slow, not reacting to my attempt at communication lol. I figured the poor guy was getting cold and possible dying. so I put a jar down and he climbed right in. I brought him into the warm house so he could regain his strength I even put a little water in a bowl near him as if he were a pet haha. I had to go drop my car off at the shop so when I came home a half hour later he was flying around completely normal and seemingly happy. at that point i didn't know how to care for him so I figured his best chance was to go find his hive or a place to call home. I had no idea what kind of home to build him or anything so I left the door open giving him the option to leave and I think he did. if not or in the future is there anything specific I can do for them to help better? I've always loved bees and I'd like to teach my son how to properly care for a bee in need of help. I know we are losing bees and even in some cases eradicating them for "climate change" I don't wanna get into the politics I just know they need our help and I want to be able to do so. thank you for your time. -Cris

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Cris

    1. That’s wonderful to hear that you care so much about your bees, and teaching your son about caring them too! So to answer your question, it kind of depends on the bee. If it’s a slim bee that’s not too fluffy, it’s often a honey bee. If it’s a big fluffy bee, it’s often a bumble bee. Honey bees have a hive (with many thousands of bees) that they like to get back to each night. Bumble bees have places they go at night too (they have colonies number in the hundreds), but for them it depends on the time of year (and whether they’re male or female) where they might go. In late fall, you may find very large bumble bees, those are likely to be young queens, and they dig little holes in the soil to hibernate all winter long. You may also see smaller bumble bees staying out all night on flowers… those are males, and unfortunately they don’t make it past the end of fall 😔

      So if you find a bee that’s struggling, the first thing to try (especially if it’s still daytime with flowers out) is putting it on a flower where you see (or have seen) other similar bees. If you’re near home, offering a few tiny drops of a mix of 50/50 sugar/water is often a good idea, to give your bee a quick energy boost. And this advice works no matter what kind of bee it is!

      If it’s getting late, or cold (low 50s), or rainy, or dark, it can be nice to house them overnight, simply to protect them from predators, since a cold bee can’t move much (being cold-blooded), nor can they fly easily in the rain. Sometimes they “try their luck” with the weather though, and can definitely benefit from a helping hand if the weather changes unexpectedly! Keeping them in a ventilated enclosure overnight (at a cool temperature) works really well. In the morning, ideally when it’s sunnier and warmer, you can warm them up first indoors, offer more sugar-water, and then place their enclosure uncovered outdoors. Within minutes (or at most a couple hours, depending on the bee and the temperature), they’ll fly off! If it’s sunny, you can speed up the process by putting them directly in the sun, as they love to soak up its warmth while they’re waking up 🐝💛🌞

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  33. Hi, I have some cosmos annuals still looking fantastic. Everything else has died off. I'm noticing bumble bees still on them. The bees looked cold and lackluster today. I gave them drips of sugar water, which made them happy, and they began to move around. Shouldn't they sleeping by now? Should I carry on feeding them? They seem to stay all day on the same flower.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Pen

    1. Given the time of year and the behavior you describe, I think it’s likely your bumble bees (especially if they look relatively normal-sized or small, rather than very large) are male bumble bees congregating on your flowers, having no colony to which to return at this time of year. They’ll spend days and nights out on flowers (hoping to meet young queens there). If they warm up during the day, they’ll probably feel on the cosmos flowers (or sugar-water drops, if you provide them). However, being males, their days are sadly numbered, as they don’t survive the end of autumn.

      Only the young queen bumble bees survive winter, and they do so by burrowing into the ground (each young queen makes her own tiny burrow in which to overwinter). Bumble bee colonies are annual in that respect, with only the young queens born in late summer surviving the winter, before founding their own colonies in early spring. They emerge as soon as the first spring bulbs are coming through the ground, foraging and searching for a suitable location for their colony (often an abandoned mouse burrow).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  34. Hello Elise! I love your site and the info it provides. Our household helps all wildlife, big and small, and recently have bee helping our visiting bees. We have lots of flowers but the bees prefer eating from our hummingbird feeders. That is not the issue. We put out feeder bowls with marbles and sugar water to lure the bees away from the bird feeders and feed them. Question: Is it okay to feed the bees and when can we safely stop feeding them. We live in Mississippi where it is fairly warm year round, though we can get some frozen, wet days. I have read some mixed info of "it's bad to feed them," to "go ahead, you're helping them." Our first concern is helping but not harming them. Can you offer any advice? Thank you so much! Regards,

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to SJ

    1. I’m so happy you appreciate the website, and I’m even happier to hear that you care so much about your local bees!

      Ideally your bees would be drinking nectar from flowers, because they’d also be getting some essential amino acids, minerals, and other trace nutrients in the nectar (and the balance of these depends on the type of flower, which is why visiting different kinds of flowers is also good for bees’ health).

      That said, it’s hard to stop them from drinking sugar-water from an easy source like a hummingbird feeder! And this is where it kind of depends on the type of bee too… honey bees (the slimmer, less fluffy banded bees that live the hive life with a beekeeper) are often fed on sugar anyway (especially through winter), so you wouldn’t really be changing much about their lives (though ideally honey bees would also be foraging on fresh flowers).

      It’s still best only to put fresh water in a bee saucer with pebbles or marbles (bees need fresh water too, which in summer honey bees use for cooling their hives). That said, much as feeding sugar-water isn’t the best thing for bees (especially if there are abundant flowers), I do see your point that it’s one of the few ways to keep them away from the hummingbird feeders. If it’s just honey bees I’d not worry as much about leaving sugar-water out as they seem to live well on it, and they have beekeepers taking care of them. If you see other types of bees visiting though, I’d tend to take away the easy source of sugar-water, because it’s a bit like fast food!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  35. It is fall time where I am at, and the weather for the next week is supposed to be 40-50s F and rainy. I found 2 bumblebees frozen on flowers this morning. I brought them inside to warm up and placed them in a shoebox with some flowers and sugar water. The issue I’m having is that once they become active they freeze up again when outside. Is it ok to release them back into the cold temps and if not, how do I keep them alive in a box… and for how long? Winter will be here by the end of October so time seems limited. Any advice would be appreciated! Thank you!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Em

    1. Bees are very temperature-sensitive, being cold-blooded, so I’m not at all surprised your bees freeze up once they’re outdoors again. At this time of year, male bumble bees spend nights out on flowers, simply waiting for the next burst of warmth before moving about again. They do this because they don’t have a colony to return to at this time of year.

      Are your bumble bees relatively normal-sized, or are they particularly large? I ask because if they’re really large, they’re more likely to be young queen bumble bees, who are doing their last rounds of foraging, before hibernating for winter in little burrows they dig individually in the ground.

      If you have some warmer weather still to come, you might want to wait to release them, as otherwise they’ll quickly become frozen in place again. They can tolerate short bursts of temperatures below freezing if they have some protection, but anything below freezing is dangerous for them, and they can’t easily fly unless it’s in at least the low 50s. If you have a day of low 50s when it’s still sunny, you might try warming them up well indoors, and then putting them out in the direct sunlight to see if they’ll buzz along on their way.

      Technically bumble bees can survive for several weeks in a box, so long as they have access to sugar-water and ideally freshly cut flowers from time to time too. Sugar-water will keep them going, but lacks the amino acids and other trace nutrients found in different flower nectar. It’s also important not to keep them too warm in their box, as that can fool them into becoming energized and expecting to be able to fly off, potentially expending lots of energy. Try to keep them at around the same temperature as it is outdoors, so as to keep them in sync with the season.

      Unfortunately, if they are male bumble bees, they don’t make it past late fall. Young queens do, but they do so by finding nice diggable areas of soil in which to stay safe from frost over winter (they each dig down 4 inches or so, in loose well-drained soil, often on slopes that are north-facing so as not to awaken too early, and also so as to avoid rain puddling up in their little burrows).

      It’s kind of you to have taken your bees in, seeing them so frozen! I hope this advice helps, and that there’s still a little time left in the season for them outdoors, before winter sets in there.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  36. Hi. I found a huge bumblebee on my garden floor barely moving. I piped my hand next to her and she walked straight on!

    I gave her a small amount of sugar water and a selection of what flowers are left in my garden.

    After research she appears to be a queen-but she only has one wing! She has attempted to fly but obviously she can’t. She busy moving around her little habitat I’ve built and brought into my conservatory.

    I’m sure she’s likely at the end of her life given her wing situation-I’m just wondering is there anything else I can do?

    Many thanks

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Corinna

    1. I just took a look at that bumble bee rearing guide that they use at the Logan Bee Lab, and it's a great resource, however it assumes starting in early spring with wild-caught young queens who have just emerged from hibernation.

      What I do know about hibernation spots is that young bumble bee queens favor loose, well-drained soil. They may burrow as far as 10cm or so (possibly even a little deeper, depending). I've seen them hibernating inside plant pots before, but they're quite individually picky in terms of the spots they choose. Occasionally they overwinter in log piles or under deeper layers of undisturbed leaf litter, but usually they choose to dig a small burrow into the soil.

      Bumble bee queens use nighttime temperature drops as a cue for hibernation (they cannot withstand freezing temperatures for long, and anywhere below -5°C is particularly dangerous). Since they don't want to come out of hibernation too early, they tend to choose north-facing slopes of soil, so as not to be fooled by feeling warmer before the first flowers are out too. They also favor sloping soil, because that way they're more likely to stay dry, with rain less likely to flood them out.

      I am not sure whether it's possible to encourage her into hibernation there in a less than fully natural situation, but I'd be interested to know if she might take to it, if you wish to give it a try. She would definitely still need access to flowers and sugar-water in the meantime, so as to keep her energy up (otherwise she'll feel an impulse to continue foraging instead of readying for hibernation).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Hey, ok I’ve a few ideas of where to put her once I know she burrowed. I think perhaps offering a few different options could be an idea here with different pits/soil.

        I’ll keep the fresh flowers up for her and fresh sugar water. I have very few left in my garden-am I best finding local wild? Also how long does she forage for before hibernation/when do I need to have her hibernation boxes ready?

        I’ll keep her in my conservatory for now. It’s not heated and provided it’s not sunny it’s always the coldest room as the doors open most of the time. I’ll think of the best place for if it gets sunny/I leave the house and it’s warm etc.

        Feeling privileged I can try to help my favourite fuzzy insect!

        Thanks again! Corinna

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Corinna

    2. I’m so sorry to hear about her wing! She could still go into hibernation (since young bumble bee queens simply dig individual little burrows in the ground for that), but come spring, she’d not be able to make it, since queens do all the initial rounds of foraging while they establish new colonies, before new workers are born.

      This is a difficult situation, since young queens (which she would be, given the time of year) have a long lifespan by bee standards, of around a year or so, and she probably is only a month or two into that. Her instinct at this time of year would be to fill up her energy reserves by foraging, before finding a nice spot in the soil into which to burrow for the winter. She’d then emerge in early spring, as the weather starts to warm up and the first flowers appear.

      I wish we could do something more, when they experience wing damage like this! It’s kind of up to you what to do. I think if you house her, you’ll end up with her for quite a long time, and it won’t be the life that she expects, but it might… hmm, again, this is hard to know how to advise you, as she will not make it on her own with her wing missing, even if she does go into hibernation.

      I kind of wonder (but this is a bit of an outside chance)… she’s probably already mated, given the time of year. I know that some bumble bees are kept very successfully in captivity (during research projects for example). It is just possible that she might overwinter with you, and if you were to provide her all the flowers she needed in spring, she might just start building out her colony, which she would then never leave, after the first workers are born. She really only needs wings for a week or two in early spring, at most. Is she otherwise energetic, now that she’s warmer and has had something to eat?

      Let me know what you think. I have a handbook somewhere on rearing bumble bees that I’ll find, in case you might find it helpful. If this sounds like too much, let me know that too! I wish there was a way to help her live her normal life, but other than trying to get her into hibernation there with you, and then helping her forage in early spring, I don’t think there’s anything else to do. And it is a bit of an outside chance, whether she’d take to this plan. On the upside, you might see a colony being built too, in early spring, and they’re such gentle creatures.

      To get her into hibernation, she’d need temperatures to mirror the outdoor weather, with cold nights, and she’d need well-drained soil into which to burrow. They’re picky about hibernation spots, but, well, let me look again for that handbook on bumble bee rearing, it might have some additional tips. I know there’s a fellow in England who sells nesting boxes for starting colonies (which would be useful once spring comes around), and there are also various DIY versions that you might offer her when the time comes. She’d not be much trouble in hibernation (you wouldn’t see her again until early spring). But again, she might not take to this, it really does depend on her. All her instincts will be to fly right now (and again in early spring), and that must be very hard on her, to be unable to do so.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Hi Elise,

        Thank so much for your quick reply! The info for this specific situation is very much lacking or really irrelevant online so I’m so glad I found your page!

        Wow! I’m so happy there’s an option here! This is really one of those situations that I simply couldn’t turn my back on. The way she practically flung herself on my hand was something special so if I can help her in any way I have to try!

        She is super energetic (well she was-I’ve just checked and she’s asleep (resting) hanging onto a big leaf I’ve popped in her current flower box.

        All you’ve said about her instincts are absolutely what I’ve observed. She did try to fly off my hand earlier when she climbed on when I was popping more flowers in, but panicked when she couldn’t. She could’ve stung me (she ended up my sleeve slightly) but she didn’t-she did release a bit of venom…..but I took the hint. She’s doing everything she should be as a new queen by the sounds of it. I’d love any advice on how I can help her and if we can help her in spring to build her colony that would be such an honour! I live rurally so daffodils are absolutely rife in spring.

        So…what do I do from here?

        Thanks again Elise!

        Corinna. ❤️

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Corinna

  37. I have about 20 sweet little bumbles in my sunflowers that have been caught t in the cold.. what can I do with so many? Worried about them

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jax

    1. I think you’ve found a little group of male bumble bees who no longer have a colony to go back to (that’s how it is for the males at this time of year). They spend their nights in flowers, knowing that morning may bring young bumble bee queens to those flowers!

      Because they’ve no place to go back to at night, these male bumble bees are always taking some chances with the weather at this time of year. Some days may be so cold and wet that they simply stay put, hardly moving at all. Males often do congregate in the same flowers too, so it’s not uncommon to see a number of unmoving, cold, often damp bumble bees in autumn.

      So long as you’re not expecting torrential rain, they should be alright where they are!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  38. Not a question anymore! I'd just like to say thanks for sharing this info i feel so glad to know I made an impact yesterday when i all but brough i bumblebee back to life.

    I was working on summitting an 11,500 foot mountain when I saw a bee iced over in the shaded snowy north face at about 10,300 feet. I thought he was a goner but after breathing on him for a f minute he began to move his little wings and then his abdomen and eventually started walking around. After another minute of warming the little fella up I walked him over to some thistles in the sunlight and he was buzzing around seemingly grateful to still be alive.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Hunter R

    1. I’m so happy to hear your story! It’s amazing how, with a little timely warmth, bees can be revived. I’m sure your bee was happy to have your help at such a critical moment in life like that! 💛🐝✨

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  39. I rescued a very soggy wet bee on a rainy day over a week and a half ago. Had it in a dry protected space outside for a few days and then brought it indoors because it was not making attempts to fly away and the nights were getting as well as being windy and wet. Our weather is currently weird for the time of year, going from cold and wet to very warm. She did and does show interest in flowers given to her. She grooms herself, warns me off with the middle leg raised and her wings do move. I have placed her outdoors on sunny days to give her the chance to fly away, but she is still with me, nearly 2 weeks later. I have offered sugar syrup, sometimes shows an interest. I do not know what to do next to help her, any advice

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to MareaF

    1. I asked a question 3rd October. I am still looking after the bee and would very grateful for any advice or guidance on what to do. I give her new flowers each day, I can see that she drinks from them, is interested in the pollen and even seen her take sips from the sugar water. She buzzes sometimes and the wings move as if to fly, but no take off. It’s been over 2 weeks, the flowering plants are starting to die off, what do I do next? Should I try and make a nest?

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to MareaF

      1. I do apologize for my delayed reply, I’ve not been feeling well these past few days. Do you happen to know if your bee is a queen bumble bee? If you reply to the email you receive from my website with photos or video, that may be helpful for me to help further too (I’m thinking she may well be a young queen, given the time of year and also the fact she’s still with you).

        If she is a young queen, she should be stocking up on her nectar energy reserves in preparation for hibernation. Bumble bees are quite choosy in terms of where they hibernate individually. Usually, they dig a small hole for themselves in the soil. They tend to choose north-facing banks of soil, because they’ll be less likely to be awoken too early by the soil warming up, and also a bank of soil helps any rain run off safely. They need protection from frost, so being underground is best, but they sometimes also overwinter in log piles or under a good layer of leaf litter.

        I say all of this, because knowing their hibernation preferences may help you offer her a place that she may choose outdoors. It sounds as though the flowers you’ve been supplying her with have kept her energy reserves topped up, probably sufficient for her to enter hibernation soon, now that the flowering plants are starting to die off as winter approaches. You might try placing her in a likely hibernation spot on a warmer day, and seeing if she starts to scout about, possibly digging into the soil?

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  40. We had very heavy rain and it is late September, and I saw 2 pairs of bees on two separate aster bushes. They were very lethargic and when I gently shook the plant they slowly reached out one of their legs. Were they dying or drowning from the intense rain? Should I have tried to help them?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Leriumtaw

    1. It’s the time of year when young male bumble bees have left their colonies to find young queens. These male bees typically spend their nights out on flowers, and when it rains, they hope they’re sheltered enough. Too much rain is dangerous for bees, since they breathe along openings in their sides, and they can also be dislodged from their flowers in heavy rain, falling into pools of rainwater forming on the ground below.

      The ones you saw slowly reaching out their legs weren’t dying or drowning yet, but they were slowed down by the rain (and probably it was colder too, when you saw them too)? Bees get very lethargic as they get colder. At night these male bees (who never return to the shelter of their colony) get cold enough that they can’t move much, simply clinging to their flowers or plants. Rain certainly makes this more dangerous for them! While it is natural for them to shelter among flowers, if the rain is too heavy or prolonged, it’s certainly much harder on them out there.

      It can be a little hard to know what to do for the best. One option is to bring them in, if you have somewhere cool and dry to keep them, and then release them once it’s stopped raining, ideally on a warmer fall day. Another option is to put some temporary additional shelter over the plants if they’re in your garden, but that has to be pretty sturdy to work. When it’s cold, the bees won’t mistake the lack of rain under the shelter for better weather, since they’re cold enough that they still won’t be able to move. A wet bee also needs warmth to dry off fully first before flying, so typically they’ll stay put.

      It’s kind of you to notice them out there, and to care about their well-bee-ing 💛🐝

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  41. A couple days ago we saved three waterlogged bumblebees during a tropical storm. We kept them inside a large mesh enclosure for a couple days during the storm and gave them fresh cut flowers from our garden, and BeeVive, a bee rescuing solution of sugar water. Two released very easily this morning. But one is not really moving around that well. We’ve tried putting her on flowers in our garden, we’ve tried giving her sugar water. She’s just laying there. Any suggestions?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jenny

    1. How warm is it there today? It looks (according to a state-wide forecast) as if it may be somewhat sunny and warmish, but that you're in a for a few cooler damper days before it's sunnier again? I ask as I'm hoping she'll respond positively to soaking up sunlight. She may need a few hours of warmth and sunlight to help restore her. She may also have been waterlogged for longer than the others, or may simply be a bit weaker. You could also try moving her into a warm room indoors and keeping a good eye on her, to see if she starts to become more active (ideally cleaning herself and even buzzing her wings a bit). If she's still sluggish and inactive by the end of the day, I'd be tempted to house her for the cooler damper days, and then try releasing her once it's sunnier and drier. Have you seen her drinking any sugar water?

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  42. Hello, I have a bee that when it landed on my shoulder, it was well and healthy. It was sluggish so I waited a little bit and then proceeded to put the bee outside once I came back outside, it had rain. The bee was covered in ants so I proceeded to pick it up since it was still alive. It’s still moving it’s missing one leg and it’s also missing its pollen sack so to speak I have it in my room on a flower with sugar water is there any way to revive it or should I just let it go?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to HElP

    1. How do your bee’s wings look? Feel free to reply directly to the email from my website with photos, though I realize it’s getting late now where you are. Being covered in ants is not a good sign, but it may just be that your bee was sluggish owing to the cold and rain. I would keep your bee overnight in your room with the flower and sugar-water, and try putting your bee out in sunlight (if you have some) tomorrow morning. Not necessarily too early in the day! Once it starts warming up above 60°F. With sugar-water and sun, I’d hope your bee would revive, unless there’s something else wrong. Bees can be missing a leg and still be alright, but it may mean there’s other unseen damage that the ants were picking up on too.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  43. how long do the worker bees "put up with" the drones after the queen is impregnated?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kim

    1. Until the end of the season (end of fall). If there are still drones hanging around after that, the honey bee workers actually pick them up and take them from the hive, dropping them elsewhere! They won’t let them back into the hive after that.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  44. My nephew and I rescued a black bee from our pool yesterday. After a couple of mins in the sun on a dry leaf it was so sluggish but idk if it was dying or going into a hibernation mode? Anyway I thought I should put it on my warm hand and blew warm air and it seemed to really perk up. We gave it a blackberry we broke open and the lil one seemed to enjoy it.

    I’m obviously not a bee person which is why I came here. I read about the nectar and I got a tiny lid and put some in it and added it to a container full of wild honeysuckle and dry moss and a strand of tall grass w fresh water in it. (It was about 50° at its coldest last night.) The bee was sluggish again later, around 60° but I put hot water bottles inside a towel and put his container between them. Then after some nectar (which I had to hand-feed it, putting some on the wall beside him,) and walking on my hand (“more nectar plz?”) it was strong enough to climb the wall and went into a “tunnel” in a washcloth I had placed on top of a large part of the container. Eventually I went inside. It got up to 70° this afternoon.

    I gotta say I got attached and “bugs” are not my thing. But we need these guys and my pool swallowed him. I expected him or her to be dead today but I couldn’t find him. Is there a chance it survived? There was tall grass nearby so it could have crawled away.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lola

    1. Aww that’s so lovely to hear your story! There is every chance that your bee flew off once the temperature warmed up, because of all the care you took, and the food that you provided too! It definitely sounds from what you describe (given your bee’s behavior) that you saved your bee from your pool in time. They’re adorable aren’t they, when they walk on us to warm up, and even seem to ask for nectar?! Yes, we do need every bee! It’s so kind of you to have helped yours live another day 🐝💛

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  45. Hello! I’ve enjoyed looking through your website and have tried to find the answer to my question, but haven’t been able to (but I may have missed it, there’s a lot here!). It’s fall and getting colder and I’ve been seeing lots of flowers and bushes with 5-10 bees all clinging and moving sluggishly. I’m guessing it’s the natural process and the workers dying out for the season, but I feel so bad just leaving them there. Is there anything that could be done or is it just the natural process?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sarah

    1. Ah, yes, I did write a bit about this here, but this page particularly has ended up with so much information (gathered from answering various questions) that it’s not yet perfectly organized or easy to find everything, I do apologize!

      I’m guessing these are smaller bumble bees that you’re seeing clinging to flowers? At this time of year, bumble bee colonies are winding down for the season. New queens are born and take flight, looking to mate and then store up plenty of energy before their winter hibernation (each young queen finds or digs a little hole underground, or in a sheltered woodpile or similar, where she rests undisturbed and frost-free for the winter).

      Male bumble bees are also freshly on the wing around this time of year, and they don’t return to the colony at night like the workers do. Instead they stay out on flowers, often congregating together in areas that they deem likely to find young queens the following day. Although these male bumble bees can look in a bit of a sorry state at times (often wet with dew, clinging sluggishly to petals and stems on cold mornings), they do spring to life each morning once the sun hits them and they warm up again! And they do have a ready source of food, since they’re already in the flowers, so they don’t need anything from us, unlike stranded bees that often benefit from help. It’s so kind of you to think of them!

      Sadly, the males do not live past autumn. Nor do the older worker bumble bees (or original queen). But a new cycle does begin again with their progeny, in the form of young queens hibernating through winter!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  46. There's a bee stuck in his hole in my fence. ( he qas building at one point) I hear him buzzing but it's been several days. How do I get him out?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Brandy

    1. That’s very unusual! Do you happen to know what type of bee it is? If not, what’s the diameter of the hole? Sometimes bees buzz while they’re building their homes in tunnels in wood. They may even buzz to ward off potential intruders.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  47. I found a bumble bee that is sluggish. Still after 24 hours did not fly away, It is not cold outside, She appears to be moving her back end lots. She has been given sugar water and taken inside where it will be warmer. Is there something else I can do for her. She does not seem to be able to fly away.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to kathy

    1. Your weather definitely looks warm and sunny enough there. How does she respond to sitting in direct sunlight, does that help at all? How do her wings look (I'm wondering if you see any evidence of damage)? Does she spend a lot of time cleaning herself, or just moving her back end (and is that movement a kind of "pulsing")?

      Feel free to reply to the email you receive from my website with photos or videos, it may be helpful to take a closer look at her 💛🐝

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. She is cleaning herself lots and pulsing her bottom. Could she have parisites?

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to kathy

        1. Hopefully you received my earlier email in reply to your photo? The cleaning behavior and pulsing aren't really abnormal, I've observed bees perform what seems like an excessive amount of cleaning, in preparation for their days! And the pulsing (a kind of heavy breathing, since bees breathe along holes in the sides of their bodies) is a way to warm up faster, in her case.

          If she does have any parasites, they'd most likely be internal (even if you see a mite on her, those aren't really a problem unless they're in great numbers... they hitchhike back to bumble bee nests and eat nest detritus; they're unrelated to the destructive honey-bee-specific mites).

          She looked like a young queen to me, so that probably lessens the likelihood of internal parasites or other bee ailments. Have you tried her in direct sunlight, ideally on a bee-friendly flower, on which you've seen other bumble bees feeding? It might still take her time, but large bees like her (she is large-ish, right?) need more warmth and energy to get into flight, compared to their smaller worker counterparts.

          She looks like a young queen to me because of her body proportions. Young queens emerge around late summer to early fall, in order to mate before stocking up on food and fat reserves, in preparation for hibernating individually in small holes or under leaves over winter. Let me know if she doesn't respond to direct sunlight after a few hours. If she's not tried the sugar-water, she may be low on energy as well. She may do better on a bee-friendly flower, or alternatively, try adding a drop or two of sugar-water to a flower and see if she drinks.

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

          1. thank you. the only flowers i have currently are marigolds, that is where i found her. She is in a terrarium where it is very warm, and the sun does shine on her but there is not any changes, she has no interest in flying.

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to kathy

            1. she does move her wings, but goes no where really.

              Reply

              Leave a Reply to kathy

              1. I apologize for my late reply, I’m back much later than I hoped. I’d try her outdoors on your marigolds tomorrow morning, ideally a spot where the sun hits her. If she’s really sluggish, try placing a cut marigold flower near her on the ground in the sunlight, with a few drops of sugar-water mix near the center of it. I recall your weather looked even warmer tomorrow, so I’m hoping that given a few hours, she’ll start to perk up. She looks in good health, but she does need to eat soon! It may take her a few hours before she’s more energetic, but if she’s out there in the morning, she’ll have the day ahead of her. Let me know if she isn’t more active by mid-day.

                Reply

                Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  48. A bee has just drowned my friends pool and we got it out and it was moving around she was drying off its wings but now it’s not moving but it is still pulsing. What do I do??

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Hailey Hayes

    1. Your bee may have been in the pool for too long and taken on too much water through the little holes along their side, through which they breathe. But the warmer you can make your bee, the better, like if there’s direct sunlight, try that. Also give her some time, it can take awhile to recover. The pulsing you’re looking at is like a kind of “heavy breathing” in us as a result of what she’s been through. If you have some sugar around to mix up with water in a 50/50 solution, it might be worth putting a single small drop near her, ideally where she can find it easily (touching it to her antennae may help her realize what it is), just make sure it’s not so much that she can get all sticky walking or falling into it.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  49. The bee has wet wings. She is alive, lying on her side. In the warm.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Simone Egan

    1. Can you advise me please, she is still alive. Her wings are wet

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Simone

      1. Give her time to dry out, it may take several hours. Warmth and direct sunlight (if you have it) will help. If there’s no sun, then warmth and time will do it too. Lying on her side isn’t the best indication of her being in good shape (they’re usually not doing well at all, if they’re unable to stand on all six legs). But she may yet pull through. I don’t know how wet she got, and how much energy she’s lost. Have you tried offering sugar-water yet? You could try gently nudging her to her feet, but do watch her body language too, and if she’s more comfortable currently on her side, then I’d leave her be and simply let her warm up there. Let me know if you see any changes in her condition!

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  50. Hi! So I read this article after I had already saved the bee just to see if I could have done anything different. And I’m delighted to read I did everything right! I went to a cabin with some of my friends in the mountains and there was a bee on its back. We thought it was dead but I got a little closer and it moved its legs. So I let it cling to my sweatshirt so I could flip it over off its back. It wouldn’t fly or hardly move and it’s about 55-60°. So I brought her inside and put her on a blanket in a closed room. She stayed there a whole 24 hours. The next day she was doing better. Walking around and hanging out on my arm. I actually got some sugar water after I saw she was already doing a little better and soaked a sponge in it so she could eat but not fall into a bowl and put her back outside in case she got the strength to fly. But I had her inside for about 3 days. I lost her one day so I thought she flew away but I found her again on the floor later on and moved her outside. I hope she finds the strength to fly away. We leave tomorrow and I’m afraid there’s not much more I can do for her.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kat Marie

    1. It sounds like you did a great deal to help her, that’s lovely to hear! I think with time indoors that she had to warm up, and the sugar-water you gave her to regain energy, she’ll be in good shape for getting back to whatever it was she was planning to do, before she lost energy and ended up on her back where you found her. It’s so good to hear that you cared so much about helping her! 💛🐝

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  51. I don't have a question about a specific bee this time, but about mosquito repellent. We've had a good bit of rain lately (yay!) which has brought about an overabundance of mosquitos (less yay!). We have some Pic Mosquito Repelling Coils that I've thought about burning while in the yard walking my cat, but I've noticed it has Pyrethrins in it. I researched this online and can see Pyrethrins are harmful to bees but I can only find info about this in the context of spraying it in the environment. Is it still harmful to bees and pollinators if it's in the smoke form burned locally in a spot not near my flower garden? And if so, is there a better alternative (such as citronella candles)? Thank you again for all that you do, and I'll be sure to drop a donation on my way out!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jesse

    1. To add to my earlier reply, here's what I heard from a person I consider an expert on both mosquitos and insects generally (Colin Purrington, whose website I also linked in my initial reply):

      "If the coils have pyrethrin they might be good repellents especially if they have some smoke. Thermacells work on the same principal and they seem to be effective. I'd just make sure to use them away from flowers so that the pesticide cloud doesn't take out your pollinators."

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

    2. I've been waiting to hear back from someone about this, because honestly I'm not too sure about mosquito coil bee safety. I'm kind of guessing (not that I'm sure!) that the smoke will repel bees sufficiently so as not to cause them harm (as opposed to sprays, some of which are encapsulated, where bees may encounter high-levels of toxic pyrethrins without realizing ahead of time any need to avoid the area). I will update you further if I receive any more information about the safety of mosquito coils specifically.

      In terms of what works, I kind of hesitate to recommend any pesticides (I personally think we should do away with pesticides entirely), but I also recognize the significant dangers posed by mosquitos. I try to opt for screening material wherever possible, so as to have the lowest chemical impact, but that's not practical for walking around your yard! There are a number of other potential choices, and I'd recommend Colin Purrington's page here (even though he does include suggestions for using pesticides too):

      https://colinpurrington.com/fighting-mosquitoes/

      Citronella candles seem to be slightly effective, but not probably enough to help too much, unfortunately (they seem to be a fairly weak deterrent, unless used in vast numbers continually). There's another interesting article I read recently covering a study that compared a number of different repellants, both synthetic and natural (I've had very good luck with lemon eucalyptus oil in balm or spray form myself, but mosquitoes for some reason don't like me too much anyway)! Here's that link for you as well:

      https://theconversation.com/not-all-repellents-are-equal-heres-how-to-avoid-mosquito-bites-this-summer-207088

      It's kind of you to think about protecting bees from harm, as well as yourself from mosquito bites! I hope the above links help in terms of assessing other potential mosquito repellents, and I'll certainly let you know if I hear a definitive answer about the coils.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  52. We live in Santa Barbara and everyday on beach walks we see bees struggling in wet sand.. typically we just scoop them up and move them to dry ground…my concern is the salt water cakes their wings and bodies… should we spray a little fresh water on them and then place them where they can recover?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Peter

    1. I apologize for not replying sooner, I’ve not been feeling too good. I’ve also been puzzling over how to answer your question, as in the end I’m not too sure what to advise. I’ve not heard of bees ending up in wet sand on beaches before. The only similar thing I’ve heard of is bees reportedly being attracted to salt water swimming pools. I don’t know if it’s honey bees that you’re seeing, but those are the kinds of bees that are typically seeking water in summer, which they bring back to the hives to help cool them (by buzzing their wings above the water droplets like little fans, with a number of bees near the entrance functioning as an evaporative air conditioner).

      It seems that small amounts of salt are not harmful to bees, but it can be toxic to them if they ingest too much. I just looked up the salinity difference between salt water swimming pools versus sea water, and it seems that sea water is about 10 times as salty as salt water swimming pools. That makes me think that it’s salty enough to be of possible concern.

      I wonder why these bees are ending up in the wet sand in the first place? Perhaps the sea is the only source of water they can find in the area, even if it is so salty? It’d be great to have interspersed little saucers of fresh water with rocks in them (to cling to safely) for bees, but that’s hard to maintain in public spaces like beaches.

      My only concern with spraying them with fresh water is that, at least temporarily, they’ll struggle with all the water on their bodies. But then again, they’re already struggling when you find them. Bees breathe along the sides of their bodies, through tiny apertures (they don’t have lungs). So being immersed in water is always a bit dangerous for them. How are they acting after they’re scooped up, do they seem to improve quickly and fly off, as far as you’ve seen? Bees can’t fly easily when they’re wet, so they’ll wait to dry off, but if salts are left behind, I’d imagine that would make it slightly harder for them to fly. They’ll try to clean themselves while they’re still wet too, possibly ingesting more salts.

      I wish I knew what to advise! I do think it’s possible that a slight misting of fresh water might be helpful, simply to remove some of the excess salts. I think it’d make it easier for them to fly once they’re dry, as well as less risky in terms of ingesting too much salt. On the other hand, if these bees are desperate for water to cool their hives, and this is the only obvious source, then they’ll continue to take such risks, since if their brood chambers get too hot, the next generation won’t make it. It’d really be nice to have some “bee watering stations” around the area, simply saucers with rocks and fresh water, with little informative signs as to why they’re there.

      It’s so kind of you to care about these bees you’re seeing, and try to think of ways to help them further 🐝💛

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. No worries about the response time: thank you for the thought you put in. The beach is just below a 300 ft cliff that runs for miles. There is all kind of vegetation that grows vertically on the cliff. It can be quite windy so the amateur guess if they get blown off course and salt air / sea spray grounds them…. I had good success with a quick fresh water rinse of one and placed on a towel…. Let me know if you want pictures or a site visit

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Peter

        1. Ah yes, I've definitely witnessed bumble bees foraging in high winds near beach cliffs before (I kind of pictured a different sort of beach when you first wrote). You're right that winds could possibly knock them off course enough at times to get caught in the sea spray. I've been kind of amazed to see how well the bees I've seen have managed to deal with such winds.

          You have some small solitary bees in the area too (I saw a photo of one lately from someone's trip there, I believe also near the sea). That's good to hear that you're having success with a quick fresh water rinse! Did you use a mister? I'd love to know what works for you, so that I can give advice in the future when it's needed! I know for sugar water accidents, a few folks have successfully used a dropper with fresh water to rinse and dilute the sugar water on their bee before it crystallizes.

          I'd love to see pictures! At the moment a site visit is not easily possible, but I appreciate your offer! If you reply directly to the email from my website, you can attach photos or videos that way. I'd be very interested to see the kinds of bees that are having issues with the winds down there, ending up struggling in the wet sand. I'm still a bit surprised, as bees're usually only out in winds that they can handle, but perhaps they're foraging more widely given fewer flowers, or perhaps the flowers along the beach are particularly rewarding. There's also a learning curve for bees foraging, it's a skill they improve at over time!

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  53. My father in law made a 5 gallon sugar/water feeder because he’s out of town this week. I see it has leaked. I don’t think they’ll starve but now I see bees all around the rim of the bucket. I think they may be stuck ?? Is it possible they are stuck in the sugar water.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Erin

    1. Bees can definitely get stuck in sugar water, though usually they’re able to clean themselves off pretty well (especially if their hive-mates help them do so). It’s hard for us to get a bee unstuck, since they’re so small and delicate, so it’s usually better to let the individual bee (or her sisters) do the cleaning.

      Hopefully the bees you’re seeing are just gathered around the rim lapping up excess sugar water, rather than being stuck there. If you observe them closely, you should be able to see whether they’re struggling to free themselves, or simply gathered around the rim feeding on the excess sugar water there.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  54. this morning around 6am I heard a buzzing sound so I knew they were bees, however they all were hovering in the air, not flying anywhere, not doing anything but hovering together so that when you looked at the skies it was covered in several bees. what exactly is happening with these bees?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to ursh

    1. I'm trying to picture how many bees you're seeing. The usual reason folks describe skies covered in bees are honey bee swarms. Honey bees wouldn't be native to your area, but they may well have been introduced at some point. Swarms are usually going places though, since scouts work out destinations before the main swarm moves.

      Another possibility would be some native male bees hovering in the vicinity, scouting for females. There are plenty of examples of male bees gathering in areas where females are likely to be spotted. I believe you have leaf-cutter bees (Megachilidae) and sweat bees (Halictidae) native there. The sweat bees are smaller, ground-dwelling bees, whereas the leaf-cutter bees are larger (closer to honey-bee sized), and nest in cavities such as hollow plant stems and wood tunnels made by beetles.

      I think it would be male leaf-cutter bees who'd be most likely to hover as you describe, scouting the area. Some of their bee relatives (carder bees, who're also in the family Megachilidae) are expert hoverers: the males hold their positions above favored plants, allowing only potential mates to forage on "their" plants!

      Hope this helps! It's all I can think of in terms of possibilities for the behavior that you observed. Hover flies often mimic bees, and they're expert hoverers too (the females do it to scout possible sites for their eggs, and the males do it to show off... apparently female hover flies find males that stay in one spot—regardless of wind currents—irresistible)! But hover flies don't make that distinctive buzzing sound that bees do, which you heard.

      I'll just add, I once experienced a swarm of honey bees flying overhead, and there was definitely a surprisingly strong buzzing sound, as well as a great many bees, which took awhile to pass over (almost as if the whole swarm was searching for a spot). Little bee droppings even rained down on me, but I didn't mind a bit, it was such an experience to see them all! They settled in a nearby cedar tree.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  55. Will it harm bees if I water my flowers when the bees are on them?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jane

    1. It won't harm them so long as they buzz off quickly before they're hit with water. Do you mean hand watering? I'd imagine they'd get out of the way easily in that case. When it comes to automated sprinklers, those can catch them off guard. I've seen bees soaked by those, who're waiting to dry off in the sun before being able to fly again. The other danger to bees is that they breathe along tiny holes in the sides of their bodies, so large droplets of water can hold some danger for them (this is why bees rarely chance flying in the rain). So long as it's warm and sunny though, most bees easily have the wherewithal and energy to get out of the way of any unexpected stream of water quickly!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  56. I found a carpenter bee on its back. I read your advice about offering sugar water. I used two drops of clover honey and bottled water in a water bottle cap. The bee eventually revived and was able to fly away! I made a video of the bee using it’s tiny tongue lapping up the sugar water. It was an incredibly fulfilling experience!!!!!!! Have saved your website to my favorites!! Thanks for your great advice because it worked! Sincerely, Margaret A Gunter, Garner NC

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Margaret Gunter

    1. That's wonderful to hear that your bee revived with your help! If you'd like to share your video (I'd love to see it!), feel free to attach in an email in reply to the automated email from my website 🐝🎬

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  57. I found a bee upside down in my pool yesterday and presumed it was dead as its legs were all curdled to its body and it never moved for ages after rescuing it. I laid it on the table in sunlight and to my surprise after an hour or so I could see it moving/pulsating slightly. as it was due to rain last night I decided to keep it in shoe box with the lid slightly off and cut a fresh sunflower head off and a little lavender bud and left a little mixture of sugar and water. The bee seemed to get more energy last night but still has not tried to take off.

    Today it’s just been walking around the box and keeps moving from one flower to another but I cannot see that it’s trying to eat. I also haven’t been able to see it drinking. It doesn’t seemed injured as it’s wings look perfect and it’s now looking fluffy again and using all its legs.

    It’s been raining all day today so I’ve just left it in the open box in the windowsill. My question is, should I just keep it here until it’s sunny again tomorrow and put it outside? I can’t say how long it was in the pool for and it suspect it’s really tired or maybe even dying.

    I just want to ensure I’m doing the right thing.

    Thank you!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Ckebee

    1. Since it's raining outside today, and since you've only seen your bee walking (as opposed to trying to fly), I'd agree that keeping it overnight again will give your bee its best chances.

      Perhaps your bee did sip from the sugar-water mix at night, but in case not, I wonder if either refreshing the fresh cut flowers, or putting some drops of sugar-water mix directly onto the flowers themselves, might help your bee discover that there's something to drink? Like you, I'm a little concerned about how much energy your bee may have lost while struggling in the pool.

      Usually if bees put a foot or antenna briefly into sugar-water, they realize what it is, but some bees drink the solution more readily if they discover it in a more expected place, such as on a flower. I'd be careful not to put more than a couple drops on each flower though, so that there's no chance of your bee getting too sticky with the mix.

      She does sound in good health otherwise, so she really should be just fine, recovering in her own time in a protected place indoors. Once you put her out in direct sun tomorrow (near where you found her, ideally on or near some bee-friendly flowers), she may take a little time still (even an hour or two), but you should start to see her buzzing her wings as she absorbs warmth, before flying off, I hope!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  58. not really a question, just a thank you.

    a bee landed in our pool (we have a salt-chlorine generator so the chlorine concentration in the actual pool is very low ) so i took it out, not knowing what to do i stumbled uppon this site.

    i put it on a leaf in the sun, she didn't move much so i gave her some sugar water and after a few sips she started batting her wings to dry them and after a few minutes and some failed flight attempts she took off, made a few laps around the pool and made her way back home.

    thanks for the advice

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to rad

    1. Lovely to hear that your bee felt much better after a few minutes in the sun, along with a little energy boost. When bees make looping laps in the air (as she did after taking off), they're reorienting themselves via landmarks. A good sign that she headed home happily, thanks to your help!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  59. I was on my balcony porch and saw a bee not moving on the one spot that gets wet when it rains. She repeatedly was getting hit with water droplets and I went to try to like nudge her with a dustpan (only thing I had nearby). She put her arm on the front and tried to like lift herself onto it and then couldn't so I tried to help and readjust to scoop her up. Then she started moving a little bit more but still looked really weak and was pulsing (breathing hard from being wet probs) and so I was like okay I'll go make her some sugar water. When I came back with the sugar water, she was gone. I'm worried she wasn't ready and maybe walked off the side of the balcony on accident

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Ash

    1. I would check carefully for her around your porch, and below it if that's possible? You may well find her... assuming you just lost track of her, that is? It's a little doubtful she'd be in any condition to fly until she was dried off, and bees can't usually fly in rain either (unless the rain is really light).

      If she did walk off the edge and fall, hopefully she fell somewhere safe where she can wait out the rain and dry off, and hopefully it'll warm up where you are soon (with ideally some flowering plants within bee walking distance too)! Yes, her pulsing is just her breathing heavily after everything that's happened to her.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  60. Out camping and found a hunny bee after sunset and I tried to keep it warm and safe is there anything else I should do

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Phoebe

    1. Sorry I missed your message last night, hopefully your bee stayed safe all night! If it's still with you, try putting it in direct sunlight so it warms up faster. If you have sugar-water, try mixing up a 50/50 solution as a quick energy boost (or if there are flowers nearby, try gently moving it onto one). Make sure to put it near where you found it, so it's able to find its way home easily!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  61. How long can bumblebees survive trapped outside their hive for?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Tabby

    1. Hives tend to be homes for honey bees (who live together in the tens of thousands of bees), whereas bumble bees have (typically underground) colonies that most often number in the hundreds.

      Theoretically, a social bee could live until the end of its natural life, even if unable to get back to their hive or colony, so long as they have sufficient food (in terms of nectar as an energy source, or sugar-water as a substitute) and shelter at night (especially from freezing temperatures). Male bumble bees, for instance, spend days and nights outdoors (away from their colonies) just fine in late summer, taking shelter on flowers at night.

      We do call honey bees and bumble bees "social" for a reason though, and it's doubtful social bees would do well long-term (this'd be particularly so of the female workers, who're accustomed to coming back home each night).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  62. Hi Elise my name is Ruby. We just got done filling up our pool with water, so it had no chemicals in it yet. When I was cleaning it out at about 3:00 and at about 79 F, I found what is presumably a honey bee worker that was in the pool. I scooped it up and set it on a tree I put a flower in front of it and watched it to see if it would fly. About 5 minutes later I found it flying away. Later I got interested and found your website. I learned that sugar water is really good to give to the bee, I also learned that the bee will be better in a sunny area, so the tree maybe was not the best place. So anyways my question is will my bee still stay alive after the little mistake I made? And I’m also wondering if it will be able to find it’s colony again, because I’m very worried about the bee. Thanks!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Ruby

    1. Good to hear there were no chemicals in the pool!

      Your bee will be just fine, and I say that for a couple of reasons. For one, if bees are low on energy, they’re not able to fly at all. The reason to put them in the sun, as well as give them sugar-water, is to give them enough energy to be able to fly off.

      Secondly, releasing your bee anywhere in the area near your pool will be enough for your bee to figure out which direction to fly back home to their hive. The pool would be a distinctive landmark, and honey bees use physical landmarks along with navigating by the sun. It may well have done a quick surveying loop in order to orient itself, before heading off in the right direction. They’re amazing navigators, considering how tiny they are, and that they’re sometimes miles from home when foraging!

      I Honey bees tend to be attracted to pools on sunny days because they’re looking for water to cool their hives. Some workers are sent out to bring back water, then once they’re back, they fan their wings on the water drops to help cool their hive’s temperature.

      One thing that may help bees avoid your pool in the future is to put out a saucer or some other shallow dish with fresh water in it, as well as a number of pebbles that make it easy for bees to stay safe while gathering water on sunny days. If you’re in a mosquito-prone area, simply change the water every few days (since mosquito larvae need 8-10 days to complete their life cycle, and they can’t survive if you tip their water out).

      Lovely to hear you saved your bee and cared so much 💛🐝

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thank you for answering my question it helps a lot. Now when I find a bee again I know know what to do. I hope I can save more bees in the future. Thank you again.-Ruby

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Ruby

  63. Why is this bee pumping like a heart? I don’t know how to describe it but if you look at a live heart it will pump. That’s what the bee is doing. I found it in the middle of the pavement on a warm, windy day. I have given it some sugar water and put it in a plant in the sunlight. It had just climbed onto the sugar water and continued to do the pumping thing. What do I do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Evie

    1. There's nothing to worry about with the pumping/pulsing behavior (and you've reminded me that I should add a note about that above)! Bees breathe through little holes along the sides of their bodies, and this pulsing that they do (often when first getting going in the morning) is a way of moving oxygen into their bodies faster. Your bee was doing it in order to help ready itself for flying, after having been grounded on the pavement from which you rescued it.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  64. Hi I have a white tailed bumble bee that I found cold and wet last night at 9pm. I let him rest on my arm to dry off. I tried to get him onto a nice nectar flower when dried but he turned back wanting back on my hand. So I placed him in a cosy tub with leaves and flowers until this morning. He lapped up the sugar water this morning but has still not flew away it is currently 2.20pm. He did have a little go and his wings seem in great condition, but he went to hide and sleep again. Hes grooming alot and sleeping alot. Could this just be him coming to the end of his life or is there anything else I could try? Many Thanks

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Anne luke

    1. Has your bee fully dried off? I'm guessing so, but I thought I'd ask just in case. You can tell if there's still a spiky (almost mohawk) look to your bee's fluff, compared to their usual evenly fluffy look.

      If your bee's wings are in great condition (especially the wing edges), then it's probably not an older bee. I say that because their wing edges become frayed over time (and older bees also may have a more "faded" look to their colors).

      How's your weather been, and did you try placing your bee in direct sunlight? Grooming and wing-testing are good signs. To me it's as if your bee is still a bit cold (or really likes your hospitality so much that they're tempted to stay)!

      It won't hurt to house your bee for another night if that's the way your bee seems inclined. If so, I'd try placing your bee in direct sunlight tomorrow morning, near where you found your bee (ideally near some flowers too). If your bee was still slightly damp (and hence a little cold), by tomorrow morning I'd imagine your bee should be good!

      Just opening the enclosure and letting sunlight warm your bee should hopefully do the trick, since your bee is acting as though it's just a little too cold still (and bumble bees take quite a bit of energy and time to get aloft). You might try removing any spots to hide when placing your bee in the sun too, to encourage warming up and flying off!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  65. We have bees living under a freezer .. we are moving and want a safe method to move them. So we can get rid of the freezer…. Without hurting any.. not sure how many there are.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Chris

    1. I'm guessing yours are honey bees? Typically, local beekeepers are happy to come out and remove bees safely, housing them in a new hive. They do this for existing colonies as well as for swarms.

      I took a look for your area (assuming I have the right continent!), and you'll find contact information for beekeepers near you at the bottom of this page: https://norfolkbeekeepers.org.uk/swarms/

      Hope your bees have a safe move, along with your own!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  66. We found a honeybee sitting on a pepper plant leaf in our garden at night, hardly moving. It has been very warm for weeks and suddenly rainy and cold over the last day or so. We worried she was tired or cold so we gave her a bit of sugar water and she drank it. We left her to see if she would take off on her own and after an hour we came back and she was still there. She was also having trouble clinging to the leaf. I gently blew warm breath on her and when I did that she stirred and moved around. Each time I did that she moved more. But she seemed stuck on the leaf and it was getting late. We gently moved her to a flowering plant nearby, but it was higher and she was having trouble holding on. She didn’t seem very interested in the flowers. We put her on some lower flowers but she fell off and was crawling on the ground quite rapidly, but getting stuck in the thick grass. There were tons of ants nearby so we were worried they would swarm her. She was trying to buzz her little wings and fly but couldn’t seem to manage it. We waited a while and she was really struggling. I read about taking her inside so we did. We put her on a little cloth with some picked flowers on a board with a plastic cover with holes in it for ventilation (one of those microwave covers). She was fine at first, kind of cleaning herself (or that’s what it looked like) but then she realized she was trapped and kept trying to crawl out and was moving around very quickly. But she wasn’t flying or even buzzzing around so I was afraid to put her outside yet. But I felt so bad that she was freaking out. She eventually stopped and looks like she is lying down/sleeping maybe. Is that ok??? Is she just sleeping? Should we keep her overnight or let her go? If she won’t stay on a flower, where do we put her? It’s supposed to be sunny and warm tomorrow, but What happens if she doesn’t fly off in the morning sun? I want to help but don’t want to do more harm than good!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jessie

    1. I feel like I'm getting back to you too late, owing to the time difference between our locations. You did do the right thing in bringing your bee in, given the many ants and her ending up on the ground, unable to fly.

      I know it feels strange to keep bees in an enclosure when they so clearly want to be free. However if it's nighttime and no longer warm enough outdoors to fly, it can be helpful to bring them in for their own safety, even if they experience a little temporary discomfort. Once the bee cools down indoors (if their enclosure is placed somewhere cool), they'll naturally stop moving about too because they're cold-blooded, and that way they also won't waste energy trying to escape. They may indeed fall asleep then naturally too.

      Once it warms up a bit the following day, and the sun comes out, I'd place your bee's enclosure in direct sunlight with the cover off, near to where you found her (which I'm guessing you've already done). She may take awhile to warm up in the sun, and you may want to offer a few more drops of sugar-water in the interim.

      If there are flowers very close to where you found her, you could try gently encouraging her onto those too in the morning. She won't be able to cling well until she's well-warmed up though (as you found out last night). It may also take her several hours to get going in the morning, depending on how warm and sunny it is!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  67. The carpenter bee Disappeared it was on my back Porch And then the next morning it was not there

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to rylee

    1. Sorry for my late reply, I've been traveling. I'm not sure if you had a question? Were you expecting your carpenter bee to be on your back porch in the morning? Did it seem to be planning to nest there, but then disappeared unexpectedly? I've written up a few things about carpenter bees here, in case you're interested: https://savebees.org/carpenter-bees

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  68. Did I do the right thing? While driving tonight, I noticed a honey bee on my car's windshield when I arrived at my destination. I thought it was unusual to see a bee at this time of night (midnight), so I thought something might be wrong with it.

    I was thinking of a few possibilities:

    1. Maybe it's exhausted/lost?

    2. Maybe it's cold?

    3. Maybe it's asleep?

    Tonight's temperature was about 57F, and if the bee was along for the entire ride (it was about 15 minutes), then it had to have felt colder than that. It was just sitting still and not moving; I thought it might actually be dead because of how still it was, so I gave it a slight nudge with my finger and it started moving its antennae, but not doing much else.

    I'd heard about the trick to give them sugar water, and I happened to have a fresh bottle of water and a pack of sugar from a cafe. So I poured some water and some sugar into the bottle's cap, and tried picking up the bee by sliding the sugar pack under its feet.

    It began sluggishly walking away from the pack, but I kept trying to pick it up with the pack. Eventually I finally got it, then positioned the pack to the bottle cap so that the bee was facing the water. I guess the bee realized there was water in there, because I saw it stick its little tongue out and take a few licks, but didn't seem to keep at it as if it were thirsty.

    By that point it was getting more active, doing more walking, and its walking was getting faster. I let it back onto the pack and decided to let it down on some nearby flowers, and while I was distracted with walking over to the flowers, the bee ended up walking onto my hand.

    It was getting much more active now, walking all over my hands. I was still intent on letting it down onto the flowers, ideally by letting it walk onto them by its own volition—I didn't want to swipe, wipe, or shake it off of me. By the time I positioned my hand next to a flower, the bee suddenly briefly took off, jumping onto my shirt.

    I tried letting it walk back onto my hand, which it did, but then it suddenly took off again, this time fast enough and far enough that I immediately lost sight of it.

    Was there anything wrong with that bee? Why do you think it was just sitting there on my windshield, and how do you think it got there?

    Regardless, I hope I did the right thing giving it sugar water (even though it didn't drink as much as I thought it would) and I hope I didn't bother it too much 🤞. I came across this article after this incident, searching for what to do when you see a bee at night.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Leo

    1. I do apologize for replying so much later than when you wrote (I've been traveling).

      You did all the right things! I don't know what kind of bee yours was, but I'm sure it was cold (at 57°F bees are sluggish, unless they're able to warm up in direct sunlight). I think your bee was warming up on you by clambering all over your hand, and that doing so—along with the few sips of sugar-water mix—helped it get going again. Sounds like it was mostly just cold, since it didn't drink much, and flew off once it warmed up sufficiently.

      As to why it ended up on your windshield, that's up for debate. It must have flown there, but perhaps the windshield itself was just cold enough to make the bee feel even colder, and be unable to take off again after absorbing too much cold from the glass?

      Usually they're not out and about at night unless they make some kind of mistake and get caught out in the cold or rain. After a 15 minute drive, your bee may have had some trouble locating where it was planning to go, but let's hope it ended up somewhere that felt like home! If yours was a honey bee, they can often join other hives, even if they can't find their way back to their own hive.

      I'd imagine that's why your bee wasn't particularly interested in the flowers... it was more interested in flying back to wherever it had been planning to go that night, until it got caught out in the cold. They're very temperature-dependent, and a cold bee simply slows down to the point where it really can't do much at all. It's very kind of you to have allowed your bee to crawl over you; absorbing some of your body heat was just what it needed, I bee-lieve!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  69. Hi, I feel bad about this but I was in the pool today with some friends. I saw a bee had landed in the pool and so I got it out and set it aside near some leaves thinking that it would not go back in. However, the bee walked around the side of the pool for a bit, turned around for a moment, and then walked straight into the pool again. I felt bad because this is around when my parents said we had to leave so unfortunately it probably was left to a fate in the pool filter, but... how can I prevent the bee from going back in in the future? Did it go back in because it had been suffering too much and wanted to die? Or was it just kind of in a drunken state? Should I just put it further away from the pool next time? I put it around 2 feet away. Sorry for the sad story but I am wondering what to do next time. Thank you.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jack

    1. Sorry to hear about your bee! I'm kind of guessing it was a honey bee, since those are the ones that most commonly fall into pools. I think they do so because they're the kinds of bees that live in hives (unlike most bees that are solitary). On warm days, honey bees need to cool their hives, so worker bees gather water. Once they're back at the hive, they regurgitate the water and then fanning their little wings a whole bunch near it, working like miniature evaporative air conditioners!

      So in all likelihood, your bee was intent on seeking water, and so it wouldn't have mattered how far away you put her, she'd have tried her luck again anyway with the pool. The one thing that can really help is to set up a shallow dish (like a plant saucer or shallow bowl) with a bunch of pebbles and fresh water in it. Bees will definitely go to that instead, if it's placed in the area kind of near the pool. Once they find it, they'll realize they can drink easily from the safety of the pebbles, and they'll direct their hive mates to the same place.

      It's kind of you to care, and to try to help! I hope you're able to put a dish with pebbles out, even if it is a shared pool. Maybe put some kind of note about bee-ing kind to pollinators, to explain the dish? Bees'll totally use it, I've seen them sipping away, all lined up along the pebbles, when folks are kind enough to provide fresh water in a way that makes it easy for them to drink safely! And they'll never sting anyone unless they're threatened, they just need water too!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thank you for the kind, helpful and quick explanation and answer! My parents said they are worried about the dish attracting mosquitoes but they are willing to give it a try! Thank you so much.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Jack

        1. Ah, I was at a Xerces Society webinar some months back, and they addressed this (they're a great organization who do a lot of working helping pollinators). Mosquito larvae take around a week (usually between 8-10 days) to mature into adults, so the key is simply to empty the water out every several days, replacing it with fresh water. That way there's no way for mosquitoes to complete the aquatic portion of their lifecycle!

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  70. It is almost June, but it is colder than normal today because we have a tropical depression moving through. This morning, I found a bumble clinging to a green bean leaf, rolled slightly sideways, kicking one of it's legs up in the air, repeatedly. I can't tell if it is cold or poisoned. I don't have pesticides, but I'm sure they are in the neighborhood. It had no pollen on it for me to think it is pollen drunk. What should I do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Ash

    1. It may be that your bee is simply cold, though if it has the energy to raise its leg repeatedly, then I'm kind of thinking it's not that cold. Did it raise its middle leg repeatedly, by chance? That's bumble bee for "I'd rather be left alone!" They do it with other bees, and also when they feel someone is approaching too closely.

      I've not heard the phrase "pollen drunk" before, and I'm not sure I see how pollen would negatively affect a bee. They're usually collecting pollen as protein-rich food for their young, and don't consume it themselves. I've read that bees may occasionally forage on fermented nectar and become inebriated, but I've never seen such behavior myself (and only read of it in honey bees).

      It's impossible to rule out pesticides, but the acute effects are pretty striking: falling over, circling, twitching, convulsing. It doesn't sound like your bee is doing any of those things.

      It's not too unusual for bees to spend nights outside, clinging to flowers or leaves. If you're bee is still there, I'd try moving it to a bee-friendly flower, and seeing if it does any better. Ideally in the sunshine. You may see both middle legs go up, if you do that though!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. It was the middle leg! There was another larger bumble foraging ver close to it. So, perhaps between the 2 of us, it felt very threatened.

        Unfortunately, there is no sunshine to be seen today. I found another bumble happily sleeping on my marigolds. I had one asleep in the cucumber flowers last year. This was just behavior I have never seen before.

        Thank you for the quick reply! I will see if it is still there.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Ash

  71. I am planning to set up a bee project at a primary school and wondered if you could point us to some plants bees like and where to best position them? Away from the playground? The school has a few greenish corners and some lawn areas and is otherwise surrounded by a massive construction sites (lots of dust and noise) and a recycling center. Is it at all possible to attract bees in such an urban setting?

    Many thanks

    Manfred

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Mr Manfred

    1. Yes, you can totally attract bees in such a setting. Bees are even becoming more abundant in some urban areas, so long as they can find flowers and nearby nesting sites! Given your locale, I'd point you to the UK-based Bumblebee Conservation Trust website. Their resources will attract all kinds of bees (not just bumbles) too!

      I would explore their resources here specifically: https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/beethechange/resources/?tag=gardening-for-beginners#main

      You might also start by looking at this PDF, with advice that can be adapted to various outdoor spots: https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/beethechange/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Gardening-Bumblebees-Getting-Started.pdf#btcresource

      I notice they also have a Bumblebee-friendly Schools project, which might be of interest to you: https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/bumblebee-friendly-schools/

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  72. Hi there. We found what I think is a carpenter bee today and it looked very sluggish and hot (76* day today) so I gave it sugar water and even a dropper bath with clean water because it was sticky and dirty and it’s been a few hours now and it’s dried up and moving around. What else can I do to help it? I think we’re friends now, it freaky likes me and wants to hold onto my finger

    Thanks for the help. Th is is my first time helping a bee.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kirsten

    1. It sounds like you've helped your bee a lot already! Your temperature sounds good too, it won't be too hot for your bee. There may have been some other reason for the sluggishness (to do with the sticky dirty appearance, which is unusual for a bee)? Bees usually get more active as the temperature warms (temps past which it's too hot for them would be over 100°F).

      Your finger may well feel warm to your bee! I'm wondering if your buzzy friend may have flown off by the time I reply, but sometimes bees take awhile to get going after being sluggish. Try putting your bee in direct sunlight on a patch of bee-friendly flowers, or offer more sugar-water while letting your bee bask in sun rays.

      It's kind of you to look out for bees, and help out a bee in need 🐝💛

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thank you for your help. He’s actually still resting on some flowers. I believe he has a hurt wing though.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Kirsten

        1. Aww what a cute bee! I’m replying on the website ‘cos otherwise my message may not reach you (I’m having less luck lately with email). But I did see your photos! And I’m not quite so concerned about the wing damage now, since even though it’s a fair bit, it’s on the end of the wings, rather than affecting how the wings are held in flight.

          Judging by the ragged look though, yours is either an older bee or one that’s really been through something. Even with access to flowers, given your bee’s condition I’d make sure to offer more sugar water (you can always add a drop or two to the flower your bee is on). Funny that he gave you the legs-up… they do that when they feel someone’s too close (even after all your help)!

          Flying short distances is a good sign, generally speaking. Sometimes it takes bees quite awhile to recover after something traumatic, but I’m hoping that with continual warmth, flowers, and sugar-water as needed, your buzzy little friend should recover!

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

        2. I’m sorry to hear that your bee may have a hurt wing. If that’s the case, it pretty much consigns them to a short life. I’ve known some folks bring such bees into enclosures with access to potted flowering plants and/or freshly-cut flowers with drops of sugar-water on them (since a flightless bee will have trouble visiting a sufficient number of flowers, and they make easy prey for birds too).

          I wish we could give them prosthetic wings, as are done for some migrating monarchs! But bee wings are complex, with how the two wings on either hinge together on-the-fly (quite literally) so as to form one wing surface on either side in flight.

          Feel free to reply directly to the email you receive from my website with photos/video, if you’d like me to take a closer look at your bee!

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  73. Hi, I was outside doing garden work and I notice a bee stuck in water , so I took him out and noticed he was still alive and found a flower to put him on , so I checked back he was off the flower on the table the flower was on ,but he was sort of curled so I gently put him i, under the flower and tried to cover over him to give it some protection maybe until he would recover , not sure what else I could have done any help would be appreciated , feel kind bad for the poor little guy. Thanks

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Anthony

    1. I'm sorry to hear about your bee, curling up isn't a good sign. Was there sunlight to warm and dry your bee? Did you try a little sugar-water mix? It doesn't sound as though your bee had the energy to cling to the flower. It may also be, sadly, that your bee was in the water for too long. They breathe along little openings in the sides of their bodies, so getting stuck in water is life-threatening for them.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  74. This website is so cool, I just wanted to let you know!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to BB

    1. That's so kind of you to say! Bees are incredible creatures 🐝💛✨

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  75. Rescued a bumblebee from cold and wet on screened in porch. I bright it inside overnight bc it was late. I had a carrier for bugs that I bought with netting. I placed it inside. The next morning I read your article regarding sugar water. She didn’t seem interested. She’s making buzzing sounds when I touch her but not much movement. She does mice her legs in a way that seems like she’s wanting me not to touch her. I was only trying to feed her with a pipette. Bc she has moved towards the drops of sugar water yet. I placed a qtip with water under her and she’s resting of sorts with front legs on it. I’m just concerned bc I don’t want her to starve.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Ronna Davis

    1. I would definitely get her outdoors into direct sunlight when you have a chance (once your weather cooperates). If she's not extending her tongue into the sugar-water, she's probably not hungry. The good thing is that if she's not moving much, she won't be burning up much of her energy.

      Sometimes bees do need a little help realizing that the sugar-water droplets are food. If you touch her antennae or her feet ever so slightly with the sugar-water, that may entice her. Another trick is to put a drop or two on a cut bee-friendly flower such as a dandelion. If she doesn't respond to one of these, then it's safe to assume she's fine and won't starve.

      If she lifts one or both middle legs when you approach her, that's her way of hoping you'll back off... bumble bees do that with each other too, when one comes too close to a flower that another is on!

      If she's making buzzing sounds but not moving her wings, she may be trying to warm herself. She may also buzz with her wings without flying, again in an effort to warm up and ready herself for flight. Since it's already later in the day where you are, I'd let her settle down in her carrier somewhere cool for the evening/night, and hope that warm and sunny weather arrives soon, so she can warm up in the sun rays (ideally on bee-friendly flowers) and bee on her way!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  76. Have you ever kept a bee hive? Just wondering because I did not see any mite information on your site.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kdog

    1. I’ve only ever hosted numerous native bees on my property. Honey bees have so many dedicated beekeeper websites already with a wealth of information on their mites (Varroa destructor).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  77. On Wednesday morning we discovered a bumblebee that seemed to be dying in our yard. We observed it but let it be. Thursday morning, my son was curious about it so we went to where it had been and discovered it had died as we suspected. Thinking his classmates might want to observe it closely, we gently collected the bee and kept it in an open container in our home. This morning, (Friday) it is alive! I replaced it to the spot where it was collected and am hoping it will be okay. What did we encounter?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kerry

    1. Was it a particularly large bumble bee, by chance? At this time of year, young queen bumble bees are emerging from their solitary winter hibernation. They awaken as temperatures warm, but they often get caught out in cold snaps, owing to the time of year.

      Since all bees are cold-blooded, they can appear remarkably dead when they're cold, only to revive with surprising energy once they're warmed up again! Bumble bees do have a special trick too, wherein they "shiver" their flight muscles in order to warm up... but that trick only works for them if they're already warm enough to shiver!

      Since queen bumble bees at this time of year have often not yet established new nest sites (which are typically underground), it's more likely to find them outdoors in odd places in early springtime, sometimes frozen in place for hours or even several days at a time!

      At night, and during cold weather, they slow down and enter a state of "torpor", where they're pretty much unable to move at all. They're still able to cling onto things, but they'll hardly move a leg until the ambient air temperature starts to approach 60°F (though if sunlight hits them for awhile, that helps them get going).

      So I believe you found a queen bumble bee, who I'd imagine would have been able to fly today, judging by your weather forecast (it looks to have been reasonably warm where you are today, when I looked it up)! Ideally, she'll have done some foraging (to top up her energy with nectar), as well as started scouting about for a good place to start a new colony of bumble bees for the season! Bumble bees colonies are seasonal, with the bees dispersing in fall, and only young queens overwintering, each in their own tiny burrow 🐝💛

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  78. Just found your site and I LOVE it - thank you so much!

    I just watched the video of John and the bumble bee - it was so sweet : )

    Another one you may like is a lady in Scotland (I think) who found a beautiful bumble bee without any wings so she made a home for her in a box and looked after her until she died - bittersweet. It's still on YT.

    Sorry Elise it wasn't a question but I'm sure that I have hundreds : )

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Angela

    1. Aww that's so sweet of you to say! I love hearing from folks who love bees as much as I do!!

      I had not seen the story of a bumble bee without wings that was cared for, thank you for sharing that! I so wish we could repair bees' wings somehow, or be able to give them new prosthetic wings! It's been done with monarch butterflies, but bees have complex wings (each pair on either side of their body hooks together in flight, to make one wing surface per side).

      I did find a bald-faced hornet once with what looked like deformed wing virus (that's a honey bee virus, but there's some indication it can spread to other bee relatives). I brought it sugar-water every day outdoors, keeping an eye on it to ensure it was as comfortable as possible until the end of its little life. Hornets have a bad reputation, but I've found these close bee relatives to be quite sweet too, so long as they're treated gently.

      Thanks again for writing in to share your love of bees 💛🐝

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  79. currently sat with a bumble bee on my hand. i think its sleeping. its in my office warming up and resting. it occasionally has a little wander and then nods off again.

    im on a building site and this isnt the first ive seen what can i do for the others that are sure to surface ?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to sarah

    1. Queen bumble bees are emerging at this time of year, so I'm thinking those are the ones you're seeing surfacing there. They hibernate individually underground during winter, before awaking in early spring to begin their new colony for the season.

      Any bees you happen upon that are moving slowly will enjoy soaking up your warmth, particularly on cool or less sunny days! They may "nod off" if they feel safe, absorbing your warmth before wandering again (often not flying at all, since it takes a bumble bee queen a lot of energy to fly)!

      You'll help them by letting any that are sluggish warm up on you if they seem inclined to do so. If you have bee-friendly flowers nearby, you could gently transfer any bees you find onto flowers once they're more warmed up? Crocuses are one of their favorites in the areas I'm familiar with, and if you see other bumble bees visiting specific flowers in the area, that's always a good sign.

      I'm hoping that with the building site work, they're not emerging earlier than they otherwise would be. It's not surprising to see queen bumble bees out just as spring is "springing" though. As a result, they often spend stretches of days and nights sheltering from rain and cold weather (under leaf litter, fallen wood, or inside some flowers), waiting for the sun to come out again. After foraging, they'll start searching for a place they'll call home for the season (often abandoned mouse burrows underground).

      If your weather forecast looks inclement, try placing your bees in undisturbed places to shelter that are near bee-friendly flowers. Ideally spots that'll be bathed in sunlight once the sun comes out! If there aren't any good bee flowers nearby, you might trying mixing up some sugar-water solution too (50/50 granulated white sugar with room temperature water), and offer them a few drops as a quick energy boost to help them, along with warming them up!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  80. I found a carpenter bee on the beach, struggling in the sand. It crawled right into my hand, and I have gotten it away from the sand. It does not feel well enough to grab onto a flower, but it does seem to want to hang out on my hand. I used a Q-tip and a little bit of water to remove the clumps of sand but I don’t know what else to do from here.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jessica

    1. Your hand will help warm your bee, which may give it enough energy to be able to grab onto a flower. I'm guessing you have no source of sugar-water nearby? Flower nectar would certainly do the trick too (so long as it's a bee-friendly flower with nectar ready). I think probably the best thing you can do is to let your bee crawl on you for a little while here to soak up some of your warmth, which should prompt it then to begin cleaning itself. Once it seems warmer and hopefully more energized, try moving it onto a flower again.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. He seems to be napping on and off but he has been using his legs to try to clean himself. He still isn’t interested too much in the flowers. He prefers to be back on me, so I guess he probably does want the warmth since he was flipping around in the wet Sand by the ocean.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Jessica

        1. Sounds like your bee is mostly just cold (and possibly damp too, which makes it feel chillier). Your bee may wish to warm up on you for quite awhile (depending on how cold/damp it feels), so I hope you don't mind a buzzably adorable companion for awhile there! Once your bee is warmer and drier, it'll stop resting as much and begin cleaning itself more actively, then ideally trying some little test buzzes before taking off. Bees really need to be well-warmed (and dry!) in order to fly, so if you have any sunlight there, it'd be good to let your bee bask in that too, while it's soaking up your warmth 💛🐝

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  81. Hello Elise,

    I found a large bumble bee outside yesterday, face down in a bucket of water. I took her out and set her on the ground in the sunlight, and she moved very slightly so I could tell she was alive. When I went back to check on her before sunset, she was still there but unmoving. Concerned that it would get too cold for her to survive the night, I brought her indoors. Since I don't have a shoebox to use, I found another cardboard box instead - but it is very small, about 4 inches cubed. She was moving around, climbing up the inside of the box after being inside for a few minutes. By this point, I had offered her the sugar water, but she didn't seem interested at all, and I didn't see her take any. Before turning in for the night, I removed the sugar water container from her box to prevent her from drowning.

    The next morning when I checked on her, she was completely still in the corner of the box. I feared that she had died, partly because on a website I read that bees can die if they are trapped indoors. I took her box outdoors and tried to move her with a flower to see if she was alive. At first she didn't respond, but after a while I noticed miniscule movements hardly detectable to the eye. I turned the box on its side and left it out so she could crawl away if she wanted. I have gone back to check a couple times over the past few hours since, and she hasn't moved at all.

    For the next few days, the weather is going to be below 50 F in the day and almost freezing at night, with showers throughout. I am uncertain whether it is best to bring her in again tonight, since it seems as though doing so last night didn't help her - or whether to let her stay outdoors from now on.

    What would you advise? And if I do take her in again, how can I make sure that she improves? Is there any concern I might harm her more by having her indoors?

    Thank you so much for your time!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sophia

    1. I'm guessing she's a queen bumble bee freshly awoken from hibernation, given the time of year and her large size.

      My first thought is that she may not have dried out fully yet, which would make her that much colder. My next thought is that the size of the box—while smaller than ideal—is still sufficient for her, so long as she's not moving about much. And if she's cold, she won't move much.

      There's no inherent danger in bringing her indoors. If she were outdoors, she'd naturally take shelter from frost somewhere for the next few days, waiting out the chilly/showery weather. She might shelter under leaves, in a hole in the ground, or even inside a flower that closes (such as a crocus).

      The problem for her currently is that she'd need energy and warmth to find her own such safe place currently. If she's chilled (and still damp) in an exposed area outdoors, she won't be able to move much, leaving her vulnerable to predation as well as frost.

      If you do bring her indoors, perhaps you might be able to find a larger enclosure for her? It can even be plastic, so long as there's some kind of breathable aspect to it. You could perhaps add some dead leaves to give her something to clamber over and under. If you do bring her in, make sure to keep her enclosure cool at night.

      For her to improve, she'll need warmth and energy. Bees can look like they're on their last legs when they're cold and damp, only to revive quickly in sunlight, with a little nectar or sugar-water. One way to be safe is to keep her enclosure somewhere cool night and day, mimicking the outdoor temperatures, just without the risks of freezing or being eaten by some warm-blooded creature like a bird.

      Once it gets above 50°F with a little sunlight outdoors, I think you'll be surprised how she'll buzz back to life! It may take a few hours in the sun, but what happens typically is bees spend awhile cleaning themselves and drinking a little food, before doing a series of "test buzzes" with their wings, and then taking off. If you've some spring flowers nearby, I'd put her open enclosure near them—with her body in direct sunlight—on a good morning.

      If you do instead prefer to leave her outdoors, I'd maybe cut a hole for her to crawl from in the side of that small box, and then leave her covered inside it so that she has protection from frost as well as from predators seeing her. She'll naturally crawl through the visible opening of light once temperatures warm her up.

      It's kind of you to have saved her from that bucket of water! Bees breathe along holes in the sides of their body, and immersion is extremely dangerous for any length of time as a result. Bees can waste a lot of energy struggling at first too, so it'd be good to try to get some sugar-water into her once she's moving more. But she's probably fine without food if she's unmoving and cold currently.

      Do let me know if you have any further concerns, and feel free to reply directly to the email from my website, if you wish to send any photos/videos 🐝💛✨

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  82. My shitty neighbors complained about a bea hive and someone came and destroyed the hive with pesticide.

    I found some of the bees still alive including what I think are 2 queens. It's getting dark and cold out so I brought them inside, I'm hoping they will survive the night (2nd day after spraying) Anything besides a bit of sugar water and letting them out in the morning that I can do for them? Would a bee place give a hoot about 2 queens maybe?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Misty

    1. Wow that is terrible to hear 😔

      Sugar water will help your rescued bees. It would be unusual for there to be two honey bee queens, but I'd be able to give a better identification if I could take a look at them. Honey bee queens have unusually long rear ends compared to honey bee workers. Feel free to reply to the email you get from my website with photos/videos.

      All bees would benefit from sugar water and a safe place to recover after what happened. Keep their enclosure somewhere relatively cool tonight, so that they don't get fooled by warm indoor temperatures and think it's time to go flying off. I've seen honey bees that are slightly poisoned seem to recover with time. In the morning, once it begins warming up, offer them more sugar water and see if they'll fly off once you put them out in the sunlight.

      Honey bees without a colony will try to find a colony to join, and so long as they come bearing gifts (sugar/nectar/pollen), they'll usually be accepted into a new hive.

      It's really awful that folks reach for pesticides whenever they're "bothered by" or "afraid of" nature, especially in these times of plummeting pollinator diversity and abundance. Spraying ever-more pesticides is only making things worse, for humans too!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  83. Hi, my boyfriend and I found a bumblebee on the floor of our balcony after a drizzle with some very strong winds today at 3pm (we’re on the 9th floor) and we fed it a mixture of abit of cane sugar and water, it ate it for abit and stopped moving, then after Googling around found out that white sugar and water 1:1 ratio is the best so we drip it around the bee and it drank abit and is slightly moving from time to time but it’s still seems like it’s dying/almost dead. Local temp. is around 11C and we followed your advice to keep the bee in a shoebox with some holes. We’re still so terrified the bee isn’t gonna make it as it’s now 5pm and the bee is still barely moving, the wings and body is slight wet? (Has tiny droplets around him). How would we know if it’s going to survive or not?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lala

    1. Your bee is (in all likelihood) simply cold. 11°C along with a lack of sunlight plus wind-chill (and being slightly wet) would make any bee seem super-slow, almost dead. That lethargy is because they're cold-blooded. I would bet that your bee would revive in sunlight.

      Unfortunately your weather forecast looks chilly and rainy for the foreseeable future. If your bee is a large bumble bee queen, she's probably recently emerged from hibernation. She'll want to be outdoors searching for a good nesting site (even in light rain and cold weather).

      Bumble bees can generate their own warmth by vibrating their wing muscles (which looks a bit like "shivering" to us)! But they need energy to do that. So it's good you've offered her sugar-water.

      Bumble bees do tend to push their luck with the weather, but ideally she'd shelter underneath leaf litter or logs or similar, waiting out periods of rain (sometimes they "sleep" in flowers that close fully like crocuses, and are then "awakened" at the appropriate time, since those flowers open when hit with sunlight). I've seen a bumble bee queen spend five nights this way, in weather similar to yours!

      You won't hurt her by giving her a place to shelter for the moment, especially since it's nighttime where you are. Just keep her box somewhere cool, and make sure there's no chance of ants getting to it, given the droplets of sugar-water. Tomorrow—especially if there's a break in the rain, and any sunlight at all—you could give her a head start by warming her up (in her enclosure) in a cozy indoor room, as well as offering further drops of sugar water.

      If there's an area nearby with spring bulbs like crocuses, where there's also shelter under leaves or similar (and especially if you know there are abandoned mouse burrows nearby, which are a favorite nesting place of many bumble bees!), you might consider taking her there and opening up her box (after she's well warmed and ideally has had some sugar-water), to see if she chooses to go.

      Depending on her inclinations and the weather, you may also end up with a tiny extra guest for several nights (if you so choose)! If you can't accommodate her staying for so long, then try to find a good sheltered spot outdoors: one near easily accessible bee-friendly flowers, and also a place where sunlight hits (once the sun is out).

      Let me know if you have any more concerns (feel free to reply to the email you receive from my website with photos/videos). To put your mind at ease, there's no need to worry about a bee that's barely moving when it's cold and damp (or even when it's simply just cold). The time to be concerned is if your bee continues barely moving after it is well-warmed up and dry (for instance, after spending some time in a cozy room, or basking in sunlight for awhile). Sometimes they spend hours slowly warming up, but once they're warm (and have energy from nectar or sugar-water), they appear to "revive" almost miraculously!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  84. I found a soaking wet bee, not moving (actually I thought it was dead) I bought it home, and saw it’s leg moving. I’ve had it 2 days now, in an open container with flowers and green leaves and it’s moving, fidgeting and mostly dangling off the end of a pastry brush in my kitchen….! It seems quite content, I’ve provided sugar water and daffodils but it hasn’t been near either, and if it moves it walks to the other end of the brush but returns and hangs again.. i have lots of photos i can send you, i just would like to know whether that’s ok, is it normal bee behaviour? I assume it’s drying out but i’m fascinated and want to know if I’m doing the right thing for the bee…. It’s pouring with rain so I want to keep it warm and dry, but what else can I do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jd

    1. Sounds like perfectly normal behavior for a bee in these circumstances!

      I'm not surprised about your bee's lack of interest in daffodils, since they're not often visited by bees. There's an interesting web page here on that subject (the gist is that daffodils have been bred by people for their showiness and beauty, and in the selection process they have lost the attributes that are attractive to pollinators): https://www.honeybeesuite.com/who-pollinates-the-daffodils/

      Is your bee very large and fluffy? At this time of year, queen bumble bees are the most common bee to find in inclement weather, having recently emerged from their winter hibernation underground.

      Bees can't fly in the rain easily (though they can handle light rain). The forecast for your area indicates rain for awhile, but she'll want to get on with her life too. If she were out there on her own, she'd ideally have found somewhere to wait out the rain (perhaps inside a crocus flower, or beneath some leaves). At this time of year, her first objective will be to forage for nectar to replenish her energy, and then she'll be looking for a place underground to begin her new colony: note that bumble bees favor abandoned mouse burrows!

      If she had pollen on her hindlegs when you found her, that means she's already started working on a colony. My guess is that's not the case though? In terms of taking care of her, I'd ensure that her enclosure is somewhere relatively cool, so that she doesn't waste energy, nor feel that it's time to be out and about, when the weather outdoors is so different. The cooler she is, the more she'll slow down. If she were outdoors, she would enter a state of "torpor" for awhile, so cold as to be unmoving, while awaiting warmth and sun.

      For the most part, your temperatures are close to what she's evolved to deal with at this time of year. However, in the state you found her—unsheltered and soaking wet—she was definitely at risk, so it's good that you picked her up! They breathe through little holes along the sides of their bodies, so being soaked can be life-threatening, especially when they're too cold to move to safety.

      I'd try to release her as soon as you get a series of days at or above 10°C. Even if it's mixed weather, with rain showers and sporadic sunlight, she may well be inclined to be off on her way. Releasing her is as simple as putting her open container outdoors, and waiting to see if she leaves. It's a good idea to ensure she's topped up with sugar-water before flying off. They tend not to fly off immediately in such cases, but prefer to soak up sun rays and spend time cleaning themselves, sometimes taking a few hours before leaving.

      I'd love to see your photos! Feel free to reply directly to the email you receive from my website with photos or videos 💛🐝

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Hello Elise,

        my wife found a large bumblebee 5th March,on our patio, she was moving very slowly (the bumblebee), we believe it was a queen, about 1 and a half inches long and healthy looking, nice size with healthy wings and very fluffy and dry but just very still,I think she had been caught out by the cold snap we had had(we are in Germany)day time temperature was about zero C .

        We also did similar to above as JD did,flowers, sugar water some sticks and leaves except we had her in a shoe box covered with some metal gauze(we have a cat).we were all over the internet trying to find what best to do,we got some good info but I wish we had found your site then because she recovered really well on the sugar water , which we refreshed every morning ,but, fact is, she recovered too well,she was constantly trying to get out of the box and even started "boring" a hole in the side of the shoe box(we felt terrible like we had imprisoned her)but the temp outside was minus 2 minus 4 and so on, cruel to be kind? ,then found your site today , I read your information and realised the mistake we made was keeping her too warm, her box was in our conservatory, 20 ish deg C., ..I did however partially cover her box with newspaper to give a "nighttime effect"..SO to my question,(I knew we would get there in the end) we waited until today 13th March to let her go because the weather forecast is above 10 deg C for at least a week(it was actually 16 C today)so 7 am today we put her at the door,,she waited about 2 minutes and then zoom! straight up in the air and gone ,not even a thank you ;) and I mean she flew up there like a rocket! (good sign I hope) the problem is, this evening at about 18:00 we had a huge thunderstorm with hail and rain but the temp is still 10-11 C do you think the 10 or so hours she had of mild overcast weather was enough to find a safe place during the storm? it was a short storm but wow the house was shaking,

        Best regards

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Derek

        1. Zooming off like a rocket is a good sign!

          I would definitely think she would have been able to find shelter, given that she had 10 hours of good weather today (especially with a high of 16°C). Since she was already topped up on sugar-water, her instinct would have been to find a good spot underground (such as an abandoned mouse burrow) in which to begin her new colony for the year. I would think it's likely that she was underground by the time of your storm.

          She should also have had a sense that some serious weather was coming. Studies have shown that other social bees (such as honey bees) are able to gauge the intensity of approaching bad weather, adjusting their foraging behaviors accordingly. Although bumble bee queens seem to "push their luck" in early spring more than honey bees might, I still think she'd have had a sense (based on meteorological factors such as humidity and barometric pressure) that some seriously bad weather was imminent, which would have prompted her to seek shelter.

          It's so kind of you to have housed her until the weather forecast improved! Bees definitely don't have long-range weather forecasts, so it's helpful at this time of year to keep them safe, particularly during lengthy freezing cold snaps.

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

          1. hello Elise

            thanks for that we both feel a little more relieved,today is 12 C overcast but very calm ,the calm after the storm ;)

            regards derek

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to derek

  85. Hi

    We’ve had a windy storm which brought a giant dead tree down with a honeybee hive now exposed. It’s been warm but it’s supposed to freeze tomorrow night. Can I help these bees? Blanket? Tarp? Anything?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Peggy

    1. If it's warm right now, they may move to a new location themselves. What I'd do though, since they're honey bees, is call a local beekeeper to come and get them, as they'll definitely not want to freeze tonight, that wouldn't be good at all! Here's a link where you should be able to look up a phone number for someone in your area: https://www.mdbeekeepers.org/swarm-retrieval-list/

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  86. Hi Elise,

    I'm currently in cold northern Italy, and while walking in the mountains, I came across a bombus terrestris (according to Google images) on the side of a road. It appeared to be dead, but when I gently touched it, it tried to "hug" my finger. So I moved it from the street to the grass, and it began to walk towards me, up to my shoe, " hugging" my shoelaces, jeans, and fingers. I didn't know what to do because I was afraid the nest was somewhere nearby, so I left it in the grass near a paper glass, to use as temporary home.

    But I felt bad because I wanted to take her with me. I thought about her all night, and this morning I took the one and only bus back up to the mountains. I found her! But she was freezing like icicle. I couldn't rely on nature this time, so I put her in a small plastic open box over my hands to warm her up. She began to move again after two minutes. I brought her home, gave her water and sugar, she drank, walked, but she can't fly.

    Now that it's night, she's still inside the house, and I've placed her in an open box with fake flowers because I've read that they can become depressed otherwise. She has mites as well, and they all became visible after a few hours. I only managed to extract one from her. What else can I do when she isn't flying?Anyway she comes walking in my hand, sometimes 🥺❤️.

    Thank you

    Eloise 🐝

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Eloise

    1. That's so amazing that you took the one-and-only bus back up into the mountains, to help your bumble bee!

      I'm guessing she's a large-ish bumble bee, given the time of year? I'd imagine she's a queen bumble bee who has recently awakened from hibernation. What are the temperatures (daytime highs and nighttime lows) in your part of the country right now?

      The good thing about her being a queen so early in the year, is that she won't yet have established a nest. So it's not a problem to have moved her a good distance from where you found her. And she really did sound too cold ("hugging" you for warmth)!

      As for her mites, surprisingly they're not harmful to bumble bees. They're "hitchhikers" and although they do hope to end up in a nest with her, they basically hop off once there, and nibble detritus. So you don't have to worry about removing those (the mites that are so well-known as problems for honey bees are much larger, and those mites only parasitize honey bees).

      She sounds to me as though she's not flying simply because she's not yet warm enough to fly. All bees need to be well-warmed before they're able to fly. Bumble bee queens, being heavier, are even slower to fly than other bees (often walking when they're just warm enough). At this time of year, bumble bee queens do spend nights outdoors in the cold, but they're not able to move at all when they're that cold, and so they need to shelter somewhere protected from frost (and predators)! They can handle short periods of very cold temperatures, but it is dangerous for them.

      Since it's night time where you are, I wouldn't try warming her up more tonight. She'll be fine overnight indoors in a cool-ish room. It'll depend on your upcoming weather, when might be a good time to release her. Sunny warm days are ideal, but anything above 13°C in the daytime (ideally closer to or above 15°C) would work well for her. In the meantime, you have a buzzy house guest ☺️

      Whatever the weather, tomorrow morning definitely check in on her and offer a few drops of sugar-water (she doesn't need much, and she'll be a bit clumsy if she's still cold and moving slowly). On days where it seems better to keep her with you (since you're able to judge far better than her, with your weather forecast!), I'd let her warm up some indoors, just not so much to where she's trying to fly. I'm sure she loves walking on your hand for warmth!

      On a good day to release her, you could then put her outdoors in the full sun, offering more sugar water. The warmer she is, the more active she'll be. If you watch her for awhile, you'll probably see her doing little "test buzzes" with her wings, before she's able to fly off. Sometimes it can take a couple hours for queen bumble bees to get airborne in the morning, depending on how fast they warm up! If you place her on some bee-friendly flowers close to the ground, she may even walk rather than fly between flowers. But she'll be able to fly once she's fully warmed up and energized!

      That's so kind of you to go back to find her again, and provide a safe environment for her until the weather improves! Every bee matters these days, and I've read that Bombus terrestris nests can be quite large (between 300-400 bees), so by helping her, you're helping many future bees 🐝💛🐝💛🐝

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. I pushed the bottom while I was still writing:)

        I'm happy when I meet people who love nature the way I do, it's a pleasure meeting you here🐝😊

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Eloise

      2. Thank you for responding so quickly!

        Yes, I took that bus; it's a very remote location where I found her; I was feeling so bad the entire night that I didn't want to make a mistake taking her, but it was too cold for me. I cried because I was so happy to see her again. I'm hoping I'll be able to save her. It's very cold here, with lows of -2/-3 at night. During the day, the temperature is around 7/8°, but it is perceived as lower. It should improve in two weeks. Do you think she can survive on sugary water for that long?

        I believe she is a queen; she is about 2.5cm long, but when I was in Sweden, I saw queens much larger than this one, they call them" airplane bee:)". I thought she was hugging because she was looking for her flower🥺.

        Thank you Elise

        Eloise

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Eloise

        1. I'm so happy you went back for her with temperatures that low! Anywhere below -5°C is particularly dangerous for them. And your daytime temperatures are still only adequate for sheltering somewhere unmoving. It sounds as though she emerged from hibernation a bit too early, perhaps fooled by briefly warmer temperatures near where she was overwintering in the soil.

          I'm not familiar with European bees personally, but I have a bee identification book here that suggests Bombus terrestris queens are typically 18mm from head to tail. At 25mm, I'd say your bee is certainly a queen bumble bee (I'd love to see those Swedish "airplane bees")!

          She'll be just fine with sugar-water mix for as long as a couple of weeks. Do keep a good eye on her, especially while you're still "getting to know" her and her bee-havior! You'll see when she's drinking, because her extended proboscis will be very noticeable (they have red, long "tongues"). Usually they're good at finding the droplets of sugar-water, but it can depend on the bee, and sometimes barely touching a drop to one of her antenna can clue her in, if she has trouble discovering the source of food. Sometimes I put droplets of sugar-water on recently cut bee-friendly flowers, though it sounds like there won't be too many flowers yet where you are!

          Keep her cool-ish at nighttime (so she doesn't waste energy, and also to keep her day/ night/ seasonal rhythms intact). Move her enclosure somewhere warmer during the day, but not so warm to where she's trying to fly (if she starts to try to fly, simply move her enclosure somewhere cooler, and she'll quickly settle down again). Offer her sugar-water from time to time during the days (every few hours?... you'll get to know how often, because she'll only drink if she's hungry).

          Enjoy her company too! It's so special to bee able to observe bees so closely, and offer a helping (and warm!) hand 🐝✨

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

          1. Thanks again 😊

            Yes, the "airplane bees" are so amazing. We call them that way because they are big and make a lot of noise:). When I moved to Sweden I noticed insects are bigger there, compared to the rest of Europe.

            So it is absolutely ok that she's lethargic and, for instance, she kept the same position the whole night, right? I offered her a 3cm plastic plate filled with sugary water and gently moved it in front of her, then took a drop with my finger and placed it close to her mouth. She then began to drink a lot. I recorded videos of her 🥰. Then I realized she also stretches; I assumed she was in pain and was terrified she might suffer, but then she started walking, so I assumed she was stretching. I only have roses in my garden right now. I was planning to put her on one of them as soon as it gets warmer, but I've read that grounded flowers are a better option. What do you think? Thanks again 🐝🥰,

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to Eloise

            1. I was asleep when you last wrote, hence my later reply!

              It is absolutely normal to see her looking and behaving lethargically, and not moving from one position through the whole night. That's just how bees are when they're cold; they really like to be warm in order to move! You may have read on my page here that bumble bees are quite special in the cold-blooded world, in so far as they can raise their own body temperatures by "shivering". This is when they decouple their flight muscles from their wings, then vibrating those muscles in order to warm themselves up. While bumble bees can sometimes fly at surprisingly low temperatures (around 10°C or even a bit lower), they cannot take off unless their flight muscles are above 30°C. Bumble bees aim for toasty body temperatures between 30°C to 40°C during flight.

              And yes, stretching and grooming are common behaviors too. She sounds very comfortable with you, and it's great that she drank plenty of sugar water, that's a good sign!

              In terms of your flowers, it depends on the type of rose. What I'd call "dog roses" (the wild roses with visible stamens, that have "rose hips" on the bushes at the end of the season) are definitely bee-friendly, but the much more common cultivated roses (the ones where layers of petals are all you see, without the open center, and that we traditionally think of when we think of roses) don't work for bees, as they're not able to access the pollen and nectar within. Do you have any dandelions? Are there any spring bulbs in your area that may be coming up through the leaf litter in the coming week or two? The reason flowers close to the ground are better is that bumble bees (especially large queens) are prone to falling when they're too cold to fly but are still trying to move around, so flowers like crocuses (close to the ground) make for easier foraging, since they can slowly clamber back up several centimeters into the flowers if they fall into the surrounding leaf litter.

              Feel free to reply over email to the message you receive from my website, if you'd like to share videos of her! I'm so happy to hear from you too, it's wonderful to know that there are others that care about so much about bees and nature 💛🐝✨

              Reply

              Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

              1. Dear Elise,

                I can plant some flowers for her I think, as soon as the time will come. She drinks a lot and pee a lot too!

                I will send pictures and a video to you( I was looking for your email, not sure if I've found the right one).

                🐝🤍

                Reply

                Leave a Reply to Eloise

  87. I have a bumble bee that I found in the garden on some glad stones.,she was very dopey. I have her in the house after trying to give sugary water. In a container now in a cool room. Weather here in Scotland is quite chilly around -3 real feel at night. Would some dry sphagnum moss be okay and a cardboard tube to hide in?

    I’ll keep monitoring her for a couple of days. It should be getting warmer by the weekend.

    Let me know what you think.

    Thanks and best regards

    Bill

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Bill

    1. I think dry sphagnum moss and a cardboard tube would work well for her! I assume it’s moss that you gathered? (I’m only thinking to ensure it’s not treated with anything, since I believe it’s sold at garden centers too.) Good to hear your weekend should be warmer!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. I’ve given her some suger water and a comfotable habitat. She’s moving around quite a lot. I really wonder if she will go back in to hibernation if I put her somewhere safe. Where would be a good place to leave her?

        Thanks for your reply.

        Bill

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Bill

        1. I'm not sure what your specific local weather is like, but I'm kind of guessing she may be up for the season now (rather than going back into hibernation). Late February is a time when—depending on local conditions—queen bumble bees may be emerging. Even if the temperature is dropping into the range of 5°C to 10°C at night, she should be able to handle it by sheltering unmoving (even if it means not moving for several days). The really dangerous freezing point for bumble bees (according to studies) seems to be when temperatures drop below -5°C, so it's a good thing you rescued her when you did!

          If you have warm daytime weather coming up at the weekend, I'd definitely see what she thinks about it. If it's sunny, I'd open up her enclosure so that she can soak up the sun for awhile. Also a good idea to offer her a few more drops of sugar water. She may go, or she may stay with you for a few more days. She'll let you know! So kind of you to care about her 🐝💛

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

          1. Hi Elise,

            Thanks for being there. My little friend flew off this afternoon and went really high and vanished into the distance. She had a drink before she left. I’m so happy that she seems to be in good health.

            Best regards

            Bill

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to Bill

  88. I found a queen (I think) bumblebee on my front steps last night not moving so I bought her in and gave her some sugar water and kept her in overnight. It's 6 degrees at the moment and I still have her in my house.... She's buzzing her wings and walking around the pot but she's not trying to fly, shall I keep her a bit longer and get her some bee flowers?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Marguerite

    1. She is likely to be a queen at this time of year (particularly if she seems quite large). Have you had recently warmer weather there, that may have awoken your queen bumble bee from her winter hibernation? Will your weather be improving soon, ideally with daytime temperatures above 13°C?

      If she's buzzing her wings but not flying, then she definitely has energy, and feels relatively warm, but that's from being indoors as well as from the sugar-water. If the weather isn't close to 13°C outdoors, then I'd put her enclosure in a cooler room, so that she settles back down again (cool temperatures will reduce her expenditure of energy). I'd keep her relatively cool indoors, until temperatures outside reach close to 13°C (ideally with sun too).

      You could put some items of interest like bee-friendly flowers in her enclosure, though cut flowers don't keep their nectar for too long (you can always add a drop or two of sugar-water to them though). I like to think that adding familiar items of interest helps "keep their spirits up"... I say that because recent studies do show bumble bees to have emotional states, including optimism and pessimism!

      You can keep her for a number of days, offering drops of sugar water in the daytime when it's a little warmer, and then putting her enclosure somewhere cooler at night. Keep an eye on her, to be sure she's not flying inside the enclosure, as that can result in wing damage (and frustration too, on the part of your bee)! Placing her enclosure somewhere cooler (make sure it's an ant/rodent-free area) will ensure she stays alive and healthy, without pointlessly buzzing about, while it's still too cold outdoors.

      If she were outdoors, she would ideally shelter somewhere hidden through cold weather snaps (beneath leaf litter, or inside a petal-closing flower). She'd forage whenever it warmed slightly, before sheltering again somewhere protective from frost. You'll help her by keeping her safe from predators indoors, since she can't move much when she's cold, making her easy prey in such a state (your front steps were hardly an ideal place to end up in that respect... though excellent for being picked up by you and taken in to safety)!

      Feel free to reply with photos or video to the email from my website, if you have any further concerns! Wonderful to hear that you care about bumble bees. A queen bumble bee, if successful in starting a colony, will give rise to many hundreds of bumble bees this season!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  89. Hi Elise,

    Hope you are well. I found a bee, at least I know it is not a Bumblebee, inside of the windowsill at first I thought it was dead but the foot twitched so I warmed it in a jar by heater and it sprung to life. Now after having some honey it is lively and seems restless. But here it is very cold and snowy so I thought best to keep it overnight. In the next week I do not believe it will go above ten degrees it is very cold even below zero. What do I do?

    Help and advice is appreciated.

    Thank you,

    Jenny

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jenny

    1. I gave some honey but should I leave some in there overnight? How much?

      Now I put him or her in a box with some endive leaves as I had no other greenery.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Jenny

      1. I just took a look at your videos and photos, thanks so much for sending those along. Yours is a wasp! I know some people have negative reactions to wasps, but they’re pretty good pollinators too, and closely related to bees (bees are simply wasps that went vegetarian). Wasps, by the way, don’t eat meat themselves, instead adult wasps drink nectar just like bees (they’re simply less fluffy than bees, and so not quite such effective pollinators). The meat part of wasps’ diet is solely for their young: bees feed their young pollen for protein, whereas wasps feed caterpillars and similar prey to their young. Although wasps have a formidable reputation, they tend to be gentle creatures at times of year when they have no nests or young to defend.

        Wasp lifecycles are also somewhat similar to bumble bees, wherein the colony dies off as temperatures cool before winter, and young fertile queens overwinter in frost-free places such as in wood piles, under leaf-litter, or in garages and attics. I found a hibernating wasp myself just the other day here, when moving a few things around in the rafters of my garage. I carefully placed her in a location where she’s less likely to be disturbed again, inside a cupboard at the back, where she’ll be protected from frost, but also where she’ll easily escape come early spring, as there are plenty of holes in those wooden doors, and she’ll find her way out by seeking the light. I didn’t feed her, since she didn’t even “awaken”.

        It sounds like you’ve already fed your wasp some honey? If so, I’d put her box enclosure somewhere cool so that she goes back into hibernation for the time being. So long as she’s been fed, she should have ample energy remaining to see her through until springtime and better temperatures. It’s much easier to help her back into hibernation than a bumble bee too, as wasps seem far less choosy about their hibernation spots (whereas bumble bees tend to want to dig their own perfect spot)! Once she’s cooled down and is moving less, simply move her open box into an undisturbed and frost-free area, ideally in some outdoors area such as a shed, garage, carport, outdoor cupboard, or similar.

        It’s kind of you to care for the little creatures in this world!

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

        1. Wow! So interesting! Who knew I’d learn so much from one insect and see them sleep. It is very snowy outside and there is snow on my balcony. If I simply put the wasp in a carton box outside would it work? Or would he freeze too much?

          Thank you.

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Jenny

          1. It should be fine to put your wasp out on your balcony, so long as the box is closed on top to add protection. It would be helpful to place the box under an eave too (if you have one), to protect it further from frost, rain, and snow.

            Also avoid placing the box anywhere it might be heated up by sun rays on an otherwise frosty winter day (this is why bumble bee queens choose north-facing hibernation sites, so as to avoid accidentally awaking too soon)!

            I'd also make a large hole (sufficient in size for your wasp easily to pass through) in the side of the box to allow the wasp to leave whensoever she chooses. A large hole in the side of the box won't impact protection from frost.

            It's kind of you to care about wasps too! Based on our conversation, I've just added some further information and photos to this page (under "What kind of bee is this?") to help others identify wasps from bees, and also learn more about wasps, whom I think are unjustly maligned, and an important part of natural ecosystems too! 💛🐝

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

            1. Done! Thanks a million. The wasp is still again clinging to the side of the box I put him onto the balcony (this balcony has only morning sunshine) within another little basket it has a little crack not thinking it would want to leave anytime soon.

              Best,

              Jenny

              Reply

              Leave a Reply to Jenny

      2. Apologies for not replying in time for your evening there (I was out when you wrote). I just took a look at your weather forecast, and I see what you mean about the freezing temperatures and snow! Did you happen to have a warmer/sunnier spell recently, that might have fooled some bees into emerging early?

        I wouldn't leave much honey or sugar-water in the enclosure, but it's fine to leave a drop or two dotted around (though if their enclosure is somewhere cool at night, they'll likely not drink any, as they'll fall into a less active state). The main issue with leaving food in overnight is not to leave too much (for instance, in a shallow bottle cap), where they might accidentally fall in. Also, if their enclosure is somewhere cool in a semi-outdoors area, it's important not to attract ants or larger predators.

        I do wonder what kind of bee it is! If you wouldn't mind taking a few photos (even video if you'd like), you may send those over email by replying to the response from my website. It does seem to me that given your weather, you may be hosting a slightly longer-term guest! I'm surprised it wasn't a bumble bee queen, as they're usually the ones people find in winter. There are some good "bee mimics" that are flies too, which can fly at much lower temperatures than bees (but look a lot like honey bees).

        Hope I can help further, once I see what kind of bee you have!

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  90. Hi,

    IT's barely above freezing here at the moment so I was surprised to find a bumblebee yesterday. It was barely moving so I picked it up and took it home. I warmed it up and fed it some sugar water, I was quite surprised that it soon perked up and started trying to fly. I couldn't let it go though as it's so cold here and is forecast to be for a few more days at least so I put it somewhere a bit cooler and left it overnight. This morning it was a little lethargic so I fed it again and it soon started moving about. As I can't release it yet I put a handful of dead leaves in the box with it and it ran straight into them and I haven't seen it since. What should I do now?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Dale

    1. Am I right in thinking that this was a particularly large bumble bee? Given the time of year, I believe you found a queen bumble bee who has accidentally been awoken from her winter hibernation too early in the year. Bumble bees often hibernate under leaf litter, so I think the best thing you can do is to put her enclosure outdoors, perhaps under an eave to protect her from extreme frosts and rain (but still in the shade, so that the sun does not warm her up while it is still too early in the year, and too cold to begin foraging and nest-building).

      I'd also cover the handful of dead leaves you put in with more dead leaves, and perhaps add some kind of chicken-wire or similar on top, to keep rodents from discovering her, but to allow her easily to pass through when she does think that it's a good time to emerge in early spring. She should return to hibernation, though if you do see her crawling about, you could also try placing her near some leaf litter outdoors. Bumble bee queens also overwinter in log piles and in soil, and when they do dig into soil, they tend to choose north-facing banks, since they’re less likely to be awoken by the warming earth too early, and a bank of soil helps any rain run off safely.

      I recently found a good resource from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust that goes into detail as to the types of spots queen bumble bees choose for hibernation, which I think you'll find helpful too:

      https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/beethechange/blog/how-to-help-hibernating-bumblebees/

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Hi,

        Thanks for the speedy reply, I'll take your advice onboard.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Dale

  91. I found a bee, stunned on the ground today. It's 33 degrees out and icy/snowy. I out it in my car and now it's flying around, should I let it back outside?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Theresa Hemond

    1. I think you should keep your bee warm for awhile, releasing only at the warmest (and hopefully sunniest) part of your day. Looking at your state's weather forecast generally, today and tomorrow look the warmest days. Your bee will have its best chances if you warm it up well before releasing it at the warmest point in the day!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  92. Hi, Elise. A honey bee worker hit my windshield yesterday during heavy rain. I pulled over and picked him up. He was drenched in water. I put him on a paper napkin and cranked the heat up. HE eventually came to himself. I've kept him in a small container since then. I gave him honey water, but I'm not sure if he drank it. The temperature is 57 at the moment. We will have rains today in the afternoon and tomorrow. When I heard that he was buzzing around in the container in the morning I tried to release him in the balcony when the sun came out, but he seems to just walk around without flying away. He tries to lift off, but can't go more than an half an inch off the ground, and after a while really gets fatigued. He's eager to move around though. I tried giving him more of the sugar water solution, but he's not interested. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Akif

    1. That's amazing that you saw your bee, and also that you were kind enough to pull over to pick your bee up!

      Definitely wait until these rains pass before trying to release your bee again. Keep your bee in a cool-ish room tonight, since lower temperatures slow bees down, meaning they don't waste energy. If tomorrow is rainy and you plan to keep your bee another night, keep your bee relatively cool tomorrow too (though I'd still try offering sugar-water intermittently in the day).

      Honey bees will usually lap up sugar-water easily if they're hungry. You'll see the long, dark-red tongue extending into the liquid if your bee is drinking. Occasionally it helps to touch a small spoon with sugar-water at the edge, so that it barely touches one of their antennae... that'll immediately get a response, if your bee is hungry.

      Another trick for feeding them is to lace something like a freshly cut dandelion with a few drops of sugar water, as they'll recognize the flower as food, and also get extra energy (depending on the nectar already in the flower head). Though it's not a good time of year for flowers right now, even dandelions!

      So I'd suggest keeping your bee overnight in a bee-safe container in a cool room, then whenever you get a day soon with warmer weather (without rain), first try warming up your bee indoors really well before releasing. If you keep your bee's enclosure in a nice, cozy warm room an hour or so before releasing, you'll start to see all the energetic moving about, along with "test buzzes" of the wings. They also tend to spend a fair bit of time grooming.

      The behavior you describe (with trying to lift off) simply sounds like being cold to me. It was probably too cold, even with the sunlight. But a pre-warmed bee (especially one with energy from a little sugar-water) will be much more quickly able to lift off and fly home.

      One other important tip, since this is a honey bee who has a hive to find! You need to release your bee relatively close to where you picked your bee up. That's important for finding landmarks.

      I wish you and your bee well 💛🐝✨

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  93. Hi! We have a bee that was found injured on our deck. He's missing a wing and a leg, presumably from very strong winds the day he was found. We've had him over a week and followed feeding advice, but not sure what else to do.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Flowersf

    1. I do apologize for getting back to you so late. There's unfortunately not much to be done, other than to keep your bee reasonably happy and well-fed. Without a wing, your bee would be quick prey for something else outdoors. There's no real way for a bee to live naturally without a wing (missing legs are alright, but not wings).

      I've often wished we could make them prosthetic wings (that's actually done with monarch butterflies). But bee wings are highly complex, with a set of two on either side of the bee, which hook together in flight (with tiny hooks) to form one wing surface.

      It's kind of you to take care of your bee after what happened. I'd make your bee's enclosure as interesting as possible, warming your bee up in the days to encourage liveliness, offering sugar-water from time to time (and possibly fresh-cut flowers as well, though it's hardly the time of year for any selection of those).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thanks so much! He's still kicking and very lively. I'm amazed, especially since it's been almost a month now. He's been with us since Christmas Eve. My three girls are taking turns feeding him every day and putting different things in his little aquarium. He seems as happy as can beeee. :)

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Frances

  94. So I rescued a bee from the pool at like 2:00 and put him on a pillow to dry off. It was cold water and cold cloudy day. I left and forgot about it till like 9 o’clock and went to check the pillow where the bee was still hiding behind the little stick I left there. I was using a lighter to see in the dark and I noticed it was starting to perk up from the warmth. So I set the lighter down so the metal wouldn’t get too hot and used my flashlight too see and eventually the bee climbed onto the metal of the lighter and was like rubbing it and getting more energy and fixed it’s out of place wing. The the lighter got too cool I guess so the bee started walking around and it seemed like it wanted more heat so I lit the flame again to warm it back up and I sorta like put it near the bee to warm it more which it seemed to really like… so much so that it flew right into the flame!😭 I instantly released the lighter but I saw and heard a flash of “burning crackle sound” it was a horrible moment but the bee somehow maintained flight and actually flew away into the night. Now I’m just really distraught and basically worried what I’ve done and what I should of done and also what is the likely fate of that bee. Any insight you could provide would be appreciated. Thanks so much.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Eric

    1. I am so sorry I didn't reply sooner, somehow I missed seeing your question during the holidays. Given that your bee maintained flight and flew off as you described, I'm hopeful!

      Yours is quite a story though, I've never heard one like it, and I'd not have thought bees'd seek heat from even a small flame. But they do love warmth! It makes them much more energetic, enabling flight.

      I'm guessing this was a honey bee (they're most often the bees that end up in pools)? If so, even in the dark, so long as there were lights around where you live, I'd imagine your bee could still use landmarks to get home. They navigate by the sun in part (they're not usually out past dusk), but they also use landmarks to find their way home.

      I'm still surprised your bee even flew into the flame, but perhaps it didn't recognize it quite (bees definitely recognize smoke, but tiny flame sources are unusual in nature). I think if your bee had really been harmed though, it wouldn't have flown off purposefully like that afterwards. I believe your reflexes must have saved your bee!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  95. I brought a honey bee inside because it’s absolutely freezing (well below 50 degrees) in the south. I put him near my plants with some sugar water. He was very cold but warmed up and was buzzing around in my office. I planned to let him out tomorrow if it cools down enough. But I can’t seem to find him. Is it possible he is just sleeping somewhere? Lol it’s dark outside about 7pm here now. I worry for him.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jess

    1. It’s definitely possible your bee is simply curled up for the night somewhere. I wouldn’t worry too much this evening. If it’s dark in the room, and particularly if the room is naturally cooler at night, your bee is likely to go into a less active state, and may be hard to find for awhile. If in the morning you’re able to warm your room up, and it’s brighter and sunnier, I’m fairly sure you’ll be able to find your bee!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  96. I have found a female hairy footed bee inside my house on a rug by the back door. She has either come in through the gap in the door or down the chimney?

    Yesterday we got her to drink a little sugar water and she had a good burst of energy but since then she hasn’t moved hardly at all. I woke this morning to find her on her back with her legs moving about. I helped her up and she hasn’t moved since. I’m keeping her inside in a container to help her recoup but don’t know what to do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Corinne

    1. Have you had any unseasonably warm weather there lately? Adult hairy-footed bees are typically active between February to June. Like other solitary bees, it’s the young who overwinter in nest cells. I’ve read that sometimes they nest in the soft mortar around chimneys. But there shouldn’t be any adult bees emerging now, it’s far too early. And likewise far too late for yours to be a bee from last season.

      It’s hard to know what to do for her, as this isn’t her season at all. Are there plants flowering in your area currently? Finding her on her back isn’t a good sign. Do you have her in a warmish or coolish room? The cooler she is, the clumsier and weaker she’ll appear.

      I wish I knew how to help her. I don’t really see how she can go about a normal bee life for her, given the time of year. You could warm her up well and top her up with sugar-water before releasing her on one of your warmest days, but without the usual temperatures, flowers, or male hairy-footed flower bees, I don’t imagine she’d live long.

      Nor do I think you could keep her until February. You can keep her comfortable for awhile in a nice enclosure, but she’ll instinctually wish to find a mate and begin provisioning nest cells.

      I suppose if I were you, I’d go the route of picking a reasonably warm (or least chilly and not rainy) upcoming day, and try to warm her up well and offer more sugar-water, to the point where she’s more energetic, then see if she’ll fly off. If she’s emerged early, possibly others of her species may have too?

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  97. I just found a bee inside my home today and the forecast shows cold weather for 4 days. In fact, it won’t get above 50 degrees for months. It’s Dec. 20th. What do I do? Release it when it is 40 degrees? Please advise as I was not expecting another guest for Christmas.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Natasha

    1. Did you find a largish, roundish fluffy bee (more like a bumble bee) or a thinnish, stripey less-fluffy bee (more like a honey bee)?

      Without knowing what kind of bee, I'd opt for keeping your bee for the next few days (in an enclosure somewhere coolish indoors, cooler at night). Offer occasional sugar-water during the day.

      Then on the morning of what looks to be your warmest (hopefully sunny?) upcoming day, I'd warm your bee up well (placing the enclosure in a warm room), ideally "ramping up" the bee's energy to be moving around more (even flying a bit in the enclosure). Offer more sugar-water, then try releasing at the warmest time of day.

      Feel free to send any photos/video in reply to the email from my website, if you'd like help identifying your bee! Just occasionally at this time of year, someone finds a "bee mimic" (a hover fly striped like a bee), and since those can handle cooler temperatures (they're also great pollinators!), a close look can be helpful.

      Bees don't generally make good Christmas guests, unless you're serving up entirely sweet and floral treats!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  98. Hey, today I found a bee in the pool if I had left or for a few more seconds it would have died I left it in the sun thinking it would dry of and fly away but it didn’t so o bring it to a towel to keep it warm and fed it some sugar water it steal looks pretty weak

    What should I do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lili

    1. Do you know if it's a honey bee (thinner and less fluffy with stripes) or a bumble bee (rounder and fluffier with various color patterns)?

      Since it's later in the afternoon where you are and your bee is still weak, I'd consider keeping it overnight in an enclosure (somewhere cool, mimicking outdoor temps or slightly above). Then tomorrow, once the day starts warming up, I'd offer more sugar water and put your bee out in the sun with its enclosure open.

      Sometimes bees just need some more time to recover, especially from a near-drowning. This way, your bee is safe from predators for the night in its weakened state. It then has the whole day ahead to warm up well in the morning, drink more sugar-water, and fly off!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  99. Heya, I think I found a queen whose hibernation had been interrupted by our council sweeping leaves, she was nearly frozen to the floor when I found her and had appeared to have already lost a leg trying to free herself. I've brought her home in a little tub and she's moving but not interested in sugar water, she just seems to have bursts of energy where she's struggling to manage without her other leg and then she goes back to resting. What can I do to give her the best chances without her leg, if anything?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Buzzlina

    1. She’ll be able to survive even if missing a leg, but the fact that she was awoken by the council leaf-sweeping, leading to her spending energy trying to free herself after being frozen, makes this a much less ideal situation for her. I’m so glad you found her, and care enough to help her out!

      Usually, it’s important not to disturb hibernating bumble bee queens, and the accepted advice is never to bring them indoors, since that disturbs their hibernation. However, it’s also the case that she will be relying on energy reserves for hibernation, which have been sapped by the unusual circumstances she experienced. I’m thinking that we probably do need to try to replace some of her energy reserves, if she’ll accept that help.

      I would mix up a sugar-water solution for her that’s stronger, still using room-temperature water, but at 2:1 (2 parts sugar to 1 part water) rather than 1:1. That’ll ensure she has a more energy-dense drink. You may need to stir vigorously for longer to get the sugar into solution, and it may help to warm the water gently (just don’t heat it too much).

      If she’s indoors somewhere at reasonably comfortable (for us) room temperatures, she should warm up enough to drink. Sometimes it helps to touch a tiny drop of sugar-water to the tips of their antennae, so that they realize what is on offer. Other times, simply dripping the sugar-water over a cut dandelion or similar available bee-friendly flower can elicit a drinking response.

      If she doesn’t extend her tongue though, there’s no other way to get food into her, so it’s possible that no matter what you do, she may not take the solution. I still think it’s worth trying though, since we know she struggled to free herself (to the point of losing a leg), after being exposed to freezing conditions with her leaf-litter covering removed.

      Bumble bee queens usually hibernate in the soil, but they also hibernate in log piles and under leaf litter from time to time. The common advice when finding them outdoors is to put them back in the same place. Obviously your council took away the leaves in her chosen spot (it’s so sad that they “tidy” at the expense of wildlife)!

      Perhaps the easiest thing to do in terms of getting her back into hibernation would be to find some similar leaf-litter covering. You could then move some of that leaf-litter cover temporarily, place her on the ground, and gently cover her with plenty of leaves.

      In some ways, I feel like letting her behavior be your guide is important too. This is not a situation that hibernating bees typically encounter, but occasionally animals do disturb leaf-litter. If she’s warmed up and moving a bit from her time indoors, it’s possible that placing her in a similarly suitable hibernation spot might lead her to crawl into a spot of her choosing in order to go back into hibernation.

      If she’s still moving very little though (even after being indoors in the warmth), I’d be tempted to try to do everything for her, namely cooling her down again in a semi-outdoors area such as a garage overnight (well above freezing and protected from frost, but below room temperatures), then placing her gently under leaf-litter.

      I recently found a great resource from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust that goes into detail as to the types of spots queen bumble bees choose, and I think it’d be a worthwhile read for you too. When they dig into the soil, they tend to choose north-facing banks, since they’re less likely to be awoken by the warming earth too early, and a bank of soil helps any rain run off safely.

      https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/beethechange/blog/how-to-help-hibernating-bumblebees/

      I hope you can help her get back into hibernation! Do drop me a line if you have any concerns or further questions, as she’ll be giving you her own behavioral feedback throughout this process.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  100. I found a bee in my house in the middle of winter, what should I do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Ray

    1. Do you happen to know what kind of bee you have? Is your bee thin and striped, more like a honey bee? Or is it rounder and fluffier, more like a bumble bee? Or does it look different than these? Feel free to reply to the email from my website with photos/videos.

      It’s really hard to know what to say in your case, as there just isn’t any weather in your forecast that’s suitable for releasing your bee. I took a look at your state’s weather, and I see the temperatures are super-low currently. It looks like you have somewhat warmer temperatures in a week, but still far too low by bee standards.

      I’m surprised you found a bee in your house at this time of year, since honey bees should be overwintering in their hives by now, and any bumble bee queens should have found places to hibernate underground. It’d be helpful to know what kind of bee it is, as different types of bees have different overwintering needs.

      I wish I could advise you on how and when to release your bee, but having looked at your 10-day weather forecast, I don’t see any such possibility. It’s just far too cold, so your bee won’t make it wherever it was hoping to go, no matter how well-warmed and well-fed it is.

      For tonight I’d say to keep your bee in an enclosure. You can keep most bees for several days to a week or so, offering a few small drops of sugar-water mix from time to time during the day, keeping their box somewhere cool but not freezing at night. Depending on the type of bee, you may be able to keep it longer, or possibly even recreate an overwintering habitat.

      I may be able to help more, once I know the kind of bee you found!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. I wish I knew bee types better. It isn’t fuzzy. Longer, thinner yellow body with black stripes. It’s laying on a piece of clothing and is moving very lethargically. It was either in our house somewhere or perhaps came in with our new Christmas tree?

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Ray

        1. It sounds like you have either a honey bee or a hover fly that mimics a honey bee. A honey bee needs to get back to its hive for winter, but I just don't see any possible weather in your forecast for releasing a honey bee. They need temperatures of at least low 50s to fly, and however much you warm your bee up, and feed her ahead of time, she'll get cold so quickly I don't see how she'd make it home.

          A few folks lately have found hover flies that mimic honey bees, and they can take lower temperatures (they're also good pollinators)! They look just like a honey bee, except if you look close (maybe take a photo and look close at that), you'll see that their large eyes meet at the top of their heads. That's different from honey bees, whose large eyes are definitely on each side of their heads, not meeting up on top.

          If you think you have a hover fly, any sunny day would make a good one for release, even if it's cold, as they're much better in cold than bees. If you think you have a honey bee, I just don't know what you can do for her, given your weather. The best you could try is to warm her up super well and offer sugar water, to where she's buzzing around in an enclosure, and then let her try her luck getting home by releasing her on a sunny day (I'd go with sunny weather if possible, as the sun rays will keep her warm a little longer). Wish I could help more!

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

          1. Thanks for the insight and quick replies. We will try out best. :)

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to ray

  101. We've had several days of below 0 Fahrenheit. I just found what looks to be a honeybee barely moving outside . It's 10 degrees right now. I put it in a jar with a bit of honey. After about 10 minutes it's moving much better but still sluggish. If it survives, what should I do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sue

    1. Do you still have your bee? Have you any warmer sunnier weather in your forecast?

      Those are very cold temperatures for a honey bee, I’m surprised she was out in them. If she is a honey bee, and still with you, she’d need to be released near where you found her to make it back to her hive. But honey bees don’t really fly in temperatures below the 50s F, and your current temperatures sound nowhere near that.

      One other thought: recently someone contacted me thinking they’d found a honey bee in very cold temperatures, but it was actually a hover fly that was a “bee mimic,” looking very much like a honey bee. Hover flies are great pollinators too, and they’re more likely to be found at these very low temperatures. Hover flies look different from honey bees if you look close: honey bees have distinctive large compound eyes on either sides of their head, whereas hover flies having very large eyes that come together at the top of their heads. Honey bees have longer antennae, whereas hover flies have very short stubby antennae.

      One other thought: “she” may be a “he”: honey bee drones (males) are kicked out into the cold before winter, unfortunately to die as part of the honey bee reproduction and life cycle process. Drones look a bit like flies too, with huge compound eyes that meet up top.

      Let me know if you need more help, and feel free to reply to the email from my website with photos/video if you’d like help with identification. I hope it’s not a honey bee worker, as I’m not at all sure what to advise if so… honey bee workers shouldn’t be out in such weather, and without temperatures at least in the 50s, I don’t see how a honey bee could possibly make it back to her hive.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  102. I be saved and revived many many Bumbles over the years. I have always picked them up in my hands and held them for up to 30 minutes, when they are a bit revived they start walking around exploring my hand and arms quite happily, then happily fly off. It’s an amazing experience. I once revived a bumble that had been in freezing cold water over night. Took her in my hand and drove around the quarry in my loader till she revived (I thought she was dead at first , but I had to try) then when she was ready I opened the door and she flew off. I absolutely love Bumbles 🐝 🐝🐝. Also have taken them in over night to let them recover and next morning they happily fly off 😊😊😊

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Craig

    1. That’s so wonderful to hear, your message makes my day! It is a truly special experience, watching a bee revive in your hands ☺️ It’s so amazing how bees revive with just a little help when they’re most in need, and it’s so kind of you to care so much to keep an eye out for bees, and offer them your warmth and help so generously 💛🐝✨

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  103. I've recognized the bee as a tree bumblebee and I think it's a queen.

    She's outside my door cold and wet she's been there two days.

    I've tried to give her honey and Sugar water... Can I help her?? As she didn't seem to take anything I've offered..

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Becky

    1. Can you bring her in for the night, to warm up a bit and dry off? On my page above, there are a number of details if you click the button “It’s cold, raining, or the sun has almost set…”

      If you bring her in from the rain tonight, that’ll help her dry off, and although you’ll still keep her through the night at a relatively low temperature, you’ll be in a good position to warm her enclosure up tomorrow, so that she fully dries out tomorrow morning. She may well take sugar-water once she’s warmer and drier too!

      Then you can see what days aren’t as rainy, that might work as ideal days for releasing her, so she can find a nice spot to hibernate.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Just a huge thank you! I brought her in.

        And after afew hrs she actually ate the honey I offered.

        She's very active tonight if she's active in the morning I shall release her on the same spot I found her 🙂 thank you for your help and advise xxx

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Becky

  104. I've seen plenty of bees drowning in my pool, could you tell me how long is too long? Also when to scoop up the bee because I didn and I got stung.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Elish

    1. The time depends on how chlorinated the pool is. One way to avoid being stung is to use a leaf or something similar as the scoop. Then put them out in the sun to dry, and ideally offer sugar-water to help them recover. Bees breathe along holes in their sides, so drowning is dangerous for them. If you find many bees in your pool, it can be helpful to put a dish with pebbles and fresh water nearby, so that any bees looking for a drink will have a safer place to go!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  105. I frequently find bees floating in my pool. 80%of the year it’s as simple as fishing them out and setting them on a large rock to dry and fly away. However, in the winter months it gets cold, 30’s at night. Finding a new during the day isn’t a problem. But when I’ve found one in the evening and pulled them out and placed on a paper towel to dry, it’s too cold for them to make an escape. I have a small screened enclosure I bought for just this purpose, to warm them up and keep them onsite until it warms up enough the next day and release. Problem is I’ve never had one make it to morning. They always have died. Makes me so sad my intention was to save them. Posts on your site say people have kept bees for days. What am I doing wrong? They are small honey bees.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Becky

    1. There are a few things that might be causing these bees not to make it. For one, they might have spent a little too long in the pool. I don't know if you have a chlorinated pool, but any chemicals added to fresh water wouldn't be good for them. Bees breathe through holes along their sides, so being immersed in water is very dangerous, and they expend much energy quickly trying to escape.

      Where is the enclosure you've set up, and what temperature is it at night when they're in there? Many of the posts here discuss bumble bees, which are able to spend nights outdoors at low temperatures, depending on the time of year. Honey bees are such social bees by comparison, always spending nights in their hives together. In the hive, they aim to maintain temperatures of 95°F year-round! I wouldn't keep a honey bee as warm as that at night in an enclosure, because it would become too active and likely damage its wings trying to escape, thinking it was warmer out than it was. But I'd keep them at a temperature closer to 60°F at a minimum, I think.

      It's possible that the shock from nearly drowning, along with being chilled, is causing too much stress to the bees you're trying to keep overnight in winter months. A wet bee will feel colder too. Do you offer them a few drops of sugar-water too? They may also be hungry, having expended such energy trying not to drown.

      I would keep any wet bees you find in the evenings somewhere warmer overnight, closer to our indoor temperatures, making sure that sugar-water is accessible (but not easy to fall into and get sticky accidentally), and see if that improves their outcomes. Some will simply have spent too long in the water though, and if chlorine is involved, that will also make their recovery less likely.

      It's hard to prevent bees from ending up in pools in the first place, but if you have a saucer nearby with pebbles for easy perches, which you keep topped up with fresh water, that may help reduce the number of bees you find in your pool.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thanks for your reply. It's likely that it's the chlorinated pool. I have a birdbath near the pool and I like the idea of putting rocks in it along with fresh water.

        To answer your questions, I keep rescues in the house in a small screened enclosure. Temps around 75f, I'll keep trying and hopefully I'll have a better outcome the next time.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Becky

  106. UK VERY COLD

    FOUND A BIG BEE SODDEN WET TORRENTIAL RAIN BROUGHT HIM IN AND PUT HIN ON SOME KITCHEN ROLL HE HAD SOME HONEY

    TODAY IT IS VERY COLD OUT SIDE AND DONT KNOW WHERE TO PUT HIM CAN YOU ADDVISE ME PLEASE HES IN SIDE OT MOMENT

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Laura

    1. I apologize for replying far later than is likely helpful. I hope you found some information on this page that may have helped you help your bee. Since it's possible your bee is still with you, I thought I'd write to check to see if you needed any more help?

      Typically big bees at this time of year are queen bumble bees. You can keep them indoors for a number of nights, so long as you keep them relatively cool (but well above freezing). You can offer sugar-water from time to time, and warm them up enough at first so that their fluff dries out, after having been in the rain. The timing for releasing your bee will depend on sunlight and outdoor temperatures, but anything above 13°C is good, and if your temperatures are even lower, your bee can probably manage 10°C.

      Ideally, warm your bee up before releasing her, and offer sugar-water for extra energy. Placing your bee in direct sunlight near any bee-friendly flowers remaining (even dandelions) will help her. At this time of year, large fluffy queen bees are looking for places to hibernate individually underground, so finding some flowers near a spot of dig-able soil covered in leaf litter, may give such bees an extra boost and improve their chances of overwintering.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  107. Hi, two days ago I found a bumblebee in the middle of the road when it was very cold (it's always cold right now, there is almost no sun). I took him home since he couldn't move. I put him in a box and dropped him a small amount of honey, I was happy to see that as soon as he saw it, he ran over it with his tongue sticking out, and he didn't stop eating it! :D at first I was surprised that he ate continuously for ten minutes, then 20, 40 minutes, and when I look two hours later, he still hadn't stopped. Is it normal to have eaten for so long? Did he actually store this honey in his body? Because after that, the next day and today, I didn't see him eat anymore... But he was a little more active, and he even managed to fly few times, which reassures me. Should I be worried that he won't really eat in two days? Can I keep it for a few weeks at home since it's so cold outside? It is 2 centimeters, so is it necessarily a queen? Thank you

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lili

    1. I thought it was good to give honey to bumblebees :'(. Now i'm worried, can it kill him or do something bad ? Before i gave him that honey, i've searched on internet what can they be feed with, i saw nectar, pollen and honey... but many others say it can be harmful for them

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to lili

      1. All bees have two stomachs, one that they use for energy for themselves, and the other that is basically a storage container, from which they can regurgitate later. Bumble bees do store nectar in pots in their colonies, but the nectar is stored for much shorter times than honey bees (the latter keep their colonies going over winter, so they need long-term honey stores, but in bumble bees, only the young queens overwinter, and they do so by hibernating while relying on the reserves in their own bodies).

        I've not heard of drinking that long from honey or sugar-water, but it sounds as though your bee is doing fine. Honey isn't always a problem either, it really does depend on the original source of the honey, and the health of the bees that made it. There are some bee diseases that can be spread between honey bees and bumble bees, but that doesn't mean that the honey you offered will necessarily cause your bee any issues. In the wild, bumble bees wouldn't really encounter honey (which is evaporated nectar mixed with enzymes by honey bees). Instead bumble bees would simply be drinking more diluted foodstuffs such as nectar. Adult bees (of all kinds) forage for pollen in order to provide protein for their young, but they themselves don't eat pollen.

        Given the time of year and size of your bee, it's likely she's a queen. It's a hard time of year for young queens, since they have to be sure to top off their own energy reserves sufficiently to make it through a winter of hibernation in a tiny burrow that they dig for themselves in the ground. Your bee will be fine with you for a number of days, so long as you keep your bee cool (but not freezing) at night, and offer food (ideally a sugar-water mix) during the day, perhaps every few hours or so, depending on how active your bee is. By observing her behavior over time, you'll get a sense of what she feels she needs.

        If you have any sunny days above 10°C, you might try releasing her then, after warming her up well and offering more sugar-water. Bumble bees are able to withstand cooler temperatures than many other bees, and if she feels well topped up with energy reserves, she should be able to put her time into finding the right spot in which to burrow into the soil for winter.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  108. I rescued a Common Eastern Bumblebee from this freezing cold weather! It is now flying around and it is active after getting warmed up and having honey. How long will it survive inside the house?? I was thinking of putting it outside, whenever it warms up, but living in Georgia, it’s pretty cold at the moment!!!! You never really know when it will be nice and warm, again. We can sometimes have a very moody weather lol! By the way, my middle name is Elise!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to IgotarabbitnamedHazel2020

    1. If it's a queen common eastern bumble bee (0.8-0.9 inches), you can keep her for a number of days, ideally cool but not freezing at night, and a bit warmer during the day (but not so much that she's expending too much energy).

      If she's flying around, that's probably too warm for keeping her, since she'll likely want to be on her way, and be somewhat confused about being indoors still (having no idea how much colder it is out).

      If she's somewhere cooler, she'll naturally slow down (and you'll also be mimicking what would happen outdoors, except you'd be keeping her from freezing, and also safe from predators while she's too cold to move).

      Once you do have a better day (with at least some sunlight, and temperatures above at least 50 F ideally), you could warm her up well indoors, and then see how she reacts to being outdoors.

      Make sure to offer her some sugar-water mixture from time to time (she doesn't need much if she's not very active, but it's good to make sure to offer a drop or two from time to time during the days, just in case she's hungry).

      You could happily keep her a week or so at least in these conditions, ideally in some kind of enclosure with objects of interest (flowers, leaves, twigs, that sort of thing).

      I doubt she's a worker (0.3-0.6 inches) given the time of year, but if she is one, her natural lifespan would be coming to an end. The same goes if your bee is actually a male (males have patches of yellow on their faces, below their antennae).

      Only the queens survive winter, and they do so by hibernating in their own little hole that each queen digs in the ground, typically under some leaf litter, often on the north side of a slope (so that there's less chance of flooding their burrow, plus less winter sun to awaken them from hibernation too early).

      It's an unusual name, and a cool middle one too ☺️

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  109. I found a bee in early morning after a drop in temp 50 degrees not moving but was still alive. I started crying as I didn't know what to do and your site was the 1st I clicked. Followed your instructions, 6 hours later he flew from the shelter after I put him in the sun. Thank you so much

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Michelle

    1. I found a bee in the early morning that appeared to be dead, he wasn't but he barely grasped a piece of paper I picked him up with. We had a quick temp drop to below 50 degrees last night. I started crying thinking this little guy was dying alone hungry and cold. Your site was the 1st I clicked to see what I could do to save him. I followed your instructions bringing him in to warm up, sugar water and when the sun finally came out I placed the box where I normally see them. I watched as he really perked up cleaning his antenna's and took a few sips and I got to watch him fly away hopefully back home. THANK YOU ❣️❣️ I wouldn't have known what to do and am still tearing up over a bee, but life is life and you helped me save one. I have a few pics n videos. Mostly I just thank you for taking the time n care to inform people how to help. You made my day and his I'm sure!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Michelle

      1. I'm so happy your bee is alright! I missed seeing your question earlier, as my website had a glitch and didn't send me an alert as usual. I think I fixed that, but in the meantime I'm just so so happy that your bee perked up and flew away after you helped him... that's such a good sign, you saved your bee!

        I'd love to see pictures and video, feel free to reply directly to the email from my website with those 🐝💛

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  110. I found a bee outside today at my front door, it is 28 degrees outside and I thought it was dead but it moved when I went to swish it away, so I brought it inside in a container and gave it 50/50 boiled sugar water on a qtip, it sucked it down and is now lively, I didn’t know what kind of bee it is and if I should keep it inside for the winter, the ground is frozen and I doubt it will survive out there.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Shea

    1. I am so sorry I didn't see your bee question sooner (there was a glitch on my website after an update)!

      If your bee is still with you, feel free to reply directly to the email from my website with photos of your bee, so I can take a look and see what kind of bee it is. The answer to your question depends on the kind of bee, though very cold temperatures are hard on all bees.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  111. Hello, today I found a frozen worker honey bee near the river. She is small and the wings look smooth, I think she is young.

    The temperature was around 50 Fahrenheit. This place is about 30 minutes from my house so I had to carry it in a box in my pocket. I fed her honey and flowers plucked a few days ago at my grandmother's (I'm worried that the pollen is no longer there), she quickly revived and began to run quickly around the box. Only after that I read that honey is dangerous for bees.

    Decided to release it tomorrow because it's 44 degrees Fahrenheit right now. It turned out that today was the warmest day until spring. Tomorrow the highest temperature is 48, which is not enough for honey bees. Now I don't know what to do because on other days the temperature will be below 45 even up to 32, and next Sunday snow is forecast! In addition, I do not know on which side of the river she lives and I am worried that she may fall into the water during the flight. It is a bad option to keep the bee in you for the whole winter?

    It is also interesting to know how often she should be given sugar water

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Tony

    1. I am so sorry I didn't see your bee question sooner (there was a glitch on my website after an update)! I hope your bee managed to take off on the warmer day near 50 degrees... honey bees really do need to get back to their hives for winter, they're highly social bees and I don't think they would survive all of winter in an enclosure, away from their hive.

      One trick when there's only cold days ahead is to warm them up well indoors first, so they have some warmth to help them get on their way. Once they're flying, especially if it's sunny, they can often keep going. But as a honey bee worker, she'd need to be released as close as possible to where you found her near the river.

      Usually honey bees have a pretty good weather sense, and avoid cold temperatures by staying in their hives, but perhaps she got caught out unexpectedly. Honey isn't always a problem for bees, it just can pose a problem at times, depending on how the honey is processed, and the health of the bees that originally produced it.

      In terms of how often to offer sugar-water, probably every few hours during the daytime, but it depends on how active your bee is. They'll stop drinking when they're full, and if they're still full when you next offer sugar-water, they won't stick their tongues out. At night (so long as they're kept somewhere cool so that they are less active), they don't need any supplemental sugar-water.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thanks for the answer. I have already released the bee, because there will be no warmer weather for the next 3 months. the temperature was 9 degrees Celsius, before letting her go I fed her with sugar water. I carried her in a box wrapped in a warm scarf, so she warmed up. She was very active even in the box. I released her near the place where I found her. She flew away from me very quickly, I hope she flew to the hive

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Tony

  112. A Bumblebee has been “frozen” in place on a flower since yesterday (at least that’s when first saw them). I thought it would revive and fly away when warmer, but it got cooler overnight and is now snowing. The Bee moved a little bit is still on the same flower and I’m not sure what I can do as the weather is not going to get warmer anytime soon :(

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Rachel

    1. Poor bee! Your state's weather looks very cold for your bee. Can you tell if it's a particularly large bumble bee? Feel free to reply to the email from my website with a photo. Basically I'm wondering if it's a (larger) queen bumble bee who was simply trying to get a bit more foraging in, before hibernating over winter in the ground. If so, perhaps there's something we might do to help her. If it's a smaller male, they don't sadly make it past the end of the season.

      One of the troubles with there being far fewer flowers for bees these days, is that bees are encouraged to push their luck later into the season. Queen bumble bees need certain reserves before they can safely go into hibernation. Then they dig a little hole in the ground. Again, your bee may not be a bumble queen, but it is the right time of year to find them outdoors (though a bit too late, given your snow and upcoming weather).

      Bees can hang onto flowers even when they can't otherwise move, but your bee won't survive a night of real freezing temperatures (as far as I've read, 40 degrees is about as low as they can manage, and they're not moving at that point). You could bring your bee indoors to warm up, and offer sugar water, and that should revive your bee, but the question is, what next.

      Bumble bees hibernate between 2-6 inches underground over winter. They're pretty choosy about hibernation spots, but I do wonder: if you warmed her up indoors, not so warm that she'll be shocked by going outdoors again, but warm enough to get moving (upper-50s?), and then placed her on some relatively loose soil (dig-able for a bee) that's ideally covered by leaf litter, whether she might try to hibernate? Perhaps you could even making a few small indentations in the soil (maybe give her a few choices) to get her started, though I'm not sure she'd accept any of these?

      Again, this is assuming she's a queen bumble bee. If she is, then helping her out might help several hundred future bumble bees. Evolutionarily speaking, she's simply left it too late if so, but there are few enough bumble bees these days that it'd be nice to help. They're so choosy about spots though! If once she warmed up a bit, and lapped up as much sugar-water as she wanted, perhaps she'd naturally dig into the soil, especially if you placed her in a sunny spot where there's loose soil and leaf litter covering it? I do see there's at least some sun in your upcoming forecast.

      If she's a bumble bee queen, I'd definitely bring her in tonight as she'll freeze otherwise. Leave her enclosure somewhere cool, so she doesn't get confused about the temperature (upper 40s at the lowest, lower-50s probably better). If instead she is likely a smaller male, then you might as well let nature take her course, as the bee won't live much longer no matter what you might do.

      It's very kind of you to care about your bee 🐝💛

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  113. So, you mention sugar water is only for emergencies.

    However, in the Fall, bees swarm my hummingbird feeders. Having tried all manner of things to dissuade them, I've taken to providing four bee-dedicated feeders in addition to hummingbird feeders (the difference being in the feeder's openings and distance from the opening to the sugar solution). This (mostly) keeps the bees away from the hummingbirds' feeders.

    BUT ... I've also taken to leaving the four feeders out long past the last hummingbird sighting. I thought that since there are no late-season flowers around here (that I know of), I was helping the bees get ready for Winter. Now I'm wondering if I'm not doing them any favors.

    Any thoughts?

    Side note: I pulled those feeders yesterday because the weather turned bad. One of the feeders had a single bee hanging on (40° F and cold North wind). It's not a honey bee (darker body) and too small for a carpenter bee. I'm assuming is some type of solitary bee.

    I thought it was a goner, but it moved, so I brought it inside.

    It's now in a container with sugar water and small leafy branches from one of my shrubs. It looks like it's doing OK, but I have a problem . . . a week or more of low temperatures. Monday is the only day that might be OK to release it (high of 45° and sunny). Then, the next ten days are all forecast in the 30s.

    You mention waiting until it's at least 51° out, but I'm not seeing that happening for a while.

    So . . . should I release it on Monday and let it takes its chances?

    The alternative is trying to keep it in a container for more than a week and hoping the weather eventually warms up.

    Thoughts? Advice? Castigations?

    ejd

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to ejdalise

    1. First off, I'd never castigate anyone who's trying to help bees!

      As far as sugar-water goes, the main concern is just that bees might go for that as an easier source than flowers, and in doing so, they'd be missing out on some of the critical minerals and amino acids they'd get from flowers. That said, honey-beekeepers frequently do offer sugar blocks overwinter, especially in the upper MidWest where it gets so cold, and their bees manage on that.

      If bees (of any kind) are still flying after most flowers have disappeared, then sugar-water will be their only source of energy, and we can't blame them for seeking it out. In an ideal world, there'd still be flowering plants even during the late fall and early spring. But considering how vilified some flowers are as "weeds" now, and how much space is urbanized or set aside for growing food crops, flowers can be hard to find, especially in early spring and late fall, and particularly for bees (like solitary bees) that really don't fly far.

      Might I take a look at your bee? Feel free to reply directly to the email from my website with photos/video. It's possible that it's a bee which may naturally be near the end of its life at this time of year. If your bee doesn't make it in your care, that'll be the reason, not anything you've done.

      Monday sounds like the only possibility for releasing your bee. Depending on the bee, releasing it may simply give it one last day to enjoy its life outdoors. But if it has anywhere it'd been planning to go, that'd be the day. The smaller solitary bees can brave some pretty low temperatures, from my experience. I'd warm your bee up indoors (not so much as to shock it when it goes outside, but at least into the 50s). Offer sugar-water for sure too, to give it an energy boost to help get on its way. Then I'd place its enclosure open in bright sunlight, so that the sun is "bathing" the bee.

      It may well manage to fly off that day, but if it doesn't, then it's kind of up to you whether to hold onto your bee, offering it a little habitat and sugar-water access, basically just letting it live out its life in a bit of comfort, rather than freezing to death or being found by ants.

      Your kindness to bees is much appreciated by them, I'm sure! 💛🐝✨

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  114. Hello I saved a queen bumble bee yesterday in our stormy harsh weather conditions. She was on my back patio soaked ! I took her in and gave her sugar water . She started to recover quickly ! It was 40• and pouring rain yesterday . By the time she recovered it started to get dark so I made a enclosure and kept her over night . With a just few leaves from outside and a thin layer of a paper towel , at 9 am I put her back on my patio with sugar water on one

    Of my flowers in the enclosure. Hoping she would take flight . I know it can take a couple hours for her to go . While sitting there hoping she goes to the hive . I think her worker bees started to surround her and check her out . She finally got out of the enclosure and is walking along the side of my porch . ( she was buzzing and flying a bit earlier) now she’s just sitting there and I seen what looks like her back pair of wings on the leaf in the enclosure. She has her “main wings” and nothing on her is damaged from the conditions . Is she going to be okay .

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Natalia

    1. What you describe is unusual. A queen bee at this time of year would have left her colony, mated with a few males, and should be searching in leaf litter for a suitable place to dig a tiny hole in which to hibernate overwinter, on her own. For there to be other bees surrounding her is not something I'd expect (unless perhaps they were males, that might explain it)!

      Nor should there be any chance of her wings dropping off, they're very well attached to her body. It would take some kind of physical damage (something attacking her) for any to come off. She does need both sets on each side, but when they're folded up on her back, it's hard to tell that there is a pair on each side.

      I'd keep an eye on her to see what happens. If she was flying at all, that'd seem to suggest her wings are fine, as she'd never get off the ground otherwise. Large bumble bees do "buzz" while walking too, before getting lift-off, so it can sometimes be hard to tell for awhile whether they can fly, until they're sufficiently warmed up.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. We did have a really late summer / late fall . Super unusual weather here in Oregon that it did affect many things . She was doing great inside and now outside where it’s sunny and almost 51 degrees she’s just sitting there . I’m super worried for her ! She’s definitely a queen bumble bee . She is super fuzzy and and black with the yellow by her head and butt . Not sure if she’s young or old though … she didn’t get attacked or handled at all but I’m wondering if this Trippy weather is off setting her ? I have to work from 12-8 and afraid I will not be able to help her then . I really want her to thrive and go home . Also for me to note I live in an apartment on the second floor and she was on my back patio 7 feet plus off the ground where I found her and that’s where I put her back today ! Thankyou Elise

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Natalia

        1. She's most likely a young bumble bee queen, given the time of year. The prior generation wouldn't be out and about. I'm guessing the issue is that 51 degrees is just a bit too cold for her, even in the direct sun (it'd be too cold for most bees). Will it get any warmer later today where you are? I hope so! Given you'll be leaving for work, and also the location where you found her, here's what I'd probably do (especially if it'll keep warming up today... hopefully it'll at least hit 55?)

          She can't hibernate on your back patio (well, she could inside a plant pot, and they do that from time to time, but we don't know if she still needs to forage more in order to top off her reserves in preparation for hibernation). She'll probably have her best chances if you take her somewhere outdoors where there's undisturbed leaf litter over some nice soil, as well as some bee-friendly flowers nearby. By "bee-friendly" I mean not sprayed with anything, and ideally flowers on which you've seen other bumbles foraging.

          Usually I recommend that bees are released right where you find them, but in her case, since she's definitely a queen, and given the time of year, she'll not have a "home" to go to, she'll definitely be looking for an undisturbed spot with some loose-ish soil where she can burrow for the winter. Offer her more sugar water too first (being careful as she'll be clumsy if she's cold), since she needs all the energy she can get right now.

          If you can find a place outdoors with bee flowers and sunlight, as well as undisturbed leaf litter, she'll have her best chances! If you've time before leaving, you could bring her indoors to warm her up more in her box, and then offer her some food, to give her kind of a warm head-start to going outdoors again. I know you did that this morning, but I think she got cold too fast. Queens are large bees, and need quite a bit of energy to get going!

          If she has some leaf litter though, near bee flowers, she'll be able to crawl under leaves to keep safe at night, and then crawl over to the flowers and sunlight as the day warms up. Sometimes they simple crawl about, being too cold to fly. That shouldn't stop her from foraging and finding a spot to hibernate, if you can locate a nice area outdoors!

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

          1. Okay perfect !! I live in a forest so make sense ! And yea unfortunately this is the warmest day for the rest of the year . The rest of the week will be in 40-30 degrees today was a random day that it got sun and is 50 . Oregon has bipolar weather ! I will try to re warm her inside and then go downstairs and put her where the flowers and leaves are !

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to Natalia

            1. Wow good news I think ! Happened fast . I went out back to put her back into the enclosure with picking her up with a leaf . She touched the leaf and flew away !!!! I hope she finds her safe burrow hibernation home !

              Reply

              Leave a Reply to Natalia

              1. Sounds very promising! Bumble bees can decouple their flight muscles from their wings (internally) in order to warm themselves up (basically they vibrate their wing muscles, but without activating their wings, which generates heat... they might be the only, or certainly one of the few, insects that can kind of get around the cold-blooded issue). So she may well have been doing that along with soaking up sun rays! These temperatures are right on the edge for bumble bees, but they're resilient creatures, pretty good at dealing with swings in temperature around spring and fall.

                Nice of you to care so much, I'm sure it gave her a "leg up" as it were, to have sugar-water and be warmed up and dried off, so as to take advantage of the warmest day you'll have! I wish her (and you) all the best 🐝💛

                Reply

                Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  115. A found a small worker bee tired an cold sat still not moving in my bathroom,so a collected it gently in my hands gave it a few drops of sugar water which it did take,now it’s flying round my kitchen,it’s nighttime outside so it’s now sat above a light happy warm looks to be sleeping,should a just leave it till morning now an let it go

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Will

    1. So long as your bee is in no danger from predators around your kitchen (pets, for example), and so long as you tread carefully (quite literally) tomorrow morning and believe you'll be able to find her, then your bee should be fine overnight without being in an enclosure (I typically recommend enclosures for their own safety). If she's cooler (assuming your house cools down at night), she also won't typically move too far.

      I'd definitely wait until morning to release your bee, since it'll be too cold and dark tonight for your honey bee to make it back to her hive. Once the day starts warming up, offer a few drops of sugar water again, so that she has plenty of energy to begin her day, and release her just outdoors, ideally letting her "bathe" in direct sunlight for a bit, which'll help her get going again!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  116. I found a weak honey bee and brought it to a bush to get out of the rain. It was soaked and sprawled out. I tried to put honey close to it before reading your blog, and as it was eating, it rolled into the honey. Now I'm desperate to find out how to help it out of this sticky situation..all jokes aside, I'm worried it will die. All I wanted to do is help it and things got significantly worse. I can't find any answers and I dont know where its hive is. I put it in a grapevine hoping with some rain the honey will wash off? Help!! Should I bring it inside?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Susana

    1. I’m sorry to hear about your bee’s sticky situation. Honey will wash off, and so long as your bee has enough energy, she’ll also try to clean herself off. In the times this’s happened to others, I’ve recommended dripping slightly-warmer-than-room-temperature water over the bee, ideally from a clean dropper. So long as it’s warming up outdoors where you are, as well as raining, that should help.

      It’s important that your bee not be immersed totally in water, as they breathe through holes along their sides. Also ants are a danger, as a cold sticky bee will attract them even more than simply a cold, mostly defenseless bee (bees can’t move much when they’re cold).

      I don’t know if you’ll be able to find your bee again, but if you do, you might try dropping some water over her. She’ll then be a very wet bee, of course (as she would be in the rain). Honey bees usually keep track of the weather and head home in good time before rain, but occasionally they do get caught out in it. It doesn’t harm them per se, but they can’t fly in the rain, and they tend not to be able to move much at all until they begin warming up and drying off.

      If you do find your bee, and give her a dousing, I’d bring her indoors in an enclosure to warm up more and begin drying faster. I don’t know what your weather is like, but since she won’t be able to fly in the rain, she’s a bit stuck currently. She might be able to fly in a light drizzle, but not much more. She’ll also need temperatures above 55 degrees or so to be able to make it back home to her hive.

      If you do find her, and bring her in, keep a good eye on her. I would drizzle water over her to loosen the sticky substance, and warm her up inside a room that’s a good temperature for you, ideally where she’ll start to be much more active in the cleaning process herself, before the honey and water dries on her. If she can start cleaning while she’s drying, that’s the ideal situation, but she’ll need to be warmed up in order to do so.

      Let me know if I can help in any other way! I should add to my page here detailing this process, as it has worked for a couple people who’ve contacted me in the past with similar situations. Warming her up and diluting the honey should help, but it’ll be up to her too, in terms of her strength (and we don’t know her age or any other factors that might be affecting her energy levels). Bees are very clean little creatures, and so long as she has energy and warmth, along with your help diluting the honey, she’ll be able to survive this and, once it’s warmer and not raining, make it back to her hive.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  117. A wood bee (yellow one) has fallen out of the nest, think it is a baby. It keeps rolling on it's back. I've tried for 2-3 days to get it to walk (to water or to a higher place) but it keeps rolling on it's back. It wants to be held by my hand! I brought it inside tonight and gave it some sugar water on a Qtip. I put a flower in the box with some sugar water on it. The poor thing keeps rolling over on its back. What to do next?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to RS

    1. Does your bee roll onto its back, even when it's warmer during the day? Have you seen it extend its tongue to drink any sugar water, on the Q-Tip or flower?

      Bees can be clumsy when they're cold, sometimes to the point of falling over. Though it's kind of unusual to fall over simply owing to being cold, mostly they just don't move when they're cold. Can you see any damage to the bee? Does your bee have all six legs still?

      Since bees go through metamorphosis, their size is more to do with the type of bee (carpenter bee, bumble bee, honey bee, etc.) than the age of the bee. In social bees, smaller bees are usually worker bees. Sometimes, a lack of nutrition early in life (when they're grubs) leads to being much smaller in size as adults.

      It might help if I could take a look at your bee. Feel free to reply to the email you receive from my website with photos or video. It's very kind of you to care for your bee (they love the warmth of our hands too, so that part doesn't surprise me)!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  118. She was out in the cold yesterday. Trapped on one of my cloth decorations. I put a leaf of honey and water near her. She moved towards it while I was away. Think she has a broke wing and it's cold. Kinda lost what to do

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Amber

    1. That's too bad that she may have a broken wing, as there's nothing to be done if so, other than keeping her comfortable. I took a look at the weather forecast for your state, and you're still getting some warm days there. If you're not certain about her wing, you could try putting her outdoors on a flower once the day has warmed up (placing her in direct sunlight). Though if her wing is broken, she'll simply move about more as she warms up, without flying off.

      Feel free to send photos in reply to the email from my website, if you'd like me to take a closer look at her. I wish there was some way we could repair their wings, but there really isn't. They have four wings, though it often looks like just two. The two on each side hinge together when they fly, giving the look of just one wing per side.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  119. I have a video and I would like to know were these Bees dead and did the heat and light revive them?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Brian McArdle

    1. Bees are never actually dead if they're "revived", simply so cold or hungry that they hardly move, making us think they're dead until they're warmed up and/or fed. Warmth can turn an unmoving bee into an all buzzed-up bee reasonably quickly! If you have a video you'd like me to take a look at, feel free to reply to my email.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  120. Hi, I found a little bee (I'm not sure what kind, but quite small) lying on the sidewalk in the park not moving at all. At first I thought she was dead but decided to warm her up in my hands just in case and surprisingly she slowly came back to life! I'm in MN and it's currently 44F out and getting down to the 30s tomorrow but warms up to the 60s this weekend (still about 5 - 6 days away). Should I try to keep her until then? I gave her some sugar water which she hasn't drank yet but I'll try to put it a lil closer. And I have some Maximilian sunflowers still in the garden that I can cut and put in with her. When (if I can) release her, should I put her back in the park where I found her or in my garden where there are at least some flowers left (park is a few blocks away). Thanks so much for this article, I've already found it very helpful!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jesse

    1. Update: after drinking some sugar water she was very energetic and buzzing around her container, and since it got up to about 45 and the sun came out I decided to try to release her. She seemed very happy on a flower for a bit (I think maybe feeding) but then the sun went away and she slowed down and eventually the strong wind blew her off onto the ground where she was very slow again :( so I brought her back inside. I'll put her in a cooler place as you suggested and remove the flowers at night. Hoping I can release her in two days when it's sunny and 48.... (Ps I believe she's a worker honey bee)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Jesse

      1. It's good to hear she recovered so quickly, even if she did get caught out in the cold again, and ended up needing your care once more! That seems to suggest there's nothing wrong with her, other than having been caught out foraging in the cold. Although her judgment is perhaps not the best, since ideally she would have used her brief burst of energy to get back to her hive!

        Since she's probably a worker honey bee, she's going to need a warmer temperature than, say, a fuzzier bumble bee that generates its own heat (honey bees don't have that trick of being able to warm themselves up by vibrating their wing muscles without flying). So I think you may need to keep her for longer, as anything even in the low 50s is likely too cold for her. She should be able to sustain herself above 55, if there's sunlight to warm her, but temperatures closer to 60 would be better for her.

        Honey bees are highly social bees, and at night they head back to their hives, where they huddle together with their sisters for warmth (falling asleep holding onto each other's legs)! I always worry keeping honey bees overnight, since they're so social, but I've done so myself while waiting for better weather, and it has seemed to work out each time, with them buzzing off purposefully once the weather improves. Workers have short lifespans though, typically only a few weeks. But workers born closer to winter have much longer lifespans, since they're warmly tucked in their hives together, nibbling off their honey stores, where they'll live for many months, through all of winter.

        You can get a sense of her age by carefully examining the edges of her wings. If they're tattered at all, she's an older forager (all those trips out collecting nectar and pollen wear bees out quite quickly). If her wing edges are smooth, she's a younger bee, and I'd feel a little more confident about keeping her for up to a week in that case. If you have any better weather unexpectedly though, anything with sun above 55, I'd try her outdoors again sooner.

        She'll settle down with you, so long as her enclosure is somewhere cool. Rather than leaving sugar-water in the enclosure (risking a sticky bee if she stumbles into it), I tend to offer sugar water just occasionally, while supervising the bee. She won't need much if she's cooler and not moving much, but I always like to offer it from time to time, just to ensure they're not hungry. She'll stop extending her tongue if she's full.

        Since she's a honey bee, it's relatively important to release her near where you found her, so that she still has her bearings and can make it back to her hive easily once she's on her own again. It's possible that she'd be alright finding her way home, even from a few blocks away, but she'll have a better chance being released close to where you found her. On the day you choose, I would make sure she's well-warmed and topped-up with sugar-water, before you release her during the warmer part of the day.

        Let me know if you have any concerns, you'll receive an email from my website, to which you may reply with photos/videos should you need! I would check on her every few hours during the day, and I'd put some things of interest in her box even at night, like leaves, twigs, something to walk on or hide under, in case that makes her more comfortable (although it can make it a little more difficult to check on her then)!

        Inside a hive, she's accustomed to what we'd consider very cramped quarters, so she may like to be under something like a leaf for a feeling of safety, even if there's no way to make it feel like home without other bees! Studies show that bees experience optimistic and pessimistic states too, something akin to primitive emotions (even dreaming too), and so I tend to think that the safer they feel in unfamiliar circumstances, the better they'll do, since there's no way to explain our help to them!

        It's kind of you to take such good care of your bee 💛🐝✨

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  121. A bee got inside my house, and my cat tried to get it so I picked up the honey bee with my finger. The bee seemed to be cold due to the temperature outside. I did some research and found your website. And gave the bee some sugar water. Immediately the bee drank the sugar water. The bee flew off my finger 5 minutes tops. Happy to help one bee at a time.

    The previous year my pool was open and the bees seemed to be drowning in the water every time I went out for a swim. So every day I went out and "fished" out the bees. All I fished out survived to live another day.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Tina G.

    1. That's wonderful to hear you've been helping so many bees! I'm so happy to hear that a little sugar-water revived your bee (and probably the warmth from your finger too) 💛🐝✨

      Honey bees are particularly prone to falling into pools of water, since they use water to cool their hives in summer (fanning their wings to evaporate it and produce a cooling effect). One thing to help prevent them falling in, is to place little saucers of water near the pool, with rocks or pebbles sticking out so they have good places to perch while collecting water. If they find these, it gives them another option to avoid braving more dangerous pools!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thanks for the tip! I'll use it for next summer! (my pool is closed for the year) No sign of the bee anywhere, it must be flying around somewhere, or in the hive. Thank you for the information on this website!

        Have a good day,

        Tina

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Tina G

  122. helllo elise it is fall currently and we had snow and a frezze last night and i found a big bumble be that might be a qween frozen on a flower I brought it inside and built a selter for it and gave it suger water it started to move around and i brought it out side and it dident want to get on a flower i brought it back in and it did not move for 20 min then started moving again and wanted to get out of the tupperware contaner with plastic rap with holes in it i brought it out side it did the same thing it is cold out side and the bee is wet so i think that i should keep it over night in a sho box to let it dry then tomorrow i will let it go do you think this is a good plan or what sould i do better

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to emelea

    1. I think it's a good plan to keep your bee in today and also overnight. Just keep her somewhere coolish, monitoring her from time to time. So long as she's cool, she won't expend extra energy thinking it's warm enough to be going about her day while she's still in a container.

      I think a shoe box is a good idea (better than plastic, which they find harder to walk on), and maybe put some things in her container too, fallen leaves and a few twigs, something to clamber over. I realize she'll be harder to monitor if she's under a leaf! But so long as her box is somewhere cool (but well above freezing), she'll be fairly inactive anyway.

      A good day for her to go back out would be any day with the sun out, in the mid-50s or above (the closer to 60 or above, the better). She should dry out naturally indoors in the meantime (she'll look fluffier the drier she is, since their fluff bunches together when they're wet). If she doesn't dry fully today, then hopefully you'll have some sun tomorrow, so she can finish drying fully.

      It tends to be better to offer sugar water only occasionally, and then remove it so she doesn't get sticky in it while unsupervised. She won't need much (or anything more) while she's cool and inactive. Tomorrow morning though, once it begins warming up, it'd be good to offer more sugar water, before setting her out in direct sun (if there is some) either in her box near some bee-friendly flowers, or gently move her onto a flower (ideally one that's not too high above the ground, as cold bees can tumble off things). It'll likely take her awhile to warm up and get going (it can take several hours), but a warm day (and being dry) sounds like all she needs to get buzzing again!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  123. I discovered a stunned and lethargic bee on my 5th floor balcony on Friday (Oct 7) near sunset when the temperature was about 10 degrees Celsius. I googled how to help and found your website.

    Good news ... tomorrow is going to be 16 degrees Celsius!

    As a beginner I caused some problems for my bee.

    The sugar water spilled and she got it all over her wings and body and it took a while for me to figure out that it had hardened on her.

    I gave her a quick bath in room temperature water yesterday (and dried her off with Kleenex) but I notice that she still ends up on her back a lot of the time which suggests that her wings must still be clogged or coated and not functioning properly. I have not her buzzing her wings since Friday night.

    Any further suggestions to aid her survival would be much appreciated, please.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Honey Grace

    1. I should probably add directions to my page for such sugar-water spill incidents, as they do happen occasionally, and as you've found out, it's harder to deal with once it dries, especially on their wings.

      Good to hear tomorrow will be warmer! She may not be buzzing simply because she's cold, but if you think there's a chance her wings are stuck together, then we should be able to fix that tomorrow once it warms up. Since it's still afternoon where you are, how is she behaving currently? Has she sipped any sugar-water today? It'd be good to make sure she has some food in her, though she won't need much while she stays cool, and she may refuse it.

      I think what I'd do is wait until the sun comes out tomorrow morning, and it starts to warm up. I'd set her on her feet gently in the sunlight (if she's not already on her feet), give her a little time (observing her for fifteen minutes or so), all the while looking carefully to see if she can move her wings even a tiny bit. If you still believe they're stuck together, then drizzle slightly-warmer-than-room-temperature water over her wings. This should help dissolve any residual sugar, and once she's warmer and more active, she'll be able to clean herself up much more easily. She'll also dry faster in direct sunlight, so you probably won't need to dry her off directly.

      It will slow her down to be wet first thing, but it's nothing that bees don't encounter from time to time when they're caught out in a rain shower, or clinging to a flower on a rainy day, awaiting sunshine.

      I'd carefully observe her for some time afterwards, to see if she stays on her feet, and begins flexing her wings. It may take several hours of sunlight before she's moving more, though she should begin to clean herself as she warms up (they're instinctually clean creatures, and it's always part of their routine in the mornings)!

      Offer her a very tiny drop of sugar-water mix too, so that she has some energy first thing. Though I'd wait until she's staying on her feet before doing so! Once you've rinsed her wings, you might also try gently moving her to a bee-friendly flower in the sun (ideally a kind of flower on which you've seen other similar bees foraging).

      Feel free to reply to the email from my website with photos or video, so that I can take a closer look at her too!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  124. I found a male carpenter bee at night time his wing looks damaged and he barley moves or does anything he’s on my bed right now and I’m trying to take care of him he wont eat any sugar water and I’m very experienced in Reviving bees to good health I don’t know what to do I tried drilling holes in my fence to make a kind of artificial home for him and he took no Interest at all I’m thinking he may be a older bee and is towards the end of his life cycle or he suffered damage rendering him comatose plz help me idk what to do

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Tyler

    1. I'm so sorry to hear about your carpenter bee. Wing damage isn't something we can repair, though I truly wish it were possible.

      In terms of enticing him to eat, all I can think to do beyond what you may have done, is to try putting some drops of sugar water on a freshly cut flower (something bee-friendly with no pesticides, ideally a type of flower you've seen other carpenter bees visit). I've found touching a tiny drop of the sugar-water to the tip of one antenna helps some bees figure out they're being offered food. But most bees seem to lap it up instinctively if it's within reach, so there might well be something else going on, like coming to the end of his natural life and so simply not wishing to eat.

      As far as drilling holes for a home, that's a really nice thing for you to have done! Even if he's not interested, other carpenter bees may move in over time. Carpenter bees go home to their own family hole at night, and so it may just not smell like home to your bee.

      I'd keep him safe indoors tonight, as he's in a weakened state, and would make easy prey for something (including ants, which aren't so kind when they discover a severely weakened bee, or a bee near the end of its natural life). Your weather this week looks reasonably warm with some sun, I believe? If so, you might see how he responds to gently moving him onto a bee-friendly flower in the sun, with a tiny drop of sugar-water right below his head on the flower.

      Feel free to respond with photos (or video) to the email you receive from my website, if you'd like me to take a look at him too. I do wish you both all the best, it's very kind of you to be looking out for bees as you do 💛🐝

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  125. I found a bumblebee on a flower that had been there all night. She was wet and not moving, I took her in the house with the flower she was sitting on. Put her under a light. Released her next morning but found her again on the flower.Took her in again for an overnight I’m worried. I put a wet Q Tip near her mouth. Now what do I do? She is still alive after another night ty for helping

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Gayle

    1. I'm guessing your bumble bee is a male bumble bee, given the behavior and time of year. It's hard to tell males from females at a glance, but the males do often spend the nights on flowers at this time of year. Looking at your weather, it's the time of year when bees'll get cold out at night (and possibly wet, with dew, occasional rain showers, or sprinklers), but warm up in the day happily, to forage and search for mates.

      I'd not be too concerned about this particular bee. Your bee likely doesn't mind coming in for the night, but it's probably fine staying out too, so long as it's on a flower. That's their favorite place to bee if they do spend nights out! Breakfast is ready first thing in the morning as they warm up, and they're also perfectly placed on something that'll attract other bees they might like to meet.

      It's kind of you to keep an eye out for your bee though 💛🐝

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  126. I fish bees out of ponds at night time and try to dry them with a little bit of a Kleenex on their fuzzy part and try to warm them up by putting them on a leaf but it's night time is there something else I need to be doing

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jan

    1. You are certainly helping them simply by fishing them out and drying them off gently. What kinds of bees are these, do you know? Thinner and stripier like honey bees, or larger and fluffier like bumble bees?

      Is there any way to add stones that stick up out of the water to these ponds, to make it easier for bees to escape on their own, if they fall in?

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  127. I found a very large bumble bee outside today (50 degree weather) and gave it some sugar water as advised and it kinda perked up but it started walking and falling onto its back and then I’d have to flip it back over. It didn’t seem like it was going to fly away so I brought it inside for the night because it’s going to be in the 30’s tonight. Tomorrow is going to be 64 and I was thinking of releasing it then but why was it falling onto its back? Should I wait a couple days on releasing it? It kept trying to fly but couldn’t. What should I do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Hannah

    1. I'm glad you brought your bee in, as 30's are very low for a bee above ground. It's the time of year when large bumble bee queens are looking for spots in the ground to hibernate, but they get caught out sometimes in the cold. Keep your bee box somewhere cool tonight, but not in the 30s... 40s to low 50s would be fine (basically cool enough to where she doesn't try to move much and waste energy, but where she won't freeze either).

      It'll take her awhile to get going in the morning (possibly several hours). I'm not overly concerned about her falling over, though it could be a sign of a problem, but it's most likely to be just coldness. Large bumble queens need more energy to get off the ground; I've seen them try to fly when they're cold, and fall off flowers, and yet they're totally fine the next day once they warm up fully.

      64 degrees is plenty warm enough for her at this time of year, so definitely try to release her tomorrow. Wait until the day starts warming up properly though. Gently put her on some flowers (ideally where you've seen bees before) in the direct sunlight once the day has started warming (above 55 or so). Or simply place her box open out in the sun, near a patch of flowers, with a drop of sugar water right near her head (just a very tiny drop, as they're super-clumsy when they're cold, and having a sticky bee on top of everything else just complicates things). One other "trick" is to warm her box up indoors first (just in a warm room, not too near a heat source), until she starts moving around a bit, and then place her outdoors in the sun near flowers once the day is warming up.

      She may simply sit outdoors for a long time, soaking up the sunlight, perhaps cleaning herself. That's perfectly normal, just make sure she's either on a flower or that she's right near a tiny drop of sugar water, so that she has energy too while she's warming up. If you have any concerns in the morning, let me know (feel free to send photos/videos in reply to the email you'll receive from my website).

      Kind of you to care about her! We need every bee, especially the large bumble bee queens, since she'll start a colony in spring 🐝✨

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  128. I found a cold honey bee with one wing missing. It’s October, getting colder. Any advice?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Ali

    1. That's rough, poor little bee. There's no fix (I've heard that butterfly wings are sometimes reparable, but bee wings are small and complex, hinging together... bees actually have four wings, two on each side, that attach together with little hooks when in flight).

      She'll not make it through winter without being huddled for warmth with other bees inside her hive. I doubt other bees would take her in if injured though, even if you could somehow find her hive for her.

      Honey bees are social creatures, and I fear that while you might be able to keep her alive for a little while by keeping her warm and fed, it's not much of a life for a social bee. I almost never recommend this, but probably the only thing to do at this point is to deliver an incredibly quick, painless death.

      Not easy for me to say that, and if you're so inclined, you could certainly keep her alive for the rest of her natural life (a few weeks at most, I'd think?), inside an enclosure, with fresh cut flowers and sugar-water, moving her box somewhere warmer in the day, and keeping her somewhere cooler at night.

      Kind of you to reach out on her behalf, and to care about her. Wish I had more positive advice in this case!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  129. I found a bee, and as usual I gave her sugarwater. She perked up and started walking all over me and cleaning herself, but she refused to fly. After 30 minutes I put her on the ground again, but she managed to walk back to where I was standing and hitched a ride home. She would not leave my side for a second, and I started to wonder what I should do. Luckily I found your website! She is now in a little tea-box with holes, waiting for me to finally let her out again. Hopefully tomorrow it'll be okay weather, if not I'll wait another day to release her where I found her. Let's hope! She is definitely not the brightest.... spoons are scary, fingers are lovely unless they approach too quickly, then she raises a leg in protest. She got mad when she couldn't make it up to my keyboard, which was the only time she hummed her wings.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Aranka

    1. I'm happy to hear your bee is safely ensconced for the evening. Make sure to place her tea-box somewhere relatively cool, so that she settles down for the night, rather than thinking it's still warm!

      Their behavior is quite amusing at times ☺️ I'm sure she appreciates your warmth, now that she's decided you're relatively harmless (unless you have a spoon in hand)! Raising a leg isn't an ideal defense or communication strategy with creatures like us either, but bees still often use it (and some of us get the message)!

      If you place her in direct sunlight tomorrow (assuming you have some), she may be able to get moving again, even if it's still relatively cool. If she's a large bumble bee, then given the time of year, she's probably looking for a spot underground to hibernate. Hard to know what'd make a good spot, as bees' criteria are quite variable, but I'd try to encourage her onto some sunny flowers, ideally near undisturbed soil that looks good for digging 🐝💛

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. I have her near my open window, by the sounds of it she is way calmer already! She's not a big bumblebee like I'm used to saving, I'm trying to figure out which one I'm looking at. Maybe it's a bombus hypnorum, but the eyes are black. So then it'd probably be a bombus pascuorum! Orange thorax, black legs/eyes/antennae, orange little fluffbutt, loooooong tongue. From her size I actually believe she might be the queen, she's almost an inch, but I don't know how else to determine if she is indeed a queen or just a big lady. Today I learned that there are WAY more bumble bees than I thought.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Aranka

        1. Yes, there are a pretty good number of bumble bee species (over 250 worldwide). Identifying them can be challenging, especially with regional and individual variations in color patterns. Bumble bee experts tend to look closely at face/cheek length, the corner of upper middle legs, and the surface fluff of upper hind legs!

          Thankfully many are more easily identifiable simply by their locale and color patterns. I've just refreshed my memory, and I see Bombus pascuorum lacks the white tail that is distinctive of Bombus hypnorum, so yours is more likely the former?

          She does sound likely to be a queen at near an inch in length. B. pascuorum queens are typically 13mm (compared with 11mm males and 10mm workers), whereas B. hypnorum queens are a bit bigger, typically 15mm (compared with 13mm males and 11mm workers). I just looked this up in one of my bee books here, as we don't have these species over here!

          "Orange little fluffbutt" is the cutest terminology ever 😉

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

          1. She made it! Today I took her back to where I found her. There were a couple of other bees, and at least two others of her kind. Compared to her they were pretty small, so I'm still guessing she's a big girl or a queen. It took a little bit for her to warm up in the sun, but she did some big washies and suddenly was interested in the flowers. She still didn't use her wings much, so I manually moved her from flower to flower for a bit until she seemed to be able to do it herself. I truly hope she'll be okay, at least I tried.

            This species really does look like little orange fluffbutts :D 'traditional' bumblebees are way more yellow and round, these are a little more slender and bright orange on thorax and butt. Thank you so much for all the info on this page! You definitely rekindled my love for bees.

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to Aranka

            1. I meant to add too, that it's not at all unusual for much bumbling, and little flying, between flowers, especially earlier in the day, and when it's a larger queen who takes more energy to get buzzing. Big washies (as you put it!) are a good sign too, as it shows she has energy!

              Little orange fluffbutts, I'll remember that 😍

              Reply

              Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

            2. Aww, that's lovely to hear, I'm so happy you took such good care of her! B. pascuorum hives typically number between 60-150 bees, so as a queen (very likely), you'll have helped a number of bees in the coming year too ☺️

              Reply

              Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  130. Do wall lizards eat leaf-cutter bees?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to B

    1. I would imagine that they might, if chance put a leaf-cutter bee within reach!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  131. I found a pretty large bumblebee on the ground next to my car in the parking lot. It looked motionless but then its front legs started moving so I moved it to the side near a flower bed. I noticed the back part of its body wasn’t moving at all, so I ended up bringing it home with me, gave it some sugar water which it responded to, and then placed it inside a flower in full sun. But it still looked like the back part of its body wasn’t moving (can send video). I checked on it after sundown and it wasn’t moving at all so brought it inside in the flower, poured a few drops of the sugar water in, placed in box with holes and put in garage on top of a few boxes. How will we know if it didn’t make it?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Carol

    1. I'm sorry to hear about your bee's struggles. What time of day did you first find her? You'll know if she didn't make it if, when you open the box in the morning, she makes no movement at all, not even when you ever so slightly nudge her, or breathe warm air over her.

      If she's alive, she'll move a little for sure, but until she's warmed up, she won't move too much. It's concerning that she didn't respond to sugar water and full sun. Since she's a large bumble bee, she's likely a queen given the time of year, so old age would not explain it.

      Did it seem like she was dragging herself along, or did she not even move that much? I may be replying too late, but do feel free to reply to the email you receive from my website with photos/videos.

      Thanks for caring about your bee and helping her 💛 Every bee counts, and every piece of bee-friendly land too! I'm so happy to hear you're devoting some of your garden to them 🌱🌼🐝

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thank you for the reply! I first found her at 4:30pm. I sent a video; she wasn’t even dragging herself so was probably pretty injured. I guess I should have kept her in a container with the sugar water instead of transferring to the flower so soon. She was unresponsive this morning not moving at all. Should I lay her down by the flowers on the ground? :(

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Carol

        1. Sorry for my late reply once more, something came up this morning and I've only just returned. Poor bee, I definitely don't think you could have done any more for her. It's good simply to have kept her somewhere safe in her last moments. I never like to think of the way that some bees get torn apart by ants while they're unable to move much, near the end of their lives. I would lay her down outdoors as you suggested, and as you've probably done by now.

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

    2. Also thank you for this site and sharing all this helpful information! I’ve also been thinking about how to take a section of our backyard to devote to pollinator plants and flowers and this site will be a great resource.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Carol

  132. Hi, I’ve found a bee drowning at the pool where I work and fed her some nectar, mixed with water. She took some of it but was still very weak and sunset was approaching. I took her home with me and I’m hoping she’ll make it trough the night.

    I’m wondering if by tomorrow morning I should try to feed her again, nectar + water or sugar + water? Which one would be better. I plan to release her where I found her.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Yara

    1. I hope she does make it through the night too! She should do, so long as she wasn't in the water for too long before you found her (hopefully it didn't have much chlorine if it was a swimming pool).

      Do you mean nectar from flowers? Certainly nectar is the best thing for a bee, but sugar-water makes a good substitute at a pinch, for energy. Nectar is always better because it includes trace elements and amino acids that benefit bees, whereas sugar-water simply provides the energy boost without any extra nutrients.

      Don't be surprised if she's slow in the morning. She should revive as she warms up and drinks to gain energy. Yes, definitely release her where you found her, that's kind of you to take her back! And to provide a safe home for her tonight, while she's feeling weak 💛🐝

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. She slept all night, (in my closet!) inside a box, I followed every step from your 1st aid instructions. I kept an eye on her from time to time.

        She started moving this morning, so I proceeded to feed her with some water and sugar and transferred her to a new box, drove her back to the same area, she was very active on our drive back there. As soon as I opened the box she flew away!

        I’m so happy to make a difference, and wanted to express my gratitude for your help.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Yara

  133. Hi Elsie, mainly I wanted to thank you for your wonderful site and information. It has helped me save many bees this year from peril. 2 of them just this morning and 1 from drowning yesterday. One bee was in the house walking towards my cat and the other dropped from a sunflower to the deck floor and was not moving at all. I quickly got them going with your sugar water trick. How fascinating to watch their revival!

    I do have a question though. The little bee that was not moving was outside all night and temps dropped to 29 overnite (so I understand the little bee had powered down so to speak). I brought her inside with the bee that was already inside overnight and set her in a little pyrex dish where I quickly prepared sugar water. As she thawed out and the water cooled I watched her “drink” the water. The other one was strong enough to cling to and eat from a bouquet of hyssop I had just picked last night. After a few minutes I had them both on the bouquet and took the whole thing with the bees still on them and put them outside on our east side porch so they could get benefit of some sun. It was still only 35 degrees out so my concern is was that okay to put them outside with an instant 30 degree swing in temps.

    I’m so concerned for the bees and beneficial insects that a big part of my gardening is devoted to them and birds. I want to learn as much as I can.

    Thanks for your help!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lavenderj

    1. That’s so lovely to hear of your helping nearby bees in need, and of your devotion to nature with your gardening! I’m happy to have been of some help ☺️

      I think in the future, I’d probably wait until the temperature was a little warmer outdoors (given the temperature difference), but if your bees are in direct sun, I don’t think the swing in temperature should have troubled them too much. They can handle lower temperatures for sure (simply falling into a state of torpor), but they might have felt just a bit confused by the sudden temperature swing! I think with the sunlight though, they would have been just fine, since they soak that up well naturally for warmth.

      I took a look at the general weather forecast for your state, and it is on the chilly side, even the highs, though it’ll warm up as the week continues. I wouldn’t be surprised if your bees don’t go far today, waiting another day or two before feeling warm enough to fly off. Then again, they might surprise us! 🐝🌸🐝

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  134. Hello, I have a CARPENTER BEE that fell in my pool . I scooped it out and let it dry in the sun. Much to my surprise it looked lifeless but on drying gave a little twitch. Its just turned cold now and I took the bee inside. I breathed my warm breath on it to warm it up and slowly it came back. I checked it and it drank a small drop of honey i left on my table. Today i put it on a sunflower for a bit but it is only 60 and will drop in the 40s so I took the bee back in. Yes it let be pick it up and climbed on my finger . It was cold so did the buzzing thing had more honey and is now sleeping. I cant let it go since its too cold out . How do I keep it ? Will it hibernate ?

    Her name is Honey .

    Thank you !

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to ANN MARIE

    1. I feel so bad I didn't reply sooner! (a recent website update glitch is responsible)

      If your carpenter bee is young (born this year), it will be hoping to return to the nest (a hole in some wood) that its mother built, where it will hibernate over winter, huddled for warmth with its siblings. Even some older carpenter bees will hibernate again (they usually only live one year, but some females live up to three years).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  135. I found a bumble bee near my home lying on the ground not really moving I brang the bee in to offer some sugar water but did not take and kept the bee in overnight still not talking any sugar water and only will wiggle legs when touched other wise stays completely motionless anything else I can do

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Alice

    1. I am so sorry I didn't get back to you promptly! (a routine update caused a glitch, and I wasn't notified of your question)

      I do hope your bee recovered (sunlight and warmth usually helps too). But depending on what happened to your bee before you found it (as well as its age, given the time of year), it may not have been able to make it, no matter what you did.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  136. Hello 👋

    We’ve been looking after a very tired bumble bee for a few hours. Its happily had sugar water and slept on our hands for quite a while. Perked up and started grooming then went really quiet again.

    We placed it on a very cool hot water bottle (its quite cold where we live) and now it’s in a well ventilated box for the night.

    Fingers crossed its feeling better in the morning. My son has taken lots of videos and photos to show his primary school friends on Monday

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Dee

    1. Aww, there's something so special about caring for a tired bee! That's such a lovely idea for your son to share his up-close bee experience with his school friends too 🐝💛

      I'd love to see your photos/videos as well! Feel free to reply to the email from my website with any you might like to share. I hope your bumble bee is all abuzz in the morning, after waking and warming up!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  137. Does sugar water also work for wasps? We have a few sugar water feeders for hummingbirds and recently quite a few wasps have also taken interest as almost as much as the humming birds themselves. On the ground below the feeders I sometimes find them lifeless with only small twitching showing that they are still alive and I'm wondering what I can do to help them.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to S

    1. Hi! Apologies for answering so late here. That's unfortunate that you're sometimes finding wasps twitching and lifeless on the ground below your hummingbird feeders. Yes, sugar water works the same way for rescuing wasps as it does for bees. Both bees and wasps drink nectar as their sole source of food energy (to the extent you see wasps grabbing non-nectar "food", those are simply mother wasps gathering food as provisions for their young).

      It seems strange that these wasps are doing poorly, so near to the sugar water feeders. It seems like a bad sign, since they'd be able to have had a quick sugar water drink so easily by going to the feeders. I don't like to jump to conclusions, but it's possible if you're finding them twitching and dying, that they've been exposed to pesticides.

      That's great you're caring about your wasps though! They're lovely creatures, and good pollinators too. Bees are just wasps that went fully vegetarian (since bees use pollen as food for their young, not caterpillars, spiders, or other typical prey of mother wasps)!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  138. I have been observing a bumble bee all summer as they are rarely seen in this area .It was moving in circles yesterday and when it left I seen a tiny insect with bumble bee markings . Was this a birth I watched? Thanks for info on water/drowning as it has been in my cucumbers all summer ,have no flowers

    Thanks Linda

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Linda

    1. I love bumble bee watching too! So, when bumble bees are born they're full-sized adults. They start as eggs, which hatch into larvae and nibble up pollen, before spinning their own little cocoon and emerging some time later as young adults. This all happens over a few weeks inside the bumble bee colony (typically underground). So the tiny insect you saw must have been something else.

      Adult bumble bees vary in size a little but not too much (e.g. queens always look larger compared to worker bumble bees), but all still look bumble bee sized, overall. There are some smaller pollinators called hover flies which mimic bee markings to protect themselves, even though they're harmless nectar-drinkers and good pollinators too. That's my best guess as to what you may have seen!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  139. I was watching a bee on the side of my pool and a splash knocked it in. I quickly scooped it out on the edge of my net and was watching as it recovered. After a minute or so it cleaned off and then turned and put its abdomen in a large drop of water. It then flew off. I have never seen this before. Was it cleaning itself?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Bev

    1. That's wonderful that you scooped your bee out of your pool so quickly, and it must have been neat to watch it recovering! I have never seen nor heard of the behavior you describe. Bees are not given to cleaning themselves with water though; they are able to clean themselves simply with their legs typically. So I'm not sure what answer to offer, other than that your bee was a bit unusual!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. I love my honey bees and though it's a small yard, I plant for the wild things. I was amazed at the actions which is why I tried to find an answer. It may have been a mistake but it looked so deliberate. Hope I see my little buddy by the pool again. Thanks!

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Bev

  140. Bee found on porch barley moving and kept going on his back. Have it sugar water and placed in garden on a flower but 24 hours later I came home and it’s on the couch on my porch in even rougher shape. Any ways to help him come back?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lyndsey

    1. Could it be another similar bee, perhaps? What's your weather like currently? Was the flower one you'd seen similar bees foraging on?

      I would try more sugar-water, to see if your bee perks up. If warmth and sugar-water don't improve your bee's condition, then sadly there may be something less obvious that it is suffering from.

      It's kind of you to keep an eye out for your bee! Feel free to reply with photos or video over email, so I can take a closer look.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  141. What is happening to the bumblebees in my yard . I have a large lavender plant in my front yard and usually I see lots of bumblebees enjoying the blooms. But lately, I have noticed several dead ones on the sidewalk and driveway on 2 sides of the plant.

    It seems unusual.

    When I noticed the 1st one struggling on the ground, on a hot day , I moved it to some shade. Is it the heat or is a neighbor using an insecticide? Or?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Beanie

    1. How hot is it where you are, exactly? Bumble bees begin to struggle at temperatures over 100°F, though smaller bumble bee workers can still manage above that (larger queens have more trouble).

      It's hard to say with any certainty, but it might sadly also be a sign of pesticide exposure. It's unusual to find numbers of bees dead on the ground, and yet I found a number of them myself a few weeks ago, displaying signs (walking in circles, falling over) of acute pesticide poisoning. Since I saw them dying, I'm certain it was the result of someone spraying nearby (though I couldn't locate the source).

      The one other thing I can think of is that during extreme heat, plants can be stressed too, and produce far less nectar as a result. So it's important to keep plants well-watered for the sake of pollinators. But I'm guessing your lavender is well-cared for, so that's not it!

      Usually bees do better in direct sunlight, but temperatures are often hotter than they used to be for local bees. If you move any into the shade, I'd also offer a drop or two of sugar-water, or place them on a flower, just to be sure they're not hungry too.

      Let me know if you see any more (feel free to reply with photos or video to the email you'll receive, if you wish).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  142. I found a bee stumbling around in the grass. It use unable to fly but was budding it's wings well enough. It couldn't fit tho and was just walking super fast dropping off of any elevated platform. I scooped her (?) up to give her some rest. Have her hummingbird nectar we have (fresh) and water, She loved the nectar and drinks off my finger. It is the next morning butt still no flight. She actually seems to prefer just sitting on my hand it my shirt and cleans herself often. Her bum wiggles around, I assume cleaning her legs. Now in in love with her lol. I need her to be okay. Any advice outer know what may be going on with her?

    Thank you!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to April

    1. ugh the typos, "buzzing" her wings around, not budding. The rest you can figure out lol. Sorry

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Spell

      1. She may simply be taking a while to "buzz up" in the morning, that's my guess. Have you tried her in direct sunlight? I see it's already warm this morning where you are.

        Sitting on your hand helps warm her too, and bees often spend a significant amount of time in the mornings cleaning themselves. I've seen the whole process of warming/cleaning take a good hour or two some mornings! So I think what she needs is likely simply warmth and time (have you offered more sugar-water too, or tried placing her on a bee-friendly flower in the sunlight)?

        If she continues not to fly off with more time, feel free to reply to the email you'll receive with photos/video so I can observe her behavior too. And yes, they're so adorable, it's easy to fall in love with them! 💛🐝✨

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  143. I found a bed that keeps rubbing its head, and walking around in a circle motion in the same small area. It doesn’t look injured but isn’t really trying to fly much.

    I’ve given it 2:1 sugar and water which it’s drank out of. There are no nearby flowers but it’s in the sun and near green plants.

    What can I do to help? Is it poisoned? Should I try putting water on it? Hope to save this little guy. Thanks

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Steph

    1. That’s good to hear your bee took a drink of the sugar-water mix you offered. It’s hard to know whether some kind of pesticide poisoning may be involved without lab analysis, but it’s definitely something I’d suspect given what you’ve observed. Your weather is certainly warm enough for it to be able to fly. Sometimes bees will act like “cold bees” when they’ve had pesticide exposure. So what happens is that even though they’re uninjured (in terms of their wings and legs), they move more slowly, often circling.

      In acute poisoning cases, they tend to circle and fall over a lot. In less-severe cases, they often sit quietly for extended periods of time, unflying, and don’t head off somewhere safe before nightfall. I’d keep an eye on your bee, and if it looks as though it’s not going to fly off somewhere safe for the night on its own, then I’d gently encourage it into a ventilated box in the early evening, simply to protect it from predators while it deals with whatever is in its system. Place the box somewhere cool and dark for the night, so that the bee doesn’t get confused that it’s daytime (bees naturally slow down when cooler).

      In my experience, bees can recover if they’ve not been too badly exposed. I don’t know if it’s always possible, but I’ve had some luck offering plentiful sugar-water (not too much at once, so as not to fall in and get sticky, but kind of encouraging them to drink a lot if they feel like it, by offering small amounts often). After trying to flush their systems in this way (and keeping them overnight), the bees I’ve treated have flown off, in seeming better health, the following morning once the sun hits and they warm up again.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thank you SO much for your reply Elise. I will put together a ventilated box for it shortly.

        I’m going to pick up a couple sunflowers as well for it!

        Do you suggest I try to douse it with water to try and wash away any pesticide it might be trying to rub off? Im afraid to overdo it but something is clearly irritating it’s face. :(

        Also; for its box- Pinhole size holes will suffice and be good enough for air flow? And should I put anything in there for the night? Like a small dish of water and small dish of sugar water?

        Thank you again. Im trying not to get attached!

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Steph

        1. I know what you mean about getting attached 🥰

          I don’t think I’d try dousing your bee fully with water, since bees really don’t like getting wet (and they breathe through openings along their sides, so dousing might result in further issues for your bee). That said, bees do get wet at times naturally (caught out in light rain, though they try to avoid it), and they recover by cleaning themselves and air-drying.

          So if it seems to you that your bee is continuing to be bothered by something on its face, you might try dropping some room-temperature water just on the spot that’s bothering it. Bees spend a lot of time cleaning, so in and of itself, what looks like excessive cleaning to us can be normal. But continued cleaning of a specific spot on their body is something you’re right to consider. If you do try, just be conservative in the amount of water used, and try to “listen” to your bee, adjusting your treatment to what it feels comfortable with. Additional stress is something to avoid, and of course there’s no way to explain to them how we’re trying to help them!

          For the nighttime, a number of small holes are sufficient, probably larger than a pinhole but still quite small. I tend to put in things like leaves and flowers for the night, as in nature if they were caught out at night without being able to fly off, they’d hang about on flowers if they could. I’d probably not put a dish of sugar water in there though… for one, it can attract ants, and a weak bee is fair game for ants. For another, a clumsy bee can fall in at night unobserved, and dealing with a sticky bee is tricky. So long as you place the box somewhere cool, your bee will fall into a less active state overnight, where it won’t expend energy nor have need of more energy top-ups.

          If you do keep it overnight, I’d certainly offer sugar-water again first thing in the morning (and offer some just a bit before you close the box up for the night too). That’s worked well for me in cases similar to how you describe your bee. It can take bees a little time to get going in the morning, but once the sun is up and begins to warm their bodies, they’ll start to “buzz up” with energy. It can be nerve-wracking opening the box first thing in the morning, but each time I’ve done this, I’ve awoken to a bee that was in better shape than the day before!

          I do hope the best for your bee, you’re doing everything you can for it, and every bee we take care of is one more bee out there in the world, buzzing for another day! The more studies done on bees, the more we realize they’re thinking, feeling creatures, and it’s so amazing when we can help them 💛🐝

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

          1. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your advice Elise!! I have taken it all in detail and feel confident in my care. ♥️

            I bought it a sunflower, and some tiny leafy (ensured no pesticides) plants to put inside it’s box for overnight. I used a pen to punch several many holes that it certainly cannot get through. It’s shelter is near complete and perfect…

            After putting together everything, I went outside to give it the sunflower and I can no longer find it. 😭😭 I’ve searched everywhere nearby with no luck!!! UGH. It was only circling a small perimeter from when I first found it but I’m truly hoping it flew off somewhere after feeling better from the water and sugar-water. I just hope it isn’t instead suffering nearby that. You don’t have to reply back, but I’m hoping you’ve heard similar stories of quick recovery like this?

            I will continue to keep checking outside throughout the remainder of the day into night in hopes of finding the little guy. I will give an update if I am lucky. I’m trying to stay positive, that not locating it is instead good news. 🐝 ♥️

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to Steph

            1. It may well be good news, not finding your bee... I'd say that's almost certainly the likeliest explanation: your bee simply felt better enough to fly off. Though you're certainly prepared now, if your bee happens to turn up again! Sunflowers are excellent for pollinators 🌻🐝

              I had kind of an unfortunate experience the other week here in California, but it's given me some direct observational data that feels relevant. Before the wildfire that destroyed my home and bee meadow, I lived in rural Oregon, and bees were plentiful and never once needed the help I detail on this page. But since fleeing to (and then remaining in) the Bay Area (since I have family here), I've witnessed the pesticide-related "bee kills" of which I'd only read until recently.

              I went out one morning, and bees were literally raining down, so it felt... I counted 15 or so in various stages of acute distress, some dying within minutes of falling out of the sky (mostly honey bees, plus a few carpenter bees and tiny solitary bees). All these bees' symptoms ranged widely, from quick death, to falling over constantly, to simply circling slowly, to just resting oddly unmoving even in the warm early evening.

              I administered sugar-water to all that were still able to drink some, and that's kind of why I'm telling you all of this, because there were a couple of bees that, within an hour or so of drinking (maybe less), appeared to feel much better again, and they flew off (their flight looked positive too, as if they really were feeling better, and knew where they were headed). There were a few more that weren't so well, and looked as if they'd simply sit out all night if left to themselves (out in the open, and easily targeted). Those bees flew off the following morning (having overnighted in safe enclosures), seemingly much better.

              So, all this to say, recovery time varies widely, depending on the individual bee and its overall health beforehand, as well as the amounts of whatever substance (or cocktail of substances) to which it's been exposed.

              I do think that sugar-water at such times is a good way to boost their energy quickly, while also (I hope) helping bees to rid themselves of whatever it is they have in their systems. You certainly gave your bee a better chance at continuing a happy bee life 💛🐝✨

              Reply

              Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  144. I found a bumblebee on the ground in the parking garage where I park yesterday evening. It was alive and seemed to be breathing heavily. There didn't appear to be anything physically wrong with it. It could crawl slowly and when I flipped it over, it righted itself by kicking and moving its wings. I didn't have anything with me except honey, so I put a couple of drops in front of it and it started sucking up the honey. When I arrived at work this morning, it was a couple of feet from where it had been the day before, but still doing the same thing. I gave it more honey and it started eating it. I'm at work now and I left it in the parking garage. I just read that honey wasn't the best thing to give it, but I didn't know at the time. Does it possibly have mites in its airway? Is there anything else I can do for it?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kathy

    1. Finding your bee in a similar spot to where it was last night isn't surprising, but it is a sign that it needs an energy boost of some kind, and if honey isn't doing the trick, sunlight and added warmth might.

      Have you tried putting it in the sun? Do you have bee flowers near where you work, where you might place it? It sounds as though it's acting like a cold bee (although they can be suffering from other things and also act similarly).

      If you use a leaf or piece of paper or something similar, you might then transport it to nearby flowers in the sunlight (even with your weather already warm, full sunlight may well help revive it). Ideally nearby flowers where you see other bumble bees foraging.

      If it has tattered wing edges, that can be a sign of age too. As far as mites in airways, it's impossible to diagnose, but "breathing heavily" is typically something they do as they warm up, so it's not a concerning sign in and of itself. I hope your bee perks up!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thanks, Elise. The bee was shaded in the parking garage, but it's been 100+ degrees here this week. If it's still there this evening, I'll move it to an area with sunlight. I'm hoping it'll be recovered and gone when I come back.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Kathy

        1. Yes, I did look up your weather before I wrote, and saw that it should really be warm enough, even in the shade, for any bee to get going again. If it's an old bee nearing the end of its life, that might explain the behavior. Also, to be honest, bees are exposed to such a range of stressors in human environments these days, that I think more and more struggle. If honey and warmth don't revive your bee, but it looks "young" (with untattered wing edges), then there's something else amiss. They do suffer from a range of internal parasites that may cause premature death, and the number of chemicals in their environments isn't helping them at all either (at their best, these chemicals simply cause chronic low-level issues that shorten bee lives).

          I do hope your bee was able to get going when you look later, but if not, I'd try moving it, as a parking garage is no place for a bee! I just attended a lovely seminar on bee cognition yesterday, and studies suggest bees do feel emotions, including positive and negative outlooks. Sunlight and flowers should at least "raise a bee's spirits" a bit, which may also aid in its recovery, if it is suffering from something sufficiently non-acute. It's good of you to notice your bee and try to help it out!

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

          1. For anyone following this thread:

            I checked on the bumblebee when I left work and it was gone! It had tracked a thin trail of honey on the concrete and then the trail disappeared. I'm hoping that means that it received energy from the honey, warmed up during the day, and was able to fly away. Thanks so much for your support and advise, Elise!

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to Kathy

  145. The last 2 days I've "rescued " 7 bumblebees off my drive and patio that aren't moving much or flying , but my question is this...well 3 actually

    Why are some stuck to the floor as if some sticky liquid has leaked?

    Why do they have very small wings, much smaller than I'd expect?

    And one had yellow spots or clumps in the yellow stripe across its back. Is this something to be concerned about ?

    All have white bottoms and are plump little bees 🐝

    Thank you 😊

    Deborah (bee)

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Deborah Iddon

    1. Hmm, this does seem strange. Especially given your weather, which looks comfortably warm at the moment.

      What time of day are you finding the bees? If it's late afternoon, I'd be particularly concerned (I'll go into that in more detail below).

      For the yellow spots or clumps... could those be pollen? I'm kind of guessing you've already ruled that out, but I really can't think what else it might be.

      Sticking to the floor is something I've not seen either. I suppose they might have regurgitated their collected nectar? Though that's not behavior I'd expect, nor something I've seen in struggling bees, who usually are in need of extra food, and would not be giving any up like that. The only other thing I can think of is bee blood, which has a transparent/pale/yellow look to it.

      Smaller wings may be slightly easier to explain, especially if it stands out to you, and you're accustomed to seeing these bumble bees with normal-sized wings. It's likely a sign of not having had enough food in their larval form. Which is probably a sign of a dearth of floral resources at the time they were raised.

      I don't wish to raise the specter of pesticides when other causes may explain what you're seeing, but I will suggest it as another possibility here. I used to live in rural Oregon, and all our wild bees were so healthy and happy there. After wildfire, I relocated to an urban area in California (to be with family), and I'm seeing many more problems in this area, somewhat similar to what you're seeing. There were a few days the other week where it felt as though dead and dying bees were raining down from the sky (I found sixteen in an hour I believe). All were acting as though they were cold (barely moving, tilting to one side, not trying to fly), and yet it was warm out. Most died within minutes, but a few weren't as badly affected, and for those I administered plentiful sugar-water and kept them overnight, since they clearly weren't going anywhere under their own power. In the warm sunlight of the following mornings, these bees all departed, seemingly alright, but to me the signs point to acute pesticide poisoning (some simply weren't as exposed as others, and perhaps I managed to flush their little systems, I don't know).

      I mention this since finding large numbers of bees acting like this (as though they're "cold", even in the late afternoon on a warm day), is likely a sign they've been exposed to something acutely toxic. Another aspect of the "bee kill" I witnessed was that many of the bees were smaller adults than usual, which speaks also to malnutrition. Smaller, undernourished bees will be less able to deal with other stressors, sadly.

      I wish I had more positive answers for you! I do hope you find fewer of them in the coming days. I'm still finding the odd bee acting as I described on sunny and warm late afternoons, but thankfully they're not everywhere I look anymore. Other than encouraging neighbors not to use chemicals that might harm bees, it's hard to know how to help prevent this.

      Again, I'm not able to say with any certainty why you're finding bees struggling as you are, but I'd suspect something along these lines may be at least part of the answer. Though I do wish that weren't the case!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thank you elise

        Yes its certainly warmer here than it has been.

        I've not seen any for a day or 2 so I'm hoping that's a positive

        I'll let you know how it goes

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Deborah

  146. I found a bumble bee wandering around a large dirt patch in my yard, I tried shooing him, but he wouldn't fly away, so I offered my hand. (I'm seeding the dirt, and it needed watered, and I know bees shouldn't get wet.) He (she?) crawled right up and I brought him to my flower pots, and he went at every flower in there. He still won't fly, though. Offered a little sugar water, which he drank off my arm, and he still won't fly. It is warm today, already 90F, so I moved the plant pot to the shady bit of my yard in case he was too warm. Wings look ok, but for one itty bitty spot at the edge. He's not shiny, nor can I see any bugs. He's a little longer than the pad of my thumb.

    And he's still not flying off. Every time he tries, he just crash lands on the ground.

    I've left a small dish of fresh water (only 1mm or so deep) and dropped a little more sugar water on the flowers. He's been here more than an hour now, and I'm worried about him. He's a docile, friendly little thing.

    Any advice? If he doesn't fly away? Have I just acquired a new "pet" ?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Becca

    1. That's surprising if your bee continues not to fly off, on such a warm day. I'm trying to recall the temperature, but it's definitely above 100°F that bees may have trouble (105-110 perhaps, if I recall)? Since they're cold-blooded, they respond well to heat generally.

      Crashing when attempting to fly can happen when they're cold, but it shouldn't happen if they're well fed and warm. I wonder if there's some kind of wing damage that is hard to see? Feel free to reply to this email with photos or video. That's good you've provided sources of energy and a very shallow dish of water too.

      I've been meaning to write up what to do if one ends up with a bee that can't fly, as they seem to respond positively to being given a safe place with food in which to live out their days. That is what I'd suggest, if you're up for it: some kind of enclosure for some or all of the time, along with access to flowers that such bees show an interest in, and also supplementing with sugar water to ensure they're getting sufficient energy. Ideally keep them somewhere cool and dark at night, basically mimicking indoor/outdoor rhythms of light and warmth.

      I hope your bee does regain their ability to fly though! That's one thing that I wish we could help them with. There are interventions for monarch butterflies to allow flight after they've lost it, but bee wings differ between bee species considerably. They're also quite complex: all bees have two pairs of wings, and the wings on each side hinge together with little hooks that catch as they extend their wings to fly.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  147. My daughter found a bee (we think bumble) today, we initially thought it might be dead as it was moving so little but I noticed a small amount of movement in the legs so we gave it some sugar water on a leaf. It was doing so poorly it didn’t manage to do more than fall into it with its tongue out so I rolled the water and bed into a position that it wasn’t sitting in a pool. We’ve since moved the bee to a large net enclosure with flowers and sugar water on a butterfly feeder. The bee seemed to have perked up a little but then stopped moving entirely. I assumed it was asleep so gave it time but after around an hour there was still no movement. I moved her gently on a leaf and still nothing. We thought she had died but in a last attempt I tried breathing on her and after a few attempts her legs began to twitch. Do you know what could be wrong with her and what we can do to help her?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Emma

    1. I'm sorry to hear about your bee, I don't think it's too promising from what you've said. If she has tattered wing edges, she might be an old bee. She may also be suffering from any number of other ills that may have shortened her life (internal parasites are surprisingly common in bumble bees).

      Have you tried putting her in direct sunlight to warm her up? If her tongue continues to be out, with only occasional leg twitches, it typically means she's at the end of her life, and all you can do for her is to make her comfortable (and keep her safe from ants, which would pull her apart while she's still clinging to life). Did you see her drink any sugar water? I would try sunlight and extra warmth if you haven't already, to see if she improves at all.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thanks for your reply. Her tongue has been continuously out but her wings look in good condition - but they’re up and haven’t moved?

        The sun is setting here now so I can’t put her in sunlight, she responds if I breathe onto her to warm her though so don’t know if I should try to out her to a source of heat? (It is fairly warm weather though).

        If it’s parasite should I be concerned about them spreading in anyway - we are using a butterfly net that we may one day use again for caterpillars.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Emma

        1. Oh, I should have known by your locale that there's no sunlight to be had right now! I'm concerned about her tongue remaining out, that's not generally a good sign. I would still keep her overnight, somewhere a little cooler but safe from ants and such. Then, if she's still with you come morning, I would put her out in direct sunlight and offer more sugar-water then too.

          I'm honestly not hopeful that she'll make it through the night, but I am curious if you've tried putting a very small drop of sugar-water right at the tip of her extended tongue? As to any internal parasites she may have (which is just a guess, knowing it's common for them), they'd be bumble-specific, and they'd be confined to her gut, so there's no danger of contaminating your butterfly net. I wish I had a more positive prognosis for you, but her signs are not so good 😢

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

          1. Thanks again for your reply. I do think she has drank a bit of the sugar water. I have put some daisies in with her too and at one stage she moved slightly from the daisy back to the sugar water (less than a 1cm distance) but since then she’s been laid on her side. She doesn’t look good at all 😞

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to Emma

            1. Quick update: since last night she hasn’t moved at all and appears to be dead in every way, but when go to check we get a little bottom wiggle in response to warm breath. It seems really bizarre as in every other way the bee appears to be gone. It’s as if the bee is in a deep sleep/coma. Is there an explanation for this? Is there any way she could recover or is it kinder to stop trying to prolong the process at this stage?

              Reply

              Leave a Reply to Emma

              1. Sorry for the late reply, I'm on a different time zone (plus we keep odd hours). I'm sorry to hear about your bee too, she does sound on the edge of leaving this world. I think other than making her comfortable, there's nothing to be done. It is at least better for her to pass away somewhere free from ants (who would certainly try to carve her up and take off the pieces in her current state). I had really hoped that today in the warm sunlight, she might recover (I have seen that before), but it sounds like whatever she's suffering from is terminal 😢

                Reply

                Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  148. There is a swarm of bees on a grass verge, who do I contact to relocate them somewhere safer?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kat

    1. I'm sorry that I only just saw this! I'm also not quite sure about your location (I did see you put in what may be a town name, but I didn't even know the country for sure). So what I'd do is a web search for your area along with the words "beekeeping association". You may find one immediately in your area, or you may find a website that links to various associations in a larger surrounding area. Beekeeping associations typically post phone numbers and email addresses for people who are involved in running their associations, and I'd call one of these folks, as they'll be able to figure how to get one of their members out to relocate the honey bee swarm.

      The honey bees will be trying to work out where to go too! They may well find their own spot that's a safe place to start a new hive. They'll have sent scouts out of their own looking for a suitable new home, and so they may be able to take care of themselves in this way, even if they chose to stop somewhere precarious briefly. Though it's a bit early in the year for a swarm.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  149. Hi Elise. Firstly thank you for all the information and time you give to us to help bees. I found a grounded bumble bee last night and it had a small white patch on the top of its left wing which I assumed was ant powder or some kind of poison as it had a tremor in its paws like it was tapping its feet so I assumed toxins were taking affect so I followed your guidance and popped a droplet of water on the area and the bee washed it off. However, when the bee tries to fly the white stuff appears to be coming from the top of the left wing where it attaches to the bees body. I took the bee in over night and followed your guidance (sugar water/flowers) and it’s feeding/drinking fine and wants to fly but can’t fly as the little wing on its left doesn’t move at all and white stuff keeps appearing. I can forward photos and video if I may have your email address. Any advice is much appreciated! H x

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to H

    1. I'm so sorry to hear about your bee. Without seeing the photos yet, I'm still going to guess that it's losing "blood", which in an insect's case is "hemolymph". It is not red like ours, but usually a transparent or pale yellowish color. Their circulatory systems are much different than ours, and their "heart" is a long thin organ stretching lengthwise from their head to abdomen. Their hemolymph bathes all their organs freely inside their bodies (rather than being contained in veins), and it is moved around when they move or fly, when certain special muscles contract, and also when this long heart of theirs acts as a pump.

      Bees don't go through any further metamorphosis once they're adults, so their exoskeleton stays the same, rather than being able to molt like a spider and slowly regrow a leg or heal damage. I read once somewhere that there may be some very limited capacity in exoskeletons to seal an open wound (I think I read about it in crickets or grasshoppers).

      You'll get an email from my website to which you may reply with photos and video if you wish! As to where to go from here, it sounds as though your bee is destined to be a flightless bee now. I will say that the urge to live is so very strong, and your bumble bee will continue to try to live so long as you're taking care of it. It's probably a matter of keeping it comfortable right now, and safe from attack by ants (who'll tear pieces off a live bee up to carry bits away, not exactly a comfortable way to leave this world).

      I don't know if you feel yourself in a position to offer this bee a home for the rest of its natural life, but that is probably the best case in your bee's situation. I've been planning to write up more details of doing so, as I've had a number of folks contact me lately, who are caring for bees with wing damage. Perhaps that's a judgment call that depends on the bee too, as I wouldn't like to see one suffer, but bumble bees are adaptable creatures with good learning capabilities, and some seem to transition positively to a flightless life with a human caretaker.

      I wish we could repair their wings! In the case of monarch butterflies it's been done, but bees wings are quite complex, they have four, two on each side, which hinge together with little hooks when they go to fly.

      In terms of long-term care, it's seemed that a mix of freshly cut bee flowers supplemented with sugar water works, and keeping the bee cooler at night, with an interesting habitat in which to become accustomed to its new, more handicapped, lifestyle. Some folks take their bees out in a supervised fashion during the day to walk over and drink from flowers outdoors, before bringing them in safely for the night. I do wish we could do something to restore their flight though!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thank you so much Elise. I will email you the photos/video and keep the wee one safe and fed. X

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to H

  150. Hi, thanks for what you do 🙂.

    I found a Tree bee on the carpet at work 3 days ago, she seemed to be struggling with movement and there was also some kind of sticky goop on the stinger, she kept trying to remove to no avail, so I assisted with a piece of paper.

    I gave her some 50/50 suger water, but didn't want to place her outside while I was working, so I put her in a tub with tissue and suger water, then turned that rooms radiator on and continued my work, checking up on her from time to time. Hours later, she was still struggling and wouldn't fly, so I brought her home in a container with some cut flowers and suger water inside.

    3 days later, she's more mobile, but not even trying to fly. Any advice to help her is greatly appreciated 🙂.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sol

    1. I wonder what was stuck to her, and if whatever she got into is still having an effect on her? Do you happen to know if she's a worker tree bumble bee (smaller, around 11mm) or a queen (larger, around 15mm)? I don't think she'd be a male, as those are usually around later in summer. I'm guessing she's a worker based on the time of year, but it'd be good to know for sure. As a worker bumble bee, she'd be best released near where you found her, so that she can return to her colony when she's feeling better. Although I realize she's not in any state to return yet, if she's not even trying to fly.

      Warmth and sugar-water should have revived her, and she should at least be trying to buzz her wings, even if she's not getting liftoff. If she's not responding to these, then there's something else amiss. Since she's still with you 3 days later, it would seem that overall she may be in good health, but perhaps there's some damage that isn't obvious that is preventing her from recovering fully and flying off?

      If you could try taking some close-up photos of her (perhaps some video too), it might help me with diagnosis. Feel free to reply to my email with photos/video, so that I can take a closer look at her. In the meantime, I'd continue to keep her safe while she's not as mobile as she should be, and continue offering cut flowers and sugar-water. I think it depends on the flower how long a cut one will retain nectar, so I'd keep adding those regularly for her, so that she has some real nectar as well as sugar-water (the latter is great for emergencies, but there's no doubt that nectar—with its additional trace elements—is healthier in the long run).

      Bumble bees can also suffer from various ailments, including internal pathogens and parasites, but those shouldn't really affect her flight as far as I know. The fact that she had some kind of sticky goop on her when you found her suggests some kind of physical damage... even a little bit on her wings could cause her problems, though I think you'd have noticed if she had any elsewhere on her body. My only other thought is that perhaps she simply needs to be a bit warmer... have you tried her in direct sunlight to see how she responds? I'd try that at work, so that if she is able to fly off, she'll know where she is, so she can find her way back to her colony.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  151. Hello! I have recently come across an injured carpenter bee. He is male, and almost one of his entire wings looks like it’s been ripped off, it’s still attached but most of the wing is missing. We have had several bad rainstorms and so we took him in and put him in a bug habitat with a couple live flowers and sticks, as well as some dirt, honey water, and water. I’ve been misting the flowers in the morning to give him some few for when he crawls around but I’ve noticed he’s been losing his balance a lot and falling into the shallow caps I filled with water and the honey water mixture. If I have live flowers in there and am picking flowers daily for him, do I need the honey water dish and the water dish, or could I just keep the water dish and give him some more walking space so he hopefully doesn’t fall in? Any help would be greatly appreciated! He’s already perked up a lot and “flies” around in my hand and up my arm, and by fly I mean more like propels himself forward because he still can’t fly off ground!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kale

    1. There was someone else here who took care of her male carpenter bee (who had wing damage) for a month. I wish I’d heard back as to whether the feedings she mentioned were only flowers, or whether she also supplemented with sugar water, as I was curious about this too. My inclination would be to supplement with sugar water to be on the safe side, since it’s hard for us to tell how plentiful nectar is on a given flower. Also, once picked, I’m not sure how long their nectar lasts… it likely depends on the flower variety.

      I do think it’s a good idea to be offering flowers, you may simply need to offer a large number, and be sure that they’re ones you’ve seen other carpenter bees on too ideally. You can also add a drop of sugar water to the center of some cut flowers at times in the day. I did hear from the other person that her bee had many feedings daily, though I never did find out the frequency. I believe he’ll get enough water from the mixture, without needing water separately.

      I’d be really interested to hear how it goes for you, and see some photos/videos too (feel free to send them in reply to my email). It certainly appeared in the other person’s case that they both settled into a happy routine together, and she took him out for supervised visits on the flowers outdoors too. Had her neighbor not maliciously put pesticide there one day, I think the bee would still be with her, as these have relatively long lives (around a year), although your bee will have already overwintered as an adult, so his natural lifespan probably ends sometime around the end of summer there.

      Not having a working wing is sure to make him clumsy for awhile. I wonder if he’ll learn to adjust a bit, and be less clumsy? In the meantime, I’d definitely keep shallow caps/dishes away, and go with adding single drops of mixture to cut flowers to ensure he’s getting what he needs. The more you can provide live flowers though, the better, since there are trace elements in different nectars from which he’ll benefit. I’m not sure how one might design an enclosure for him to walk across his favorite seasonal flowers, but it’d be cool if it were possible to come up with a “bee run” outdoors! Though he’s certainly safer with you, indoors in a cool room at night 💛🐝

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  152. I have a conservatory with flowering plants in. The door is open all day and I don’t use pesticides!

    I find all types of dead bees every day. It is so upsetting. If still alive I try to resuscitate with a drop of organic honey but it is often too late.

    Any advice?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lisa

    1. It is certainly concerning, and shouldn’t be the case. I take it that this is unusual compared with previous years? Are they honey bees, bumble bees, or other bees (many types of bees are quite tiny)?

      I saw something similar here one day last week (since our wildfire, I’m temporarily living in an urban area). Although it was only for one day, it felt as though bees were dropping dead from the sky, it was dreadful (I ended up finding 15 in under an hour). Mostly honey bees, but there appeared to be some tiny (1cm or so) solitary bees dead and struggling too. Some bees were in better shape than others (a single honey bee seemed less badly off than the others, though it still needed an overnight stay; I was surprised that it seemed better in the morning and flew off, but I certainly did my best to flush its system with sugar water, and it drank a large amount too).

      I’m guessing that in instances like these, it’s likely acute pesticide poisoning. Somewhere nearby the bees are getting into something dangerous. There are plenty of dangerous pesticides still on markets, and homeowners particularly tend to overuse them when they use them (thinking that more will work better). That’s really the only explanation I have for seeing dead bees in any number, as documented “bee kills” have always been traced back to pesticides.

      By the way, it’s better to use sugar water than (even organic) honey, as honey from one hive may introduce problems to another (in the case of honey bees), and some illnesses that bees have also spread between types of bee if they share the same food. Though flowers are sadly another vector, so we need more healthy bees!

      Other than trying to raise awareness in your area, I’m not sure what can be done. Lab analysis would reveal the source, but it would be involved to test for the many different substances. If they’re honey bees, you might inform your local beekeeping association. If they’re bumble bees, I’d mention it to someone at the Bumblebee Conservation Trust ( https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/contact-details/ ) to see if they might know whom to put pressure on (if it’s pesticide usage overseen by a part of government). The problem is that it could be from any number of sources when you’re in an urban environment.

      I wish I had a better answer! Education and awareness in the end, we simply need to keep promoting it, as a livable world depends on us.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  153. I found humble bee with baby on it's back crawling ... What should I do ? 🤔😭

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Gille

    1. Sounds like they’re mating! Male bumble bees are quite a bit smaller than females, and pairs often crawl about while coupled 🐝💛🐝

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  154. I saved a bee out of my pool at around 5pm last night. I immediately put him in the sun to dry off. I noticed the little guy was not flying away when the sun started to set. I put him in a ventilated shoe box over night in my house. I went to release him this morning at 10, and he won’t fly away. He is also not drinking any sugar water. He just walked to and sat in the middle of the flower I put next to him. He is still there. Is he ok? What is wrong and why won’t he fly away? The temp is hot out so I did put shade over him. It’s suppose to be 90 degrees today.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kels

    1. It may well take your bee a little time to get going! Being cold-blooded, they take longer to warm up in the morning. I would actually remove the shade and let your bee "soak" in sunlight, as it'll help your bee get moving faster. They're not like us in terms of needing shade, unless it gets super-hot (90 is fine for them). So long as it's a bee-friendly flower (one that you see other, ideally similar, bees feeding from), your bee should be able to have breakfast too, which will help it get moving again!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thank you ! I actually did not know that shade would be bad for them. I was sitting in the sun with the bee to ensure no lizards would get him since I have a bunch in my backyard and I was burning up lol i thought he would be too. I actually just went out to remove the shade and the little dude was gone :) he flew away !

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Kels

  155. We rescued a bee from our pond- we took her in to warm her up, despite her becoming more lively her tongue was still sticking out.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Salena

    1. I take it that she did not try drinking sugar-water, or if she did, that her tongue was still extended after? It's possible she simply spent too much time in your pond... bees breathe along the sides of their bodies, and she may simply have had too little air for too long.

      Unfortunately I don’t think there’s much one can do in such cases, other than helping your bee to be comfortable in her last moments. According to a research paper I read recently, tongue extension that persists into death can be associated with a number of causes: starvation, suffocation, insecticide poisoning, and food contamination.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  156. Hello, so this morning saw a bug bumble bee in our garage on the floor it wasn’t moving and I though it was dead but when we came home hours later it had moved a foot or two . We’ve gone through a drastic weather change here. It’s been in the 70s and 80s and now we have a freak snow storm so I think the cold and wet got to this bee. I made a shoe box and a little sugar water and was able to get the bee to crawl onto a paper towel and into the shoe box. It’s supposed to snow and be cold the next couple days . It already started moving more and warming up I think in the house . So not sure how long to keep it for Or if they can be released in the snowy weather . Thanks!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Ashley

    1. It'll help to provide a safe haven for your bumble bee overnight (for likely a couple of nights). I wouldn't release your bee in snowy weather, as she'll be too cold to fly (and nectar will be harder for her to find). Such unpredictable weather isn't good for bumble bees!

      Keep your bee's ventilated shoebox in a cool room (or even in the garage, so long as it'll remain undisturbed by things like ants or mice). That way she won't get confused by warm temperatures in your house, and think it's time to go, when it's still snowy outdoors.

      So long as your bee is kept somewhere cool, she also won't need much sugar water, but still offer some from time to time (carefully, since cold bees are clumsy, and falling into sugary water is no good)!

      I'd keep an eye on your bee at first (and from time to time), just to make sure she's settling in and calm. It's helpful to give bees a safe place to shelter until warmer weather returns. I'd move her enclosure into an area with natural light during the day, but still keep the temperatures cool to discourage her wishing to fly off.

      Any day in the 60s (even low 60s) would work for releasing your bee. Hopefully your weather warms up again soon! Feel free to reply with any questions, and enjoy your temporary house guest 🐝💛🏠

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  157. I had a bee fly in my house two days ago but when I opened the door to let him out, he disappeared. Fast forward to today, I found him belly up on my kitchen floor and brought him outside immediately with sugar water. He started drinking it and after 10 mins I figured he’d be ok so I went in the house. I noticed it started raining heavily so I went to make sure he was gone but nope. He was still there, alive but weak. I brought him in to dry and it’s been 3 hours now. He’s still having trouble moving around and is now refusing sugar water. I made him a little set up for over night but will he make it?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Toricarole

    1. I hope your bee will make it! There are other things that might be happening, but optimistically, your bee has simply had enough sugar water, and is simply cold (or still a bit wet) and moving around slowly as a result.

      There are a couple of hints to determining if you have an old bee: tattered wing edges, and a less fluffy appearance compared to a bee of that kind normally (I'm not sure if you have a bumble bee or a honey bee—or another kind of bee—so fluffiness is kind of relative).

      They also suffer from other things including internal parasites, viruses, and pesticide exposure. It's not possible to diagnose those in a live bee, but you're giving your bee the best chance for survival, for sure! It's promising that your bee drank up the sugar water earlier, and is now (I assume) standing on its legs properly, even though moving slowly.

      I would check on your bee from time to time, to ensure your bee is in no obvious distress, and then leave the enclosure somewhere cool but safe tonight (access to sugar water is fine, so long as there's no way to fall in clumsily).

      I hope your bee feels better in the morning! Hopefully your weather will improve, and there'll be some sunlight for your bee to bask in, come morning.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  158. After we had a bout of bad weather i keep getting bees in my bathroom about four and couple in the kitchen i have been feeding them but why do they look like they are dying i cant understand where they are coming from i found one in my washing basket too..

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Ruthie

    1. Hmm, there must be some small outdoor entrance into your bathroom (near a window, possibly)? I'm guessing they're just seeking shelter from the bad weather? Do you know if they're honey bees, bumble bees, or some other kind of bee? If you reply with photos to the email you receive from me, I might be able to say a little more, but right now I'm a bit puzzled too!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  159. It’s 50 degrees F. here, pouring with rain. I rescued a small black and white bee from the ant moat of a hummingbird feeder. I’ve put in in a box covered in plastic with holes punched in the top. I put some dry flowers in and a little dish of sugar water. It is hiding under the foliage but has been moving around. I don’t think it’s flying yet. Is it OK to release it when it stops raining?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Penny

    1. Yes, I'd try releasing your bee when it stops raining, even though 50°F is a bit cold. I'm guessing your bee was wet from being in the ant moat (and rain)? Ideally put the bee box somewhere indoors where it'll be able to dry and warm up a bit. Hopefully the sun will come out after your rain stops, and then you can put your bee (either in its box, or placed on a bee-friendly flower) somewhere in the sunlight to finish drying and warming up. It might take a little time to get going, but so long as your bee is warmed up (with a bit of sugar-water as a boost if it wishes), it should be able to fly off and continue on its day!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. It’s stopped raining finally. The bee had some sugar water - quite a lot actually - then started buzzing and flying around the box so I took off the cover and he’s flown away! Success! Hope he makes it back to his hive safely - still 50 degrees.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Penny

  160. I rescued a cold wet bee in the rain in Vancouver. I brought it into my kitchen in salad greens container that I poked some holes in. It perked right up with some indoor warmth and a little sugar water. However it is only been 10 minutes and now I have it in a container in my kitchen and it is buzzing around. I think it would like to leave. What do I do now? Keep it for the night or release it into the cold rainy night? It’s not raining that hard…

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to El

    1. It's sort of up to you... your bee is already better off, and having been "charged up" with warmth and sugar-water, it might well make it back to wherever it was going. They can fly in light rain, it's just harder for them.

      If it's a honey bee (there are photos above on this page) then I'd let it go back to its hive tonight. If it's a bumble bee, consider keeping it overnight (putting it in a cool room should stop it buzzing around inside its container). Though as I said, it's already better off, so if it looks like it really wants to go, consider letting it out (so long as it's not heavy rain nor below 52°F). It'll head to shelter if you let it go tonight, and it'll keep its warmth just by flying for some amount of time (using their flight muscles does warm bumble bees up too).

      If you do decide to keep your bee overnight, keep an eye on your bee at first to make sure it slows down (so it's not still trying to get out). Cold always slows them down. In the morning warm your bee up in a warmer room and offer more sugar-water before releasing it.

      Bees do have to shelter in odd places sometimes (waiting out cold and rainy weather), so it's nice to give them a safe overnight spot if they seem to need it 🐝💛

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. I should’ve mentioned it is 6°C here which is 42.8°F. I don’t really have a cold room in my house although I could open the window and shut the bathroom door with the container in there I suppose. I had put her back outside sheltered from the rain but it sounds like it is too cold so maybe I will bring her back in and try to keep her cool in the bathroom if you think that is a better idea.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to El

        1. That's cold for a bee! She may be fine overnight outdoors, if she's sheltered where you put her. She'll be pretty much immobilized by cold if she doesn't fly off, so ideally she'll be in a spot where she can't easily be seen as potential prey by a bird, for instance (birds, being warm-blooded, will be up and flying tomorrow morning sooner than her).

          If she's still out just where you put her, you might consider giving her a home for the night, though it means moving her again, which she might not be so keen on (and it's good not to stress her).

          If you do bring her in, I think leaving your bathroom cold with an open window would work well. If there's some outdoor safe area to put a bee container overnight that's another option, but you'd probably have mentioned if there was.

          All this to say, try to "listen" to your bee, but I don't think she'll be going anywhere in 43 degree weather (certainly not far, even warmed up beforehand). She'd likely be safer with you overnight, I'd think!

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  161. Yesterday, we noticed a honey bee swarm on our property. About half of them were in a cluster in a pine tree; about half were spread in a flat pile on the lawn beneath the tree cluster. As the day got warmer, more moved into the tree cluster. Today, as the day wore on, the tree cluster disappeared and only the oval (about foot in diameter) on the lawn remained, and with a cool night coming they are very quiet. Tonight's low is forecasted to be 38 degrees Fahrenheit. TWO QUESTIONS:

    (1) Is the colony on the lawn in danger of night critters (deer, skunk, groundhog, ???)? If so, we could try to wrap wire fencing in a large circle around their oval.

    (2) Is the forecasted low of 38 degrees likely to harm them?? If so, is there anything that can be done to promote their survival??

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Gerry

    1. I'm more familiar with wild bees than honey bees honestly, though I do have some knowledge of honey bees from both extensive reading and also from beekeeper friends.

      What I can say right off the bat is that something seems wrong here, as honey bee swarms should all be clustered together, and I'm not sure why a large number of them ended up on the ground. Also 38 degrees is too cold for them, I think it will harm them. Critters might harm them too, but I think the cold is their most immediate danger. Also, if this was part of the swarm on the tree, and all the main bees in the tree have already left, then their queen likely went with the main swarm, and so any remaining bees are ill-fated in any case.

      I would suggest verifying this with local beekeepers, and I have a link for you with contact information for some folks that should be able to help further with suggestions, even at this time of day I hope:

      https://www.mdbeekeepers.org/swarm-retrieval-list/?sort=wp_s2member_custom_fields-swarm_counties&dir=SORT_ASC

      The results at the top of this page show people you might try calling right away, to find out if there's more to be done for the remaining bees. Perhaps they could be picked up by a local beekeeper and added to an existing hive safely, before it's too late for them.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  162. Hello Elise! I found a carpenter bee on my porch tucked between the screen and railing like it was seeking shelter. It’s 52 degrees and rainy here. I read your post on helping bees warm up and making an “air-bee-n-bee” inside but she’s not perking up. I offered sugar water and she didn’t seem to drink so we put her in a box but I’m worried she’s stressed and it’s making it worse. I want to keep offering sugar water even with her inside the box but wondering if leaving her be to warm up would be best? How long should I wait between checking in so I’m not causing undo stress? We love our carpenter bees and even made them a home to use if they wish (though the usually prefer the porch wood haha) but really hoping this one pulls through. Any pointers or even things specific to this bee type to help improve her odds? Much appreciated by myself and my guest.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lauren

    1. It's definitely good to "listen" to your bee (each one is different in their own ways, individually as well as between species). This one sounds as though she was likely looking for a place to shelter until the weather improves. Usually carpenter bees shelter inside their nesting tunnels, but as I mentioned, they don't all do the same things, and perhaps this one was caught out in the rainy weather unexpectedly, thinking she had time to make it somewhere else.

      If your bee looks as though she wishes to get away, you could try warming her up inside her enclosure in a warm indoor room, keeping a close eye on her as she warms up. As soon as your bee looks very active, try putting the box open out on the porch. Your bee will probably be surprised by the change in temperature (and the rain!) if you do this, but she might well be warm enough to get back to wherever she'd planned to be heading (especially since that may well simply be a small excavated hole in your porch)! Although I know it's getting later where you are, so I'm a little tentative about recommending this for sure, but it does depend on her too, and her desire to be on her way again, even if it's late in the day and cold out.

      If your bee has no interest in the sugar water, that's fine, she may not be particularly hungry. If you have better weather in a day or so, you could also keep her in an enclosure indoors, but only if she seems relatively content (and in a cooler room, where she doesn't waste energy trying to get out). I realize that's a bit of a judgment call! Bees often have to wait out spells of less-than-ideal weather, and the colder they are, the less able they are to move (which leaves them fairly defenseless if they happen to choose a poor spot to wait). It's for these reasons that I often encourage folks to keep their bee overnight—plus it's also a way to bring people and bees together, which tends to bee beneficial overall!

      Since there's no way to explain to a bee that we have their best interests in mind, they may feel some stress. I think the stress can be reduced by placing things in their enclosure enabling them to hide if they wish (some fallen leaves, for example). Keeping her cool (matching outdoor temperatures while keeping her out of the rain and away from predators) also helps, since bees naturally slow down when they're cold. I'd probably check in on her at least every half hour or so to begin with, and if she's hardly moving, check less often. At night, so long as she's in a cool location, she should be fine unwatched. You might also try dropping a bit of sugar water in the center of some cut bee flowers (ideally ones you've seen other carpenter bees on during the day) and putting those inside her enclosure, to give her the option of lapping up some energy without the stress of a human watching overhead!

      I've been meaning to write more about carpenter bees, as they're much maligned pollinators. It's interesting that they can be semi-social bees: in environments with more nesting resources, each female tends to be solitary, but in environments with fewer nesting resources, females tend to pool their resources by living together. They reuse nesting cavities too, which end up being multi-year projects. There's some interesting information about their lifestyles here (albeit with mention of deterring them too): https://extension.psu.edu/the-eastern-carpenter-bee-beneficial-pollinator-or-unwelcome-houseguest

      I'm so happy to hear that you consider your carpenter bees to be welcome guests! Feel free to let me know if anything changes with your bee, and I'll try to respond quickly with thoughts.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  163. Thank you for your help Elise, I had a honey bee on my screen barely moving today. I brought it in and gave it the sugar water you suggested through an eye dropper and with in 15 minutes it came back to life and started buzzing. I placed it on my window seal and it left shortly after that. Thanks again for your help!😄

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Debbie

    1. That's wonderful to hear! It's amazing how quickly bees often recover with a little extra energy boost 🐝✨

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  164. Found a bumble bee in a container of water. Looked almost dead, very wet. Placed it on a pice of kitchen roll and offered the end of a teaspoon with some sugar water which she eventually drank from. After half an hour her legs which looked all over the place, started to look more normal and she started to dry her body with her legs. Another half hour passed and she started to fluff up and had another drink from the spoon. It's too cold to release her tonight so we've put her under a ventilated see through grape carton with the teaspoon of water with the view to releasing her in the morning. My question is, would it be a good idea to put a few small flower heads in with her overnight? Many thanks Elise

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Tone and Treeze

    1. I'm so happy to hear that your bee is feeling more revived, and that she's had some sugar water. I think it'd be a nice idea to put some small flower heads in with her overnight. Even though they lose their nectar fairly fast once cut, I think it still might help "raise a bee's spirits" as it were (the more research that's done, the more it seems as though bees are subject to various states of mind, for instance being delighted at times, and at other times stressed). It strikes me that a happier, more comfortable bee will recover better.

      Make sure to keep her enclosure somewhere relatively cool tonight, so that she doesn't waste any energy attempting to escape, thinking it's warm enough to be out and about. Also make sure there's no way for her to fall into the teaspoon of sugar-water (she likely won't need anything more to drink until morning anyway, so long as she's somewhere cool and not expending energy).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  165. Thank you for your website. I appreciate what you’re doing. Yesterday I found a bumble bee outside which seemed to be struggling. It was on a road and seemed unwilling to fly but can walk. I brought it home and tried to feed sugar water but it was refused despite being easy to access. All it seemed to want was my warm skin and my black jumper or socks to crawl into. So I brought it in yesterday evening in a box as you suggest. You said about light so we moved it to a box with light but it just kept trying to get out. We then tried it outside but it didn’t seem to like any flowers we tried it on and only wanted black fabric and skin to walk on. We aren’t sure if it’s been feeding or not but it’s had access at all times. As it still doesn’t want to fly or be on flowers so we brought it back in again. We have put it back in the original dark box now for a rest in the warm as that seems to be what it wants. But we don’t think it’s prognosis can be good if it won’t fly or be happy on flowers. What do you think we should do? We are happy to do anything to help it.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Rowena

    1. That's good that you're "listening" to your bee! Although I could be wrong, it does sound as though you simply have a cold bumble bee there. Is your weather forecast more promising tomorrow? 12°C is cold for a bee, though a well-warmed bumble bee might well still be able to fly at that temperature (so long as it's not raining too).

      Definitely make sure that your bee isn't so warm tonight that she wastes energy trying to escape. Placing the enclosure in a cooler room helps slow them down for the evening, mimicking outdoor temperatures—all without the danger associated with being stuck on a road, or seen by predators while being unable to move.

      In the morning, assuming your weather is more favorable, I'd place her on flowers in direct sunlight and leave her there for awhile... sometimes it takes them several hours to get going again, and so long as she's on bee-friendly flowers, she'll be able to sip nectar while soaking up warmth from the sunlight.

      If it's a cooler day, you might try warming her up well indoors first, before placing her outside on some bee-friendly flowers and keeping an eye on her to see how she behaves. If she's well-warmed up, she should be able to fly.

      Let me know if anything changes, or if you have any further questions. It's kind of you to be offering a helping hand to a bee!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thank you so much for your help. She’s downstairs now where it’s a bit cooler. Unfortunately it’s due to rain tomorrow as well and we think she may have an inured wing. She moved her wings a little a few times but asymmetrically so we think there is likely a problem beyond being cold now. Hopefully with some good fortune tomorrow she’ll be a bit perkier and the sun will be shining. We will take her out and see if she’s up to it or if not she can stay longer. I really appreciate your advice. Long live all the bees.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Rowena

        1. I wish there were things we could do to help in wing injury cases! I have seen bees hold their wings asymmetrically (when they're cleaning, for instance), but I admit it's a possibly concerning sign. I looked up your weather forecast, and Sunday looks potentially promising? It'd be good to see how she does once she bathes in the sun for awhile.

          All bees have two sets of wings, by the way: a larger and a smaller wing on each side, which they use together as one wing. Before flying, a bee hooks each set of wings together (with a row of tiny hooks on the leading edge of their hindwing, which grab onto a ridge on the rear edge of their forewing).

          If you end up keeping her indoors in her enclosure for most or all of Saturday, simply keep an eye on her from time to time. You might try dropping sugar-water onto the center of cut bee flowers in her enclosure, if you haven't already.

          I hope she perks up with better weather, and that any possible issues with her wings don't prevent her flying!

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

          1. Thank you for your information about their wings. 🐝 It is very interesting to know that. It was sunny for a bit and so I took her outside but she again didn’t seem to want flowers, and chose my hand again so I brought her back in. Then she stung me when she got stuck in the back of my top but she’s no less welcome. She has a box to live in with nice things in it. She seems very keen on the sock in it. Although we have given her moss and flowers as well. If it’s nicer weather we will try putting her out again or we could just keep her here for the rest of her natural life if she keeps choosing the hand over nature. We will keep giving her the choice to leave if she wants to though.

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to Rowena Lawrence-Thorn

            1. It's quite amusing to think of a bee so fond of a sock ☺️ It's also kind of you to offer her a home for as long as she wishes, even after a bit of stinging! I've spoken with a few other folks who've kept injured bees, and it seems as though it can work out quite well for both people and bees, if the bees choose to live with them. It certainly beats trying to survive outdoors without being able to fly, which is a dangerous life for a bee, and inevitably one that will end quickly (either from starvation or predation).

              Like all living creatures, their desire to live is strong even when injured, so having you helping her makes all the difference! It's hard to say how long her natural lifespan might be... it's typically fairly short for bumble bees (one or two months), but without the ongoing wear-and-tear of foraging she may live a little longer than average. If she were a queen, she'd live for about a year (having been born in late summer, hibernated through winter, and in spring founding a colony lasting throughout the ensuing summer; if she were a queen, she would look unusually large though, and she's definitely not a he, as males are only about in late summer).

              Do let me know how it goes, I wish you and your possibly long-term guest all the best! 🐝💛

              Reply

              Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

    2. Just to add it’s about 18 Celsius in the house and about 12 Celsius or less outside and due to rain this evening.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Rowena

  166. Hi, a bumble bee landed in the doorstep. She didn't move, but rolled onto her back, stretched out her back legs, rubbed her tum with her front legs. It was a showery warm and sunny day. I brought her in after 15 minutes, fed her as you suggested, but she remains with her head pressed into the ground and her back legs rubbing together. She's made no effort to drink. I'm worried she's been poisoned.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lizzy

    1. I apologize for replying so late (I've been dealing with some unusual disruptions in the neighborhood). Your bee's symptoms don't sound good, and I'm sad to say that I don't think there's anything you can do for her. Bees shouldn't ever be rolling onto their backs like that, even if they're exhausted. I wish I could give more advice to help her. There's no way to know for sure if she's been poisoned, but it's certainly a possibility. Even with occasional rain showers, bumble bees are typically able to forage happily enough, and get back to where they wish to be at night, so long as it's still warm and sunny some of the time. If she's still with you come morning, I'd try placing her on some bee-friendly flowers in the sun, but I think that making her comfortable is likely all you'd be able to do for her at this point. It's kind of you to care about her, I wish I could offer happier advice.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Hi Elise, thanks for getting back to me so quickly! Sadly you were right and the poor soul suffered on for a couple of hours before becoming permanently still.

        I'm going to place her beneath my honeysuckle tomorrow morning. Looking back on it all, she was thin looking and sparse of hair, so maybe she just got old ( I'd like to think that anyway).

        Thanks so much for your good advice, from now on I'll be looking after any struggling bee I find.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Elizabeth Lewis

  167. Hi!

    This afternoon I came across a drowning bee in my dog's water bowl. I scooped her out with a leaf and after having read an article on your website I moved her to a flower in the sun. Unfortunately the sun was setting and it was getting colder so I moved her again, to a different flower, so she could catch the last rays. I also gave her some sugar water.

    I left her for a while but when I went back she hadn't moved and was still soaking wet and it was cold outside even for me, so I picked her up again and took her inside where I put her inside a large metal basket-like container with some more sugar water and a few flowers I picked from the garden. Her wings unstuck and she dried perfectly and started walking around. I decided to keep her in the "cage" overnight because I was afraid she would be too weak to fly and she might walk and fall, and because I wanted to put her back near where I found her so she wouldn't get lost. I am however afraid that maybe after she had dried up I should have just let her go? Will she still be okay in the morning? Thank you!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Fran

    1. She should be fine come morning! Is she a large, fluffy bee like a bumble bee, or a smaller, less fluffy bee like a honey bee?

      In either case, she probably wouldn't have moved much further had you taken her back out after she dried, since she'd probably be too cold to fly at that point (and yes, they do 'bumble about' and even fall when they get cold, especially if they're too cold to fly, but still trying to walk). So she's safer with you in all likelihood for the night, rather than cold and unable to move (as well as easily spotted as prey on a flower).

      Make sure you keep her enclosure somewhere cool-ish overnight, so she's not expending energy trying to get out, thinking it's warm enough to be flying outdoors. In the morning, put her out near where you found her, in warm sunlight ideally. She should be on her way once she warms up fully!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  168. Hi there, I was on my building's roof today, and saw this big bee (almost a quarter sized) that was barely moving ,and had its abdomen area throbbing. It was trying to fly, but couldn't really do it, and kept using its back legs to clean its abdomen/butt area. I couldn't tell if it was injured so I tried so many things: sugar water (using both a shallow plastic lid and a dropper to put puddles near its face), moved it to a less windy area, and also a sunnier area - I even put it on a slice of pineapple. It really wanted nothing to do with me and kept moving away from me. I think I saw it suck a little juice off of the pineapple slice for a second before it went off of it. Not sure what else I could do? I have pictures of it, but not sure how to post them.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Serra

    1. It sounds like a queen bumble bee who was cold (since they're so large, it takes quite a bit of energy to fly).

      I don't think there's anything else you could have done, and it sounds as though she would have been fine after flying off. Everything you reported was normal, from her abdomen throbbing (a kind of heavier breathing, since they breathe through little apertures along their bodies), to her continued cleaning (they're clean little creatures, and often clean themselves while they're warming up), to her trying and failing for awhile to fly.

      Moving your bee to a less windy and sunnier area is definitely helpful (as is offering sugar-water). They're not typically attracted to fruit, but perhaps she did try a little! Even though they're cold-blooded, bumble bees can also warm themselves up by decoupling their flight muscles from their wings and vibrating them (which makes them appear to "shiver").

      Feel free to reply to my email with photos!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thank you! She seemed to be gone by today, hopefully she found her way. Glad I did everything I could do to help her, that's good to know for the future. I appreciate your love for the bees, our planet, and sharing your knowledge.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Serra

  169. It's been a bit colder at night here, not normal for this time. And I have been finding "dead" bumble bees in my yard. I don't use pesticides and I have been making a more friendly environment. Why do I keep seeing dead bumble bees all over my yard?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Shannon

    1. What are your temperatures currently? There are a couple explanations that come to mind. The first, more hopeful one, is to wonder if these bumble bees are really dead, or simply cold and unmoving. Being cold-blooded, bees caught out in cold or rainy weather often cling to the undersides of flowers, waiting for however long it takes for warmth and sunlight to return.

      The other thought is that somewhere nearby, perhaps someone is using pesticides? One should never see large numbers of dead bumble bees, that's highly unusual. The only time I've seen large numbers have been after acute pesticide poisonings, and along roadsides at certain times of year. Dead bumble bees could be a result of someone using pesticides nearby, even while your yard is bee-friendly.

      Feel free to reply to this email with photos. Dead bees are distinctive with their legs curled in towards their bodies (often with tongues protruding), whereas cold living bees look normal enough, they're just not moving. I hope you simply have cold bees there!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  170. Thank you so much for your reply yesterday! I have a new dilemma today for the same bee. She is still alive, I've moved her to a cooler location. Today's issue is that our efforts to make sure she has safe access to sugar water have led to some sticky spots in her box, which she got stuck on! Is there a way to "wash" her, to get rid of the excess stickiness?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Bianca ("B")

    1. Yes, there is a way to wash her gently, though it's good to be very careful. Keep in mind that bees breathe through tiny holes along the sides of their body. That's not to say they can't get wet (they do get rained on occasionally, and get wet when they've not found a perfect place to shelter in). But she can't be immersed in water.

      What I've advised others (and had positive feedback on) is carefully dropping just-slightly-warmer-than-room-temperature water on the sticky spots... not too much, your aim is to moisten and dilute the stickiness. If you have a clean dropper, that's helpful. You'll want to warm her up afterwards too, so that she can dry off. Once she's warmer, she'll also most likely begin cleaning herself, removing any last sticky residue loosened by the water.

      If the sticky spots aren't on her wings, it's of less concern, by the way. But if there are any spots on her wings, it's important to dilute that dried sugar-water so that she can freely move her wings. You'll probably want to have her in a room where it's warm while you're doing this, as it takes them a little time to warm up, so even with her box open, a still-cold bee isn't going anywhere.

      Keep a good eye on her afterwards, ensuring she's warm enough to finish cleaning herself, but not so warm that she starts to buzz around inside the box, which could be stressful for her, since it's still not good flying weather outdoors yet (hopefully tomorrow)!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  171. I found what I think is a baby bee lastnight...it was on my hand keeping warm I think. I found your website and made a little box home and gave some sugar water too. Today it hasn't had any sugar water and is just sitting there although it has had a little walk around. It's around 10 degrees and it's a little before 8am uk time as I write this. Concerned first time bee momma 😟🥰

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to BeeKind

    1. I apologize for my late reply, I'm on west coast US time, and fell asleep earlier (and awoke later) than typical, so I'm only just seeing your message. Do you have any warmer weather coming up, closer to 13°C (ideally above that)? It's not particularly concerning that your bee is just sitting around, not drinking sugar water today. If it's cold, your bee will be naturally slowed down, and since she's not flying around, she won't be using or needing much energy.

      If you have better weather on the horizon soon, you might consider keeping her indoors in a cool room in her enclosure, since she's safe with you, and she'd otherwise simply be sheltering outdoors, immovably cold (which would make her easy prey, were she found). She'll drink if she's hungry, so occasionally offer sugar-water, but don't leave it in her enclosure (so she doesn't clumsily get sticky while you're not looking, and also so as not to attract ants).

      Once you have a warmer day, move her enclosure into a warmer room, and offer more sugar-water to give her an energy boost. Ideally, your warm day will come with sun, and you'll be able to place her box in direct sun, near some bee flowers. It may still take her awhile (a few hours) to warm up and get going that day (placing her gently on a flower is a good option too once the day is warming up).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  172. Help! Found a struggling queen bee 2 days ago. Gave her some sugar water on a cotton round to avoid drowning. She hasn’t moved. I used a Qtip to see if she has succumbed to the cooler temperatures. Her reflexes are still in tact.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Gloria

    1. I'm guessing you mean a queen bumble bee? How has she reacted when placed in the sun (if you have sun)? Have you tried warming her up, to see if that gets her moving again?

      When they're cold, bees can be quite immobile, but given warmth (and a sugar-water boost), they usually respond quite quickly. If you don't have any sun, but it's still above 55°F outdoors, you might try placing her on some bee-friendly flowers to see if that helps. If it's cold though, she may simply need to wait until it's warmer to fly.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  173. I found a lovely bumble in my driveway last night, close to sunset. She was very still but alive. I found your site, and I brought her in the house, made a box up for her and gave her some sugar water. I could see her drinking, so I was encouraged. This morning, I could hear her buzzing in there! Here’s my question: it’s only 34 degrees today with snow flurries!! It is forecasted to be 56 degrees with sun on Friday, will she be ok for 2 more nights in her bee hospital? Do I keep giving sugar water?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Bianca (aka “B”)

    1. She'll be perfectly fine with you for two more nights! Just make sure to keep her enclosure somewhere relatively cool but still protected (mimicking the outdoor weather to some extent, but without the snow flurries)! Keeping her cool will naturally slow her down, so she doesn't waste energy buzzing around her box. She'll definitely be much better off waiting until Friday, when there's sun and temperatures closer to 55°F!

      I would look in on her occasionally during the day, offering sugar-water from time to time (especially if she's been moving about a bit more). If she's buzzing/flying, move her box somewhere cooler. She'll let you know if she's hungry by extending her tongue into offered sugar-water (if she puts a middle leg straight up in the air, it means she feels a little concerned that you're a bit too close)!

      Depending on where you put her box, it is probably wise not to leave sugar-water in there (owing to ants finding it, and attacking her while she's too cold to defend herself properly). Also there's the risk she'll fall into the sugar-water accidentally if you're not keeping an eye on her. She won't need much if she's mostly inactive.

      Once Friday comes, you can take her enclosure out and place her in full sun, also offering sugar-water that morning to top up her energy. It may take as many as a few hours before she leaves, but you can give her a head-start by warming her enclosure up in a warm room indoors first, and then releasing her once the day is warming up well (often late morning, depending).

      If anything changes or you have any other questions, just let me know! I've spoken with many folks who kept bumble bees for several nights at a time. Outdoors, they'd simply be sheltering somewhere (likely under leaves or a flower), immobile owing to the cold, so she's safer with you currently until the weather improves 💛🐝

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  174. I found a bumblebee curled up on the ground this mirning. it was around 45°F. I didn't think it was alive until I moved him and he started to twitch his little legs. I brought him inside where it was warm, I didn't have sugar but I had stevia, I mixed it with water and tried to get him to drink. no use. he was moving, cleaning himself, but then fell flat on his lil face. he shot out some liquid, I assume was emptying his bowels? and then some yellow stuff came out from his back end :( he laid motionless, so I put him in a flower bed. is there anything I could have done differently?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to shay

    1. I'm sorry to hear that your bee didn't make it, but it sounds as though your bee was most likely near the natural end of their life when you found them. The yellow stuff that you saw was simply bee poop, and it is likely a natural feeling, to go before expiring. There's nothing else you could have done, other than keeping your bee safe and comfortable so close to the end of its life 💛

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  175. We have appx 20 acre property that we are working on slowly so we go every few days, and we found a bee swarm in a low bush about head level. It was large but when we went back hours later It was double the size or more. we went back about 3 days later to find it gone, except about 20 bees. All on top of each other, I thought maybe it was the queen hanging out while the workers got her hive ready, but another 4 days went by and those same bees are still hanging out. What should we do?

    I wanted to cut down the branch but don't want to hurt the bees.

    Fyi, I rescue bees from my pool all the time and I tried giving them a better place to get water but they still use my pool.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Starfish

    1. Hmm, I'm not sure what to advise honestly (I'm more experienced with wild non-honey bees than honey bees). I'd contact one of the beekeeping associations close to your area (I believe these would be the Houston Natural Beekeeping Association, the Houston Beekeeping Association, or the Harris County Beekeepers Association). The name, phone number, and email address is available for each association's main contact person here: https://texasbeekeepers.org/local-beekeeper-associations/

      Usually beekeeping associations will offer advice on dealing with local swarms, and someone might even come out, depending on whether or not there's a queen bee there still? From what I know of bee swarming though, twenty bees seems way too low, they swarm in their tens of thousands, staying together with the queen in the center, only sending out a handful of scouts in different directions.

      That's too bad about your pool, perhaps you could float a few odd things in it more permanently, so they're more likely to be able to scramble back to safety? Honey bees certainly are drawn to water!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  176. Hi I found a bumblebee on its back in my garden. so I put it in my strawberry plant bed and offered it sugar water. It had a drink and I went about my gardening as it was a warm day I thought it would just be tired,at around 8pm noticed it was trying to fly but could only manage afew inches off the ground. I decided it would be best to bring it in for the night, so I made a shoe box up of so greenery, cherry blossoms and dandelions. When I held out the cherry blossoms it did seem to eat from them. I then brought it in and kept it over night. This morning as I opened the lid I could here it buzzing around do I was hopeful it would fly away. I took it out side but the same thing happened again, it tries to fly but can only manage a couple of inches. So I offered it sugar water but it wasn’t interested, I picked new cherry blossoms and it did seem to eat this. The weather isn’t fantastic today (7c/44f) and it does look like it will rain so I am unsure of what to do. It’s currently resting in its shoebox with the lid off on the window sill, I’m hoping it’s just to cold for it ? Any advice on next steps would be grateful :)

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kirsty

    1. It definitely could simply be too cold for your bee... I've seen them try to buzz and fly, only to fall from being too cold (but able to fly once warmed up). Other than keeping the shoebox open in the direct sun throughout the day (and offering more sugar water), there's little one can do (another way to offer sugar water is to add drops to the center of picked bee flowers such as cherry blossoms, by the way).

      It is possible that there's some wing damage to your bee, but your temperatures seem low enough that it's likely just cold. Once your weather is warmer (closer to at least 13°C/55°F), your bee should be able to take off, even if it takes them a few hours of warming to get going. Sometimes bees do spend several days waiting out chilly weather, hardly moving at all. Sheltering safely is the best thing to do during such weather spells (beneath leaves, underground, or like your bee is right now with you).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thanks Elise for advice we are currently on day 3with bea (her nickname) you may be right about some damage as yesterday the weather did get warmer and she was actively buzzing but still didn’t taken off. Everyday when the weather allows I Put her outside in my strawberry patch (which my cat has now taken to guarding from birds lol) with a very small branch off the cherry tree and then I bring her in, in the shoe box on the evening where I put a few drops of sugar water in the blossom for the night she seems to eat them and off she goes under her leaves for the evening. I will keep trying to put her out in the sun but it looks like I may of acquired a pet bee for now lol

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Kirsty

        1. Yes, you may end up taking care of Bea for awhile, if you're happy to do so! Is she a particularly large bumble bee (do you think she's a queen)? Or do you think she might be a (smaller) worker bumble bee?

          Someone who contacted me recently ended up keeping an injured male carpenter bee for a month. She and her bee sounded quite happy together, with feedings on flowers during the day, I believe some supplementing of sugar-water, and a safe place to rest each night. Had her neighbor not sprayed a shared garden area with pesticides without her knowledge, I think her bee would have lived out its entire natural lifespan with her (which can be close to a year for carpenter bees).

          Bumble bee workers don't live for so long (usually a few weeks), but bumble bee queens may live for up to a year. And it may be that as far as the workers' lifespans go, they'd live longer if they weren't out foraging each day (honey bees are like that... workers in summer that forage daily live short lives measured in weeks, but when it comes time to overwinter as a ball of bees together, the workers live for months instead).

          Let me know what happens, I'd be interested to hear. It sounds like you're providing as natural a life as possible for her currently. If by chance she heals from whatever is preventing her from flying, then one day, perhaps you'll see her take off. Otherwise, you'll have a fuzzy bee companion for awhile 💛🐝

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  177. It’s chilly today. Found a medium size bumblebee on my lawn. Looked you up and voila! Fed the little guy sugar water out of an eye dropper while holding him on my fingers. Out came his proboscus and he’d had a long drink. Recouping in a container of dry leaves and dandy lines. Moving around a lot better. I’m gonna feed him again at bedtime. Hope tomorrow is warmer and that he makes it thru the night. Thought I might get stung but he was so gentle. Thanks.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Di

    1. That's great to hear! Good idea with the dropper too. Your bee may not need a drink at bedtime, if it's not moving around much (though feel free to offer some, as it'll choose if it wants to have any or not). Bees wind-down naturally as evening comes on and temperatures drop, so don't be surprised if you find your bee sluggish later on (it's good to mimic approximate outdoor temperatures if possible, while still keeping the bee's enclosure safe from the elements and tiny predators such as ants and mice).

      I'd imagine your bee will welcome an energy drink tomorrow morning, once the day begins warming (though don't be surprised if it takes awhile for your bee to get moving, as bees seem to wake up slowly, in my experience). Hopefully tomorrow will bee warmer (though occasionally bees end up waiting out several days of cold or rainy weather, before they're able to fly about foraging again).

      Yes they're gentle creatures, I'm sure your bee appreciated the warmth of your fingers, as well as your kind help! 💛🐝

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. My little guy had a good rest and a big breakfast. I found a yard with tons of bumble bee loving flowers and placed him lovingly on a bunch with his relatives. He went right to a bud . He hasn’t opened his wings yet which worried me a bit but it’s a beautiful day and hopefully they’ll strengthen today. I think I have too much time on my hands lol. However my brief time with this cutie gave me such pleasure. Oh, he’s living across the street from me so he can come and visit. Male worker bumble bees don’t sting right?

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Di

        1. That's wonderful to hear you had a beautiful day for your well-fed and rested bee, with plenty of other bumble bees around, and all the good bee flowers! Nice to bee right across the street too ☺️ You are right, male bees don't sting: bees' stingers are modified ovipositors, originally used for egg-laying rather than defense (by their waspier ancestors).

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  178. I found a bee yesterday and mixed water and sugar put in sun brought in at nite nd still not flew away just walking about but keep rolling on it’s side or back what can in do I got flowers but don’t want it to be suffering can someone help me

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jax

    1. If your bee is still not able to stand on its legs or fly, and is not improving after drinking sugar water mix, or when warming up in the sunlight, then unfortunately there is probably something else wrong. It may be suffering from an unseen injury, dealing with internal parasites, exposed to pesticides, or it may simply be near the end of its life (older bees tend to have frayed wing edges).

      I wish I could offer more advice on helping your bee further. I realize it's late there now, so it's not as though you can try your bee outdoors on the flowers again tonight. Did the bee extend its tongue and drink any sugar water, that you saw? Sometimes putting drops of sugar water in the center of cut flowers helps a bee realize that there's energy to be had. Also, it does take them time to warm up, depending on how cold they are, maybe even a few hours. But it does sound to me as though there may be something wrong in your bee's case, other than simply being cold and lacking energy.

      If it's beyond help, but still alive, it'd be good to make your bee as comfortable as possible. I'd likely place a bee gently on flowers, or keep it undisturbed in a semi-enclosed spot open to the air in the day. I'd place bee flowers in the box, and locate it somewhere that ants won't discover and carve up the bee while it's still alive. I'd likely bring it in at night, leaving the enclosure in a cool spot away from any discovery by ants or animals.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  179. Hello Elise. This is the second day in a row that I have woken to find a cold and exhausted bumble bee in my living room. I don't know if it's possible for the same one to make the same mistake 2 days in a row, but today I'm worried. The bee I found yesterday wasn't nearly as still as this one, and after just a short time, I was able to let it climb onto the cherry blossoms on a tree I have. Immediately, it started drinking nectar and in just a few minutes was able to fly again. The bee I have today, was on its back trying desperately to right itself and had stopped trying when I found it. I had to follow the sound. Anyway, I scooped it up with a scrap of paper and let it slide gently into my hand to try to warm it. The wind is terrible today and it's not much above 50 degrees. The bee was struggling, naturally it was scared, I don't know if talking in a soothing tone works for bees or not, but that's what I did, and it didn't seem to work. It just struggled until it couldn't. It was on its back, not moving at all in the palm of my hand. I held it for about 30 minutes and it started trying to right itself again and when it started to crawl from one hand to the other, I brought it out to the cherry tree and held it to a blossom, but it didn't have the strength to hold on, and the wind was really whipping so I brought it back into the house and put it in a small box, where it just laid on its side, exhausted again. (I'll have to take the towel out now though.) That's when I turned to the internet, and yours was the first site that caught my eye. I made some sugar water with organic, raw sugar and spring water and tried putting a tiny drop on its proboscis? Under the tip of it like you instruct. It took a long time, but it did start to move again and seemed to go for the branch full of blossoms that I put in the box with it, just in case, but my hope was dashed once again when this bee started trying to get out of the box. It has been in the same position for almost 2 hours now. I put sugar water in the cap of an empty gallon water jug and put a couple pebbles in it so it wouldn't tip over if the bee tries to drink, but I'm losing hope. It's still alive, but won't try to move. I was wondering what kinds of greens to line the box with. It's supposed to remain windy and they are calling for rain again tonight, so I don't want to put the bee outside. Also, you write to put things that may be interesting in the box. I was wondering what kinds of things they might be. I really want to save this bee.

    Thank you so much for your time, and all the information you've provided to people who care.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Suzie

    1. Thank you for providing so much detail, and for caring for your bees so much! I hope it’s not the same bee making the same mistake too! First off, I wouldn’t lose hope, as a cold exhausted bee can seem much closer to death than it actually is. I would certainly keep her in her enclosure for the night, since wind and rain are difficult at the best of times for bees, and no good at all when they’re so much out of energy. I think the cherry blossoms (small twigs with blossoms) are a good thing to put in the enclosure, as you’ve done already. Since flowers don’t keep their nectar for long once they’re detached, I’ve sometimes dropped small amounts of sugar water mix on the centers of the flowers, so that the bee is able to get energy quickly, whilst still “naturally” drinking from a flower (sometimes, though not always, individual bees have a hard time recognizing a small dish of sugar water mix as food). I’m happy to hear you protected against the bee falling clumsily into the sugar water mix too. In terms of other things to put in your enclosure, sometimes they like to hide under dead leaves, as it likely makes them feel safer and more protected. I would keep the box somewhere cooler (but indoors) tonight, and keep checking on your bee from time to time. It’s probably going to look very sluggish for awhile, but so long as she’s had a little to drink, she should be fine, even if she’s moving very slowly. It’s not the best sign that she’s not always able to stay on her feet, but I think if she has sugar water available (both in a dish, and drops on the flowers in her enclosure), she should be able to improve with time. You might keep her enclosure somewhere indoors that’s a bit warmer currently, so that she has enough energy to stay on her feet, and also to drink some more sugar water mix. Not so warm that she tries to buzz off, while it’s still such intemperate weather outdoors, but warm enough that she’s able to move about if possible. Let me know if you have any further concerns as you observe her, and feel free to reply to this email with photos/video should you wish. I do wish you and your bee all the best!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thank you for responding so quickly, Elise. I took the towel out of the box and lined it with fresh green moss and put a couple pieces of twig just for something different. I hope the moss is alright. I know it has Iodine in it, but I'm hoping it won't hurt her. I put her box in my bedroom. It's the coolest room in the house but is heated. I will pick up some dead leaves for her and thanks so much for suggesting the sugar water in the blossom centers. I never would have thought of that. She was starting to move around a bit but was dragging her big back legs. I get very emotional when another living thing is in distress. Sometimes I wish I hadn't been born with so much sensitivity, but times like this make it bearable. Thanks again Elise. I'll let you know if anything changes.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Suzie

        1. Dear Elise,

          It's a very sad day for me. The bumblebee died late this morning. She started dragging her back legs late yesterday afternoon. She managed to burrow under the moss last night, so I was hopeful when I brought her back out of the bedroom. She was having a hard time getting out from under the moss, (Just small chunks), so I thought maybe she was cold. I put her box in the sun and tried to warm her in my hand, but her back legs were still not working. She was also curling up often. I had a feeling she was in pain. She pulled herself onto my sweatshirt and just stopped moving. I had to touch her once in a while to make sure she was still alive, but eventually her legs started curling around her abdomen, and about an hour later, she was gone. I'm so sorry I couldn't save her. Thank you for your help, and for this website. Most of all, for caring.

          Sincerely, Suzie

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Suzie

          1. I was just thinking about you and your bee. I had almost written earlier, to say that the behavior of dragging her large black legs might be a sign of unseen injury (that symptom seemed more than simply one of exhaustion, especially when she didn't perk up with warmth). We've no idea what happened to her before you found her. At least she had a comfortable and safe place to rest, rather than being targeted by ants while still alive, as often happens to injured bees on the ground. It's really good of you to care, I know how it feels seeing these little creatures in distress, but you did all you could for her 💛

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  180. Went and checked on my bees today we had a bad storm yesterday and the lid blew off the one box ..it was raining and turned to snow I put lid back on .would the bees have survived threw this cold weather ?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Chris

    1. I'm so sorry to hear that. It depends on how long the hive remained open. Honestly it's unlikely that they would have survived, but it really does depend on the length of time the lid was off, the amount of rain and snow, and the health of the colony itself going into this. Colonies will try their utmost to survive by huddling together, but you'll have lost some bees on the outer edges, and likely brood too.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  181. I have found a bee with paint on its wings what can I do to help it I have it o a plate with flowers and things to keep it on its feet for now in my porch

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Zoe

    1. I wish I had a happier answer for you. It depends on the amount of paint, and whether the bee can still move its wings properly to fly.

      If the bee can't fly, there's little you can do besides making your bee comfortable. Cut flowers won't keep their nectar for long, so you could either set your bee up in a warm but sheltered area outdoors with a flowering plant, or offer sugar-water as a substitute food.

      Putting your bee out if it can't fly is likely an invitation for it to be prey though, but keeping it in an enclosure isn't an ideal life either.

      It's worth hoping that your bee might still adapt to flying, even with paint on its wings. I don't know if it's warm enough where you are for it to have tried flying?

      It's an unfortunate situation for a little bee, I wish I had a better answer for you. I think trying some kind of solvent would simply hurt the bee, much as it'd be nice to remove the paint. It might just be alright if it's not too much paint (too heavy), and so long as the paint isn't overlapping its double wings (bees have four wings that fold atop each other at rest, and which catch on little 'hooks' so that each pair on either side of the bee forms one wing surface in flight).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  182. This morning I found a Bumble Bee slowly making its may around. It would walk just a little, then stay in the same spot for long time. Its wings aren't detached yet. The weather here is not above 13°C/55°F, and it's quite windy out. What should I do do help/save this little one?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Brady

    1. How is your bee doing now, if it is still nearby, that is? If it's a large bumble bee, it's likely a queen recently emerged from hibernation. It is common for recently emerged queens to spend some early spring days moving very little, owing to cold weather. If it's quite windy as well as cold, it's not at all surprising that your bee opts to clamber around the ground looking for shelter, rather than taking flight.

      The key is that they be somewhere relatively safe while they're unable to move much (to defend themselves), and for there to be food within close reach. One thing to try is to offer a boost of sugar-water and a little warmth (from your breath, skin, or a brief stint indoors in a ventilated enclosure) so that the bee has some energy to find a safe place to stay until the weather warms up. You might also try placing your bee on a patch of low-growing, bee-friendly flowers if there are any nearby (I say low-growing, since bees are clumsy when cold, and will fall from taller plants, lacking the energy or warmth to climb back up). They'll often find their own shelter amidst these flowers, while awaiting better weather.

      You also have the option of housing your bee temporarily (as described above on this page) until weather conditions improve. The goal is simply to ensure your bee is somewhere it won't be easy prey, until the weather improves. It's worth noting that bumble bees can handle slightly lower temperatures, especially if there's any direct sunlight, since they do have the ability to generate a little warmth on their own. They'll typically try (on their own) to find places offering nectar that are also sheltered. For instance, I've seen them curled up inside crocuses at night, since these flowers close tightly and keep the bee dry, with plenty of food close by!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. So the bee is now it a little home. It's still sluggish. Unfortunately I have offered sugar-water 1:1 to it twice now but it doesn't seem to want it, and it fell in when It was circling the bottle cap it's in. Is there any way to dry her?

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Brady

        1. She should be able to clean herself, so long as she's warmed up a bit and is moving better. It's ideally best that they clean themselves, since they're delicate creatures. So long as nothing looks as though it'll dry stuck together with sugar water (her wings, for instance), I'd let her take care of any cleaning to be done.

          In some cases, it may be helpful to drop ever-so-slightly warm (but mostly room temperature) filtered water droplets on your bee, simply to rinse off excess sugar before it dries. But so long as she's warmed up a bit, I'd imagine she'll clean herself off, and top up on energy in the process. She'll air dry just fine inside an enclosure too.

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  183. Found a carpenter bee in the waterbowl outside. Scooped him up and brought him in. It's only going to get to about 54⁰ out today. Is that too cold to release him? I gave him some dandelions because he had no interest in sugar water. He seems to be having a good time eating from the flowers currently. I don't want to keep him longer than necessary but also don't want to release him if it's too cold for him to survive.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Amanda R

    1. That's good you thought to offer dandelions! Sometimes they don't recognize sugar-water as actual food, since it doesn't look and smell like a flower. Do you have any sunlight today? 54° is low, but I think it's warm enough for a carpenter bee if the sun is out. And if your bee was already out, then it is probably close to warm enough.

      I think the thing to do would be to ensure your bee is dried out fully first, well-warmed indoors (in a temporary enclosure). Then try releasing it outdoors near flowers and see how it behaves. Ideally being nice and dry, well-warmed and fed, it should be able to fly off to wherever it had planned to go, before it fell into the water bowl!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  184. My house has carpenter bees and has for years. We protect them but the 4 that are here this year see to be under attack. Well friday I found one of the males is hurt and is flightless so I have been taking care of him as best as possible. How can I help him have a good rest of his life? I feed him flowers and water. He hangs out on my shirt and we spend time in the grass. He sleeps on a plush pillow beside me. I just him to have the best time he can for whatever time he has left.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Tiffany

    1. Aww, it sounds like you've developed quite the bond with your carpenter bee. And I think it's wonderful you protect them every year too!

      It sounds like you are taking good care of your bee. I'm sure your bee appreciates your warmth while hanging out on your shirt! Carpenter bees have surprisingly long lifespans for a bee, of around one year (and up to three years for certain females). However, lifespan is dependent on their overall health, and having been attacked and lost their wings is not conducive to long life.

      I would continue to offer sugar-water to your bee, and protect it (as you've been doing) from further harm. Freshly-picked flowers will retain their nectar for a little bit, while potted plants with flowers will continue to produce nectar, so you might try bringing in some flowering plants in pots too (choose flowering plants that you've seen other carpenter bees feeding on in your area).

      As far as having a good remaining life, other than shelter and food, and being gentle and kind with your bee, there's little else to be done. I wish there was a way to give them new wings (some monarch butterflies receive wing-repair treatment). I'd take your cues from your bee, as it'll let you know if it's agitated at all. I would doubt it would live as long without its wings, as it may have suffered in other ways owing to having been attacked, but giving it time on flowers in a safe area should help provide it with additional nutritional boosts not found in sugar-water alone.

      I have heard that giant resin bees (native to Japan and China) have been seen attacking carpenter bees. These non-native bees have mandibles that are not strong enough to create their own nesting cavities, so they love using ones that carpenter, mason and leaf-cutter bees might use as well. If you see a sticky, resinous substance on the outside of nesting cavities, that's a sign of their presence (although it's a little early in the year for them, as adult resin bees usually emerge in early summer).

      I wish you and your bee friend well 💛🐝

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. The bee is still thriving and doesn't seem to be going down not even one bit. He has actually become a favorite friend of the people I see running errands. Soon as I walk in everyone asks "WHERE'S BEEYONCE?"

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Tiffany

  185. Yesterday was a beautiful sun 70* day that turned into a nasty high wind storm and low 50s. After work I decided to take my hammock down due to the high winds. That then I found a bumblebee taking shelter on my hammock so I gently scooped him up and placed him in an empty flower pot I had let him rest overnight. This morning is in the low 50s and still a bit windy. I put some fresh cut grass and some sugar water in his flower pot. He's very stiff. Weather is not to warm up for another 3days. Is there anything more i can do?

    Hope he makes it.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Saphirebaby13

    1. It's so kind of you to have gently relocated your bumble bee.

      Your bee should be fine for the next three days outdoors, so long as the flower pot provides some shelter. It is not at all surprising that your bee appears very stiff when cold.

      One thing to watch for would be attracting ants if you leave the sugar-water outdoors, as they can move at lower temperatures and might possibly harm a cold, unmoving bumble bee.

      Another thing to do is to place the flower pot somewhere where the sun will hit it, once your weather warms up again. Also, if it's not a clay flower pot, it may be hard for the bumble bee to climb the sides (unless it's an upturned flower pot, weighted down and positioned such that the bee can crawl out from beneath it when it wishes).

      Other than that, your bumble bee should be just fine until the weather warms up. It probably won't need sugar-water until it's time to fly again, so you could simply offer sugar-water again in 3 days time, on the morning of the day when it will warm up again.

      On that day, make sure your bee is in a sunny and warm location... the more it is bathed in sunlight, the faster it will get buzzing!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Update. He happily fly away this morning. Thank you

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Saphirebaby13

  186. Hi there! I’m in Atlanta. While walking my dogs tonight, I came across a bee on the sidewalk that wasn’t moving. I crouched down and gave it a tiny pet and could see it was still alive. It was 6pm, chilly (54 degrees), windy, and the sun was going down.

    So I ran the dogs home, made some sugar water, and came back. The bee is small. I poured some sugar water on the ground and it immediately started drinking it. It did get some on its feet so I was a little sad about that. I stayed with it about ten minutes and it drank that whole time. Then I went home.

    Three hours later, I’m laying in bed and couldn’t stop thinking about my little bee friend out there in the dark and cold laying on the concrete. And now with wet feet. So I went out to check on it and it was still there.

    I’ve brought it home and put it in a little container for the night. Thank you for your advice as it really helped me help him (I think it’s a him).

    His wings aren’t tattered and he has hair so I don’t think it’s old. I don’t see any injuries. He’s a little wobbly/clumsy so I think he was just very cold. Drinking regular water too.

    Do their tongues always hang out? Are their very front two legs always in the bent position? He’s only using the back four legs. Climbed onto my finger and didn’t sting me.

    I’m an accountant. Not a bee expert but I don’t believe it’s a bumblebee or a carpenter bee. Maybe a honey bee.

    I hope he survives the night and just got caught out in the cold. Thank you for all that you do!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Denise

    1. I hope your bee feels good by morning! Keep in mind that a cold bee can look a great deal like a lifeless bee. Warm your bee up in the morning and offer more sugar-water. Don't be surprised if it takes your bee a while to get going, with false starts and more clumsiness.

      Bees' tongues should not usually hang out visibly. However when they're in need of rescuing, it's not uncommon to see their tongues hanging out: it's a sign that they're starving (it can also be a sign of pesticide poisoning, but let's hope not).

      In terms of bent legs, I wouldn't worry too much, it's a sign of exhaustion in this case I think, as well as being cold. Your bee should feel much better once it warms up again, having had a safe place to rest, and sugar-water to drink.

      Wet feet aren't ideal, but as soon as your bee is rested and restored, it'll be able to clean its feet of any residual sugar. It's kind of you to have gone back out to check on it and bring it in 🥰

      Hopefully the morning brings some warmth and sunlight! Even if it's not all that warm or sunny, you can give your bee an extra boost of warmth and sugar-water in the morning to help it get going again. I wish you both all the best 💛

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. It’s Denise again. Went down this morning and my little bee friend had gone to bee heaven. The lawn people for our townhome community were here yesterday. I hope they didn’t somehow have something to do with this. I think it was pesticides because his tongue was way out. I’m a little broken this morning. Thanks for your help. Big sad.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Denise

  187. I live in northeast Ohio and I found a bumblebee on the porch. I moved it to a safer place yesterday. This morning I checked on it and it was still in the same spot. We're having some pretty chilly temperatures and rain here for the next several days. I did bring it inside the house and it drank quite a bit of sugar water. What should I do with it now? Thanks.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Anna

    1. Good to hear that you topped up your bee with energy, and relocated her to a safer spot overnight! There are a couple of options for helping your bee further. I'm guessing it's a queen bumble bee because of the time of year too, so by helping her, you help several hundred future bees ☺️

      The most hands-off option is to find a good sheltered spot for her near some low-growing early spring flowers. Bumble bees like to be out of the rain, and at this time of year, I've seen them take shelter under leaves, under flower petals, or even inside the flower itself (if the flower closes at night). Assuming she's a queen (a particularly large bumble bee), you don't need to worry about releasing her near where you found her either, which frees you up to look for the perfect spot elsewhere. Ideally the spot you find would also be bathed in sunlight (once the weather improves, that is), and not make it easy to see her from above (by a bird that might wish to eat her). If you warm her up a little indoors, offering more sugar water, and then place her in such a spot while it's still daytime, she should be able to find a good place to shelter for the next several days. That's what she would do without help too (but we can help by placing her in an ideal spot).

      The other option is to keep her in a ventilated box overnight (somewhere cool, because the cooler the temperature, the less bees move, and there's little point to her expending energy while awaiting better weather). There are suggestions on this page for doing so, and the reason I suggest it is that it keeps bees safe from predators such as birds (since they can't defend themselves or quickly escape when they're cold). It's also a way for folks to observe a bee closely while helping it, building a connection that I think is important. But only do that if you're comfortable! They're able to survive outdoors even in chilly and rainy conditions, the idea is simply to tip the scales as much in their favor as possible, since we need every bee these days!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  188. Hi! My father recently brought in a bee, thanks to you’re guide, I now know for sure it’s a bumble bee.

    Anyhow, this little one has been moving, we gave him as much as we could regarding sugar. Possibly a bit too much, and my father gave him honey.

    We’ve had him for round about 2 days now. It seems he can move more but keeps on falling forward. My father said to realise him tomorrow, but I’d still like to help.

    Right now, it looks like it’s cleaning itself. I’m keeping her on my hand, I hope that’s not something bad.

    She keeps on moving her legs and tilting, I’m worried that this is something more than just an exhausted bee

    Please awnser as quickly as possible!

    My regards, Nina

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Nina

    1. That’s wonderful that you’re taking care of your bee! I wish I could give you a definitive answer as to what’s afflicting her, but it could be a number of things, some serious and some not. I assume you’ve tried warming her up (ideally in direct sunlight)? If she’s on your hand, that’ll help warm her, and if it’s warm outdoors, going out with her on your hand into the sun might help restore her. Bumble bees are fairly clumsy when they’re cold, so falling forward and tilting can simply be a sign of being cold (bees really do like to be nice and warm). It can also be a sign of some kind of physical damage though, or even old age. Do you see any damage to her wings? If her wings looked ragged at the edges, that can be a sign of old age. While she’s cleaning herself and moving about, I’d still hold out hope of reviving her (even if it turns out that there is nothing you can do). I would continue offering sugar water, and see if warming her up well helps (I don’t know what time of day it is there, if it’s late wait until tomorrow morning to begin warming her up). Feel free to reply to my email with photos or video too, that might me help diagnose her issues further.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  189. I frequently save bees from our pool a lot of the times their lifeless and I bring them back just fine but sometimes I noticed the bees proboscis get stuck and it's like they can't retract it back into their mouth what can I do to help?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Ally

    1. That’s great that you’re bringing back many of your bees to life! Have you tried leaving a shallow dish of fresh water out, with pebbles in it to make safe drinking spots for bees? As the weather warms, bees do seek out fresh water (especially honey bees, since they use it for cooling their hives). They’ll probably still go to the pool sometimes, but if you leave your dish nearby and keep it consistently topped up with water in the same location, that should help steer them away from the dangers of the pool over time.

      I used to think that seeing a bee’s proboscis stuck out was a sign simply of impending bee death. I’ve done some more research this morning though, and it looks as though it can be associated particularly with starvation, suffocation, insecticide poisoning, and food contamination (this wasn’t a nice study to read)! I’ve certainly heard anecdotally too that honey bees and bumble bees experiencing acute pesticide poisoning often die with their tongues sticking out (in the case of acute poisoning, there are usually other signs too though, such as excessive twitching and convulsions).

      Unfortunately I don’t think there’s much you can do to help if they won’t retract their proboscis, other than making those bees comfortable in their last moments. I’ve restored some bees before in this state, by putting a drop of sugar water directly under their proboscis, but those must have been times when they were very hungry, but not to the point of starvation, nor poisoned. Bees that do not retract their proboscis are likely past help, sadly.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  190. Hi there, I hope you can help me. I found a bee last night (bumble bee) it was not moving so I brought it home offered it some sugar water but it didn't want it. The warmth of the house brought it back to life and it was flying round the kitchen seeing as it was night time I kept it in the house over night but now that a new day has come i don't know what to do as its raining outside and its only 8°c outside so my question is what can I do with it? I must add I tried it with sugary water again this morning but again it wasn't interested.

    Thanks

    Hannah

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Hannah

    1. If you still have your bee, I'd suggest doing one of two things:

      Are any of the next few days likely to be closer to 13°C? If so, house your bee in a ventilated box as described above, and keep the box somewhere cool so that she doesn't waste energy flying inside her box. Release her on the sunniest and warmest of your upcoming days. Time of day would ideally be late morning, once it is already warming up outdoors. Warm her up indoors before releasing her, offering sugar-water again in case she'll take it. Since she's likely a queen bumble bee at this time of year, you can choose any good spot to release her, ideally near early-blooming flowers (bees love flowers from spring bulbs, such as snowdrops, crocuses and squill).

      The other option is to release her outdoors, even if it's still cold. Bumble bee queens are emerging at this time of year, and on cold days, simply move about very little (or not at all) outdoors, while waiting for the weather to improve again. The key here is to find the perfect safe spot. Somewhere your bee won't be easy prey, and a spot where the sunlight will fall for awhile once it's sunny.

      For example, bumble bees love crocuses, which grow low enough to the ground that a cold bee can slowly walk between flowers, even if she's too cold to fly. Flowers like crocuses have the added advantage of providing a natural overnight home for a bee, since they only open when the sun hits them. I've seen bumble bee queens sheltering for days at a time inside closed crocuses. The flowers close tightly enough to shelter a bee from rain, and there's food right there whenever she wishes. If you find a good patch of flowers, release your bee well-warmed onto one of the flowers, ideally in the middle of the day (the warmest part of a cold day), so that she has time to choose a spot to settle in for the coming days.

      (Apologies for my late reply, I'm in a different time zone and only just had a chance to look at this... your question is a good one, and I will fold my answer into this page for future bee rescuers like you!)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  191. I found a bee in the garden, wet and lifeless on the grass. I brought it inside the house and then noticed a leech attached to it which I have removed now.

    I have given the bee sugar water and it is now warming up in my air buddy which it seems to like.

    I’m just concerned about realising it back into the garden as this time of year it’s cold out and wet.

    What would be the best thing to do next.

    Kind regards

    Sarah

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sarah

  192. I think I found a bee in my house. It’s black and white and bald and slow. It’s February here. 26 degrees today, very warm day. He doesn’t seem interested in the strawberry. No idea what to do with him in the cold. Would it be better just to kill him qucikly?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Hippy

  193. Yesterday there was what may be a queen bee on my grass moving very sluggish. In wet windy weather. I put it under a bench out f the rain with some sugar water. This morning he was still there in worse weather. I have brought him indoors and put him in a cotton bud container under a lamp with some honey. Is this right? Or should I leave him back outside? Sometimes he looks like he has a bit of energy and stands upright, other times he's falling about. Can you please advise me. Many thanks, Lisa

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lisa

  194. I have found a bee outside. We are due a very bad storm within the next few hours. I have placed the bee on a flower which is in a pot but I am concerned as it is going to be very bad weather. Should I place the plant pot into a shed? And put it back tomorrow once the storm passes? Any advice would help. The weather is going to be very bad, a red weather warning! She looks to be a queen bee so I would like to save her if I can

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Emma Kelly

  195. Help! We think our rescues bee has sugar water on its wings as it toppled over when on the spoon…. Now think the bee can’t open it’s wings because they are sugary … what do we do to help .. or is now moving so much more now that we looked after her in a box overnight …. We so want her to be able to fly away !!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Nicola

  196. When I found a Bee i try to do spr on it is that good or not

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to AK

  197. I have been trying to help a bumble bee for past 2 days. It is very weak but has fed on some hyacinths outside my workshop. Its going to rain and be colder tonight, should I take her home in a ventilated box for the night and feed sugar water? X

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Katrina

  198. I found a honey bee out in the cold on a log just frozen. I lightly tapped them but they wouldn’t move. I brought them inside to warm them up and they started getting movement back. I fed them some honey , tried giving them water, and even tried giving them some nectar. The bee still doesn’t have enough strength to fly away. They tried to but they aren’t strong enough to do so and end up falling to the floor. What can I do to help this bee gain enough energy? Or is there something wrong with them?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Mariana Herrera

  199. What should I do I found a bee should we let it out it was very cold

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Miss Deakin ⁷

    1. Keeping them overnight is okay. Just letting them out early when the sun is out is the best for them.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Mariana Herrera

  200. Hi, I found what looks to be a Queen on the sidewalk, in the cold and she was very still. I took her inside and gave her some sugar water and now she seems to be crawling all over the place. Should I put her back outside or keep her inside? Is so, for how long do I keep her? I don't want her to freeze.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Cara

  201. I believe I have a queen bumble bee which was found in our hitting. We got them out and placed them on the ground and got some sugar water for them. We left them outside and several hours later they are still there and aren't flying away. Now we are getting a box and adding some hay but I'm not sure what else to do as they seem very weak!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to K

  202. Hi, I know little about bees but I like them and recently I found a bee on the floor that seemed to be about to dye. I put her on a flower so she would at least die there and after a little while she started to move from one flower to another and finally left flying. Is this also a way to help them? Does it work the same as the sugared water?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Bea

  203. Hello, I brought in a bumblebee last night. He wasn’t moving so I left a little sugar water in the container I put him in. A few minutes later he was moving and buzzing. I wanted to set him free today but it’s 36°F. What should I do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Les

  204. I have just bought my partner a bee hive building kit. It is only small but what do we put in the bottom to make them comfortable?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Ali

  205. I saw so many bees seemingly dead in the snow.I brought them in to warm up. Am I doing them a disservice? Some are males and I know they are booted out of the hive at some point. Am I just giving them a second chance to suffer or will they have a chance to live?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Suzann

    1. Hi Suzann, have you found out any info? I’m in a similar situation and I’m looking for guidance. Thanks!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Les

  206. I have a female carpenter bee in my house. Want to keep it alive. What do I do

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Me

  207. I have a carpenter bee in my house an want to keep it alive, already have her sugar water

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Meme

  208. Hi, thank you for this article, I have visited it plenty of times, as I attempt to rescue bees weekly. Do you have any solutions for them to stop drowning in water ? I’m using a short container not deep, and I’ve placed wine corks as well as bamboo sticks to help them. It seems I’m still finding a few that fall in. I’m able to revive most with the sugar water trick and keeping them warm. I have a second problem , two have stung me and I’m scared they will pass because of it. I asked my bio professor , I sent a photo and he stated it seemed it might make it because of something that was stopping the bee from releasing its internals. I just want to help them live . Any suggestions ? Thank you Elise .

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Deanna Ruelas

  209. Hello, I live in the northeast and it is getting quite chilly. Today was 46 degrees and I found a honey bee on the brick wall of my house. I moved it to some flowers in the sun but it has been there for hours. I am not sure if it is cold or at the end of life. I didn't want to move it inside in case it was going to return to a hive, but now I am considering it because it's getting dark and much colder. It will be in the 20s tonight. Any bee advice would be welcome.🙂 Thank you!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Donna

    1. OK just an update, I ended up bringing the bee inside with the flowers and some sugar water. It took no more than a few minutes and the bee was flying around the container trying to get out. I released the bee and it flew away. It is starting to get dark and it is cold, but I hope it gets home ok!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Donna

  210. Found big bumble Bee in garden three days ago.. November.

    Wet. Thought it was dead, brought it in, nurturing it with beehive revival kit... Not flying.. What shall I do with it now please, it's very still today other than the odd leg coming up..

    Thank you.

    Kym

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kym

  211. Found large bumblebee in our pool. Got it out rather quickly. Has been sluggish for 24 hours. Now in shoe box with sugar water. Any further ideas?

    Thanks!!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Scott

  212. Hi, I found a bee in my kitchen this afternoon. The sun had already set, she looked dead but I could see her antennas moving. I placed her in a warm place and tried blowing warm breaths, she still looks paralyzed. So I gave her some of the water sugar mix, she drank it all. But still no other movements . What should I do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kimberly

    1. I would keep her indoors in a ventilated box overnight (in a relatively cool spot indoors overnight), then try releasing her in the morning, assuming you have some warmer weather tomorrow. It helps to warm them up well indoors first (just prior to releasing them), as well as offering more sugar water then as an energy boost.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  213. I have a very large wet looking bee that I found clinging to a wall

    Looking very sluggish. I have brought her in to dry and warm her up.

    I’m unsure if she is a queen bee or worker bee?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Selina

    1. Given the time of year, if she's very large, she's likely a queen bumble bee. Do you have any slightly warmer, less wet weather coming up? I'm hoping so! She'll be happier once she's drier and warmer, although I wouldn't warm her up too much tonight, since it's late in the day, and she might be fooled into thinking it's possible to fly again, while it's still a cold night out. Ideally, you'll be able to house her safely until the weather improves at least a little (closer to 12°C).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  214. I brought a struggling bumble indoors yesterday evening as it was getting cold. I didnt seem interested in sugar water, but did get a bit more active as it warmed up.

    This morning it is much the same, but still not the healthiest looking.

    The temerature outside is around freezing and is only forecast to reach a few degrees, I am worried that if I put it outside it will just get cold and die

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Pete C

    1. Is it a very large bumble bee, or a smaller one? I ask because at this time of year, large bumble bee queens are preparing to hibernate (or have already settled into their hibernation for winter), but smaller bumble bee males naturally die as the temperatures fall. Feel free to reply to my email with a photo if you'd like.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. I was hoping to share a pic as my situation is the same as above. I found what I thought to be a dead bee on my parents driveway but indeed was alive. I’ve let her out a few times but she’s neither moved out of both bee friendly enclosures and I think it’s bc it’s too cold out. Below 50°. I have given sugar water and some fresh flowers, which one she hates lol I go back to my parents to celebrate Thanksgiving and will travel with her one more time to let her go. I understand this is probably it for her or who knows. She did leave one enclosure only to go back in. She was left on a wood flower pot filled with soil. I was hoping she would of left and dug herself in the ground but she didn’t. Shes tried flying but can not. I don’t see anything wrong with her wings and she can fly a few inches but no cigar. I hope that I am helping more than I am hurting. My nature best friend says I could be ruining future generations if she’s a queen and I don’t let her do what she need to do. Ugg. Thank you for your insight and help! Happy Thanksgiving!

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to All things bugs

        1. It's probably just cold that's keeping her from flying far right now. It sounds as though you may not have a choice on which day to let her go, so if that's the case, I'd warm her up in the morning really well indoors close to a heat source (in her enclosure, as she'll be able to fly once she's fully warmed up). Keep a good eye on her, as you want her to be comfortable, and start buzzing her wings and looking ready to fly off. Offer her some more sugar water during this time too (it's important for her to have some energy for the day). Ideally a good start with energy and warmth will enable her to stay warm and aloft until she finds where she'd like to be. If she's a large queen bumble bee, then she'll be looking for a place in the ground to hibernate... but they don't like us to choose those spots for them, which makes it more difficult to help! This is a hard time of year for them, but with a little help, she may be able to survive to do her thing. You already saved her life, as she wouldn't have made it being stranded on a cold driveway.

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  215. My husband returned home from work his lunchpail had a ice block in it to keep his lunch cold in the bottom was a sweet little bumblebee. I mediately took him out warmed him up . gave him a bit of sugar water and a warm environment it’s been raining and my husbands works pretty far away wondered if I could let him loose here at a friends with lots of flowers in her garden. Well she adapt because it’s not Where we found her?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Bumbles friend

    1. Yes, your bee will adapt to a new area just fine, being a bumble bee! If your bee is a queen (a large fluffy bumble bee), then she'd be looking for a place to hibernate on her own over winter, and your friend's garden will be a good place for her to stock up on food, as well as a good place to overwinter. If your bee is a bumble bee worker, then she'll typically have no problems entering another nest, so long as she comes bearing nectar or pollen. If your bee is a male bumble bee (likely at this time of year, if your bee is smaller), then he'll be very happy in your friend's garden, as where there are flowers, there will be queen bumble bees to meet ☺️

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  216. I live in CT and it's November 11th. I'm dogsitting and was trying to open the back door but was having trouble. So I started walking away till I felt something on my shirt so I tried to get it off, (my first reaction). As I did that I noticed it was a bee and at that moment it stung me. But I'm a person who cannot kill ants or bugs, etc. So I went to find it a few minutes later and it was alive on the ground. I put it on my hand, gave it sugar water, per your advice and it really helped. But it's night time now and not very warm (obviously bc it's November). So my question is, I don't know where it came from. It had to have been inside the spaces between the slider door? I don't see any other bees anywhere. I don't want to just release it to fend for itself. I'm letting it stay inside overnight. It tucked itself under a folded piece of paper. I don't want to disturb it so I'll let it be. Where should I release it? Just right outside the slider door on the deck? In a potted plant outside by the door? I'm sorry for the long message but I can't help my concern. Everyone in my life thinks I'm weird bc I can't kill bugs, etc. But I feel so guilty and can't do it. Please any answer or advice would be a great help. I think it's a worker honey bee going by your pictures.

    Thanks so much for doing what you do!!

    Aileen

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Aileen Johnson

    1. Hmm, if she's a worker honey bee, then she wouldn't survive stinging you, as part of her body would unravel (leaving the stinger embedded in your skin). Perhaps she's some other kind of bee, since honey bees are the only ones that lose their lives like this when stinging?

      It's always a good idea to release bees near where they were picked up. Most bees will have landmarks in mind, and depending on the type of bee, it can be important for them to know where they are when released.

      If she's alright in the morning (and once the day has begun warming), I'd offer more sugar water (warming her on your hand again, if you're up to that). Then I'd gently place her outside the slider door on the deck, ideally in sunshine if you have any. She doesn't have to be put exactly where she was found, just close by, so anywhere on the deck by the sounds of it, and the warmer/sunnier the location, the better, even if it's not quite where she ended up when you found her. Your whole deck should be part of her map of her surroundings.

      It's good that you care about the small creatures too... I think it's rather strange when people kill bugs simply because they're bugs. After all, our world depends on them existing, they're such vital parts of our ecosystems. And beyond that, like all living things, they deserve their chance at life. Bees have been found to be amazing learners, even passing on learned knowledge between generations (we see this with bumble bees).

      I appreciate hearing that you care about bugs too, and are looking out for your bee's best interests 💛🐝

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  217. My bees seem to be stuck to my metal gazebo. I have noticed this happening inside the house on the glass windows this fall. I can send a photo to better show this.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Patti Burden

    1. Are these honey bees? I sent you an email just after you wrote, feel free to reply with a photo if you'd like.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  218. Hello,

    I found a queen on the ground Sunday, I took her home and gave her some sugar water which she had and left her outside that night thinking she would wonder off, when I got up she was still there, so I brought her in and have set up a show box with flower and leaves, she slept over night last night and has been very active today moving around a lot so, I experienced her have a wee (I think, she rubbed her abdomen and I watched a fluid come out) she seemed more active after, I decided to release her because the weather was dry and it was midday, she didn’t want any sugar water and didn’t seem interested in flowers, I found a lovely sheltered spot ideal for burrowing, I left her for a couple of hours and thought I would pop there and see if she is there, I left the box Incase, well I looked and turned around and she was hanging onto one strand or stalk, the temp has dropped so I’ve bought her back in. She is still active but I would have goes after a couple of hours she would have done more (Burrow down or forage) any idea why she doesn’t want too? She can move her wings but doesn’t want too. I’ve had to put the lid on the box because I need to do housework, any idea what to use until it’s bed time? She snuggled down about 6pm last night. The weather is due to get better in a few days, so maybe I can keep her until then. Also, could she be full and that’s why she doesn’t want the sugar water? Many thanks Tina

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Tina

    1. If she's expended little energy, she's likely simply not hungry. Queen bumble bees also do need to be fairly well-warmed up before they're active, so even on a dry day, she may not have felt sufficiently warm to do too much (if there's any direct sun, it helps to put her in those spots, so she can soak up the warm rays).

      If I were you, I'd hang onto her for a few days until the weather gets better, offering sugar water during the days, but keeping her relatively cool throughout. On the morning of better weather, I'd warm her up nicely indoors, and see if she'll take more sugar water. Then find a spot in direct sun (if you have it), and see if that doesn't get her buzzing and on her way then!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Hi Elise,

        Thank you for the reply, it’s hard to know what’s the right thing to do, so, I appreciate it.

        She was still active in her box around 530pm, she had a wonder one my hand and my partner brought some cut flowers home including lavender (he’s a gardener) so she has enough nectar but I will offer her the beevive sugar water as well, it’s definitely meant to be Sunny the weekend so I will keep her, what should she be doing Nov, foraging or hibernating or both and is she likely to prefer the ground to hibernate. What is their sight like? I did notice her one antenna wasn’t as functional (it’s there but a little different and she uses the right one more) can they still function and smell good etc when one is slightly damaged?

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Tina

        1. In November, your queen bumble bee should be preparing to hibernate, which includes foraging to top off her fat reserves ahead of winter. She should also be looking for a spot to burrow in the soil, just below ground, in order to stay safe and frost-free while she hibernates.

          November brings iffy weather though, so it's a matter of judgment on the part of each bee. If she's caught out in the cold and rain, she'll go into a state of torpor, from which she'll emerge once the weather warms slightly. Since each bee is precious, it's nice to keep them safe when they're not able to move, since they can otherwise be found by predators that are still able to move at lower temperatures.

          By the way, there's no need to worry about her antennae, I've seen bees with half an antenna missing that are still able to lead normal foraging lives. It helps to have another antenna as a backup. Their sight is good (and their learning abilities are excellent too)!

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  219. Dear Elise,

    I have found an extremely weak (on its back) bumble bee inside my home. I guess it was inside my Halloween decoration that I git inside on Monday - today is Saturday. I offered sugar water, it took some now it is sitting in the corner of a box .... Temps outside are in the 20th at the moment, during the day maybe low 50th - frost at night for the next few days. What am I supposed to do to help it survive?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to BRIDGET

    1. I apologize for replying so late. Perhaps you found some suggestions on this page already, but if your bee is still with you, I would keep it until the weather looks better (higher 50s without freezing temperatures, ideally). Bees don't need much while they're with you, especially since it's a good idea to keep their box somewhere cool... that way they don't use much energy while you wait for better weather. It can be a good idea to leave sugar water in their box during the day, so long as they can't fall into it accidentally (and so long as there's no danger of ants).

      The idea would then be to warm up your bee well indoors at the beginning of the soonest upcoming day with better weather, making sure to offer sugar water, then placing your bee in the sun outdoors if possible. Depending on the type of bee, it may or may not survive winter naturally (honey bees need to make it back to their hive where they'll overwinter, for example, but only large queen bumble bees survive by hibernating).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  220. I was outside at a soccer game and a bee flew down out of nowhere. I lifted it up since it was upside down, but it’s really cold outside and it’s only 7pm, meaning it will only get colder and it will take a long time for the sun to finally come up. Any ideas? I want to help protect it.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to irene

    1. I'm sorry for my late reply, which is of little use several days later, so I do hope you found some ideas on this page to help your bee. Typically, if it's late at night, it can be helpful to keep them overnight in a ventilated box or other enclosure, in a spot that's similar to nighttime temperatures but not freezing. In the morning, once the day starts to warm up, you can warm them by placing their box in a warm spot indoors, also adding a few drops of sugar water for them (enough to drink from, but not enough to fall in, if they're cold and clumsy). Typically it's a good idea to wait for the day to warm up for a couple hours before releasing them. Sometimes (depending on the weather) it can even be helpful to hold onto them for a day or two, releasing them once the weather is more favorable (warmer/less rainy).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  221. I was fishing in a lake and happened across a little bee. I was in a boat far enough from land. So I swept him up and held him till he dried off. He was doing good. Cleaned himself. He even started trying to fly but wasn’t very successful after many attempts. Otherwise seemed good. I was on the water for a while and he just hung out on the boat trying to fly for a while. Then I noticed he became very docile and I held him as he died. I was so sad. Do you think he was just too cold? Needed to feed?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kali

    1. I think it's likely that your bee ran out of energy. I doubt your bee was too cold, if it was soaking up your body warmth. Bees tend to expend a lot of energy attempting to escape the water's surface tension. This might sound odd, but it's one reason to carry a small vial of sugar water on you, especially in spring and fall when there are fewer flowers and the weather is more uneven. At least it was a quiet and gentle passing for your bee.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  222. Hi! I have found a bee very lethargic in my home. I helped her to some sugar water and she perked up a bit, but she’s still dragging her rear and doesn’t even try to use her wings.

    It’s currently 11C here so I’m worried she might be a bit chilly or that there’s something else going on… how can I help her?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Andzelika

    1. Is she a large, fluffy bumble bee, by chance? 11°C is cold, but it's close to the lower edge of bee temperature tolerance (13°C is usually what I'd consider a minimum). Tonight I'd certainly keep her with you, if you still have her, leaving her container in a coolish room so as not to confuse her sense of day/night. Lethargy doesn't necessarily mean anything's wrong with her, other than being cold... same with dragging her rear and not using her wings, these again are often symptoms of simply not being warm enough to fly.

      If your day tomorrow looks to be decent weather, I'd start warming her up in the earlier morning indoors, offering her more sugar water, and then opening her container outdoors mid-morning so that she can ideally bee on her way. Don't be surprised if it takes her some time (a couple of hours) to leave. If there's any bright sunshine at all, definitely put her in the sun rays to soak those up!

      If tomorrow is cold and wet, but another day this week looks better, then I'd keep her in a coolish location indoors, offering sugar water from time to time (not too much, as they can be clumsy when cold, and you don't want her to fall into it and get coated in sticky water while she's cold). Then on the day with better weather, warm her up indoors, offering her more sugar water, and open up her container mid-morning outdoors.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  223. Help I found a small B I am not sure what kind it is It was raining today and the bee was laying on a fence post very sluggish I brought it inside and put it in a big mason jar but a coffee filter for a lead with a lot of holes in it. The baby is starting to fly but it’s dark out now and it is going to -3 or four tonight Celsius The high tomorrow is only +3°C with a low below freezing mark again my heart is breaking for this little baby I don’t know should I just let it outside Weather is warming towards the end of the week +9 with the temperature still below the freezing mark at night What do I do with this poor little creature I have a small cap in the jar with some sugar water I have not seen the bee take any yet hoping you can offer some assistance

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Denise

    1. I hope I'm not too late in replying, your bee should be fine with you for a few days and nights, while it's so cold outdoors. I wouldn't keep your bee too warm at night, put the jar somewhere cool (but not freezing) nightly, and keep the jar somewhere where it's not too warm during the day (keeping your bee cooler ensures it won't try to fly much while staying with you, and it doesn't harm them). I'd offer sugar water from time to time during the day, not too much to where your bee could fall in though, they only need a little! 9°C is still rather cold, but if that's the warmest day, I'd warm your bee up well indoors that morning (offering sugar water again, ideally seeing it drink), before trying to release it late morning (once it's warmed up outdoors a bit). This'll give your bee the maximum possible time out in warmer temperatures before nightfall, so that for whatever type of bee it is, it can get where it wishes to go 🐝💛

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  224. I had a lovely experience today. I wear fingerless gloves because of eczema and a bee decided to hitch a ride inside it! I had to carefully remove the glove and let it explore the inside and outside as I walked to my destination. It was incredibly curious and rejected every flower I showed it lol. Though it did at least take a look. It preferred to explore the glove or sit on the top in the sun.

    Was it tired do you think? When I passed the corner it flew off, almost as if that was its stop! As someone allergic to bees I was frightened at first but now feel very fortunate to share her little journey.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Chloe

    1. I bet your bee simply wished to warm up on your hand/glove! Warmth can really give them a boost depending on the time of day/year. Happy to hear you shared in her little journey too, despite your allergies... bees tend to be friendly and docile under almost all circumstances! 🐝✨

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  225. Hi I have found a bunch of bees 4 near my sunflower plants on the sunflowers and stem it’s cold and rainy today about 50-54°f the first two I for sure thought were dying I brought them inside an they perked up I picked the sunflower they were on I shouldn’t have done that but anyway I brought them back out when I realized they livened up aNd werent on there death bed but then I read ur article the suns almost setting I found one bigger one who’s now quite active after sucking down some sugar water, I have all 4 in a shoe box. Can I house them all? I also read in ur article that depending on what type of bee that they need to go back to the hive so I’m confused what to do. Keep them or not.. thanks jess

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jess

    1. Are they all quite fluffy? I'm guessing so, and if yes, then they're bumble bees, not honey bees with a hive. They should all be fine together if they all look very similar (the larger one might be a young queen, with three males, if they're bumble bees). Put the box in a cool location to match the outdoor temperatures, so that they settle down for tonight. Then release them once it starts warming up tomorrow morning, offering some more sugar water beforehand.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

    2. Hi again, I’ve separated the other three from the largest because he/she was climbing on top of the others and very active in comparison. I guess I will keep them all overnight…??? but the weather for tomorrow is rain 100% and 54°f. They have organic raw sugar cane water, I’ve seen all of but one of them drink it, maybe the last one has as well and I’ve just not noticed. Any who, it’s 6pm here suns setting and it’s getting dark. the largest is trying to fly inside the shoebox. Debating releasing her(him?) because of how active it is.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Jess again

      1. Just saw your second message! If the largest one is trying to fly, maybe release her soon, so she doesn't wear herself out trying to escape. Though I bet she'll calm down if you put her somewhere cool for the night, to be released in the morning. Tomorrow's weather is not ideal for releasing them, but as I mentioned in my article, bumble bees often end up spending their nights out on flowers at this time of year, even in the rain. They enter a state of "torpor" that makes them appear half-dead, but they come back to life once it warms up a little! You can always give them a head-start on a cool, rainy day by warming them up in their box indoors first, and offering sugar water. They do generate their own warmth a bit too, so if they're able to fly tomorrow morning, then they should all be good to go.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

        1. Thanks for the response wondering if maybe they were okay where they were, hanging out on my sunflower plants.

          .. Besides flowers where do bumble bees live and normally stay during the night?

          The boxes are now on my front porch, no heat there 52°f out right now. They have quieted down. It’s dark now, not raining but rain is forecasted for overnight and tomorrow. I draped leaves into the shallow bottoms of solo cups where the sugar water is (the dishes are about 5mm deep) and I removed all flowers but I wonder if I’m doing anything better for them if the weather will be just as rainy and cold as it was today. They have all drank the sugar water when I first got them but not so much anymore. If it is raining tmrw morning what do you suggest I do with them? Thanks!

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Jess

          1. Unless it rained very hard (washing them off the sunflowers), they'd likely have been alright there. Usually bumble bees live in nests (of up to several hundred individuals) underground, but in fall all the bumble bees leave their nests, basically young queens (large and fluffy) and male bees (smaller and fluffy). The males tend to hang out on flowers, awaiting female bees. The young queens are looking to mate and stock up on energy before hibernating in the ground for winter (unfortunately, all the males will die off relatively soon, as they have no place to go for winter).

            My advice depends on your forecast for the rest of the week. If it looks better mid-week, you could easily keep them in their boxes for another day and night, since they'll all likely be sluggish if it's wet and cold out. Likely they're safer with you too, rather than paralyzed with cold out on the flowers, where a predator might find them more easily.

            I'd peek into the boxes at various points tomorrow. If they start to seem much more active, even while the boxes are outdoors, then you could open the lids and give them the chance to go. You may find they'll stay until it's a nicer day!

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

            1. Hi Elsie, you’re great by the way! You have helped so many people and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your responses! It is a rainy crumby day, I’ve kept them over night, pretty sure they’re all males. Some bigger than others but none that are super super fluffy. Rain and wind is likely until tomorrow (wed) morning.

              My next and final questions lol They are certainly sluggish, haven’t moved all night, I’m thinking it’s doubtful they will take any of the sugar water being so cold, they only drank when I had them inside yesterday and warmed up, and since I think they’ll decide to stay put in their open boxes, should I bring them inside to warm up and eat at any point? Should I do this now (Tuesday 9:30am) and then leave them outside with box open? You mentioned that I could do this just before releasing them for a head start, which tomorrow is likely to be the better day.

              I have already taken the boxes and left lids completely open on my open porch so they’re free to go if they want but it’s a cold 52°f, windy and raining.

              Thank you so much!

              -Jess from CT!

              Reply

              Leave a Reply to Jess

              1. *Elise,

                my apologies!

                Reply

                Leave a Reply to Jess

                1. I'm on a different time zone than you, so forgive my later reply this morning. Tomorrow (Wed) sounds much better for their departure. That's the day I'd bring them indoors earlier to warm them up, offering more sugar water before putting their open boxes out in the sun (if there's sun).

                  For today, they'll likely not need much of anything, since they're cold and not moving much. I'd almost say to leave sugar water in the box in case they feel like it, but that's not ideal, since ants are more active at cooler temperatures, and might annoy the bees if they found the sugar water first.

                  So, if they're still out on the porch, I'd leave them there so that if they feel up to it, they can go anytime. Otherwise tonight I'd close up the boxes, and in the morning bring them in for warming up and breakfast before setting them out, ready to fly!

                  Reply

                  Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  226. I found a cold worker bee inside of grocery store while working. I put them inside a warm box with some sugar water and is now happily walking around. The problem is the weather is terrible and I want to take it home for the night. I want to try and release them in the morning, but I live a mile away from the store. Is that too far away to release them?thanks!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Miles

    1. If it really is a honey bee worker, I’d definitely take it back to the area outside the store tomorrow morning… it might not find its way back to its hive otherwise, but I’m sure it’s happy for a safe night with you! Keep it coolish tonight so it doesn’t get confused, then warm it up in the morning and offer more sugar water before releasing it 🐝💛

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  227. Hi there,

    So my partner are new beekeepers. Our hive is only a few months old and we set it on a rubber pallet. The pallet has different grooves in it and so we laid a piece of plywood down to keep the hive stable but off the ground. Plywood only covers half of the pallet and the grooves that are exposed have water in them from the rain. Today when we went to check the hive we were looking for the queen to make sure she was moving around and doing okay. Well she was on the bottom corner of one of the frames and I don’t know how but she fell and of course she landed in the water. We quickly got her out by putting a finger under her and she climbed on and we set her right back on the top of the frame and she walked right down into the hive on the frame. We are paranoid she might die. Would you have any suggestions for us? Did we accidentally kill her? Will the bees dry her off and she will be okay? She’s back inside the hive and we closed it up right after but we are nervous. Can you calm our nerves lol? Thank you!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Gayle

    1. I’m so sorry I didn’t reply sooner (unexpected life issues)… but do not worry, your queen bee will be fine! Bees can take a little falling in water if they’re immediately taken out… and as queen bee, she’ll have plenty of attendants to dry her fully 🐝👑

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  228. Not a question! I just wanted to let you know that your first aid section helped me save a bee this morning! I would love to share my pictures/videos with you if you would like! I linked your website on my Facebook post.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sarah

    1. I'm so happy to hear you saved a bee! 💛 Thank you for sharing my page, and yes I'd love to see your pictures/video 🐝✨ Feel free to reply directly with them!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  229. Is a 2:1 mixture alright with organic raw cane sugar? I just made a max of it in a kitchen oil bottle for a griddle, the one with a nozzle like a bottle of honey. I filled the bottle halfway with the sugar, then fully with water, shook until dissolved, and I now have a murky brown solution that particles of sugar can be seen in. Will this work for the honey bees that fall in my pool almost daily here in Florida? I have been giving them honey but just found your page saying I shouldn't. My two young sisters have appointed me as the "Bee Doctor", and I want to be sure the "Bee Medicine I just made will work!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Justin Fernandez

    1. Sorry to be replying so late! It'll likely work just fine as is, but ideally the sugar water goes into solution, without too many particulates. You might try warming the solution up a little (perhaps pouring the contents into a saucepan with a low heat, then once it cools, pouring it back into the bottle)? The solution should be a light-ish color too (with light-colored raw cane sugar rather than brown cane sugar).

      Happy to hear you're the appointed "Bee Doctor" with your own medical kit! 🩺🐝

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  230. I brought my flowers in 2 nights ago to keep from freezing, I now have a honey bee hanging out in my bathroom, I did give a little sugar water and regular water it also has access to flowers. It is to cold out to release it. I feel bad for it and don't want it to die. What should I do for the poor thing. Or do I have a house guest for the winter😊 any suggestions would be helpful!! Thank you

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Ruth

    1. I am so sorry I didn't reply sooner (some life issues), but if you still have your honey bee, it does ideally need to find its way back to its hive. It'll be able to survive winter in its hive, but it needs to be at least 55° F (ideally above that) for it to be able to fly there. You can help it out by warming it up indoors too, on what looks like one of the better days weather-wise. It would likely get a bit lonely staying with you for winter, even with access to flowers, if it's a honey bee! They're definitely hive creatures, huddling close together in winter.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  231. Its a 21c rainy day. I found a big bumblebee on my wet marigold. I moved it off and put it on the moss in the flowerbox. Im sure it was dying. I went to check it hour later and it was gone! Did it live? It really seemed to be dying!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Janet

    1. That's a fairly warm day. The likelihood is that once it dried off, it was able to fly away happily! It's easy to mistake lethargic bees for dying bees... often all they need is some warmth (and to dry off, if they're wet) before seemingly miraculous revivals. Sometimes nectar (or sugar water) is necessary, but if there are flowers nearby, they'll manage to get there, even if they have to walk instead of fly at first (large queen bumble bees especially).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  232. I have found a bee in left out orange juice. I have recovered him and put him in a box. But he seems lethargic and his wings are likely sticky. Is there anything I can do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Rich

    1. If the bee is lethargic, it may have trouble cleaning itself before the orange juice dries. You could try very carefully dripping slightly-warmer-than-room-temperature water over the bee. But that is a little risky, you'd want to be very careful not to use too much at once (they breathe through the sides of their bodies). I'd probably try doing it though, since having its wings stick together from the orange juice would be worse. Bees are usually good at cleaning themselves, but not if they're already cold and lethargic. I don't know what time of day it is where you are, but even were your bee to warm up sufficiently to clean itself, the orange juice would likely have dried also in the process.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. I’m in the UK, it is now dark. I’ve tried dripping some water on his back. He’s extending his wings, but he’s gaining any lift.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Rich

        1. That's good to know where you're at, daylight-wise, as it helps to know what to do for your bee. I'd leave it at what you've done for now, and keep your damp bee safe overnight in a ventilated box. I wouldn't expect your bee to be able to dry out and "buzz up" until being warm again, but I do think it's good to have tried to dilute any orange juice residue (especially on its wings), so that it's able to move easily come morning. For tonight, I'd keep your bee somewhere cool-ish indoors, so that it doesn't think that it's warm enough to try to fly in the box. In the morning, once the day begins warming (hopefully you do have a warmer day ahead, without rain!), I'd put your bee out in the sunshine and give it an hour or two to get going. It might not need that long, but it depends on the type of bee. I'd also provide some drops of sugar water in the morning. If it's a cooler day, you can also try warming up the bee first in a warmer room indoors, along with offering sugar water, and then taking its box outdoors. Let me know if anything comes up with which you need further advice!

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  233. Hello love i ve rescued a honey bee from spider web gave it some sugar and water but it went on his legs i took him inside to warm up as it was getting late 6pm and now in a box quiet i dont know id he ok or not he been buzxing around in box now quiet ahould i let him go now kr morning and how many holea doea he need on box ive done about 10

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Alexandra ferrey

    1. It'll be safest for your honey bee to wait to release it in the morning, keeping its box in a relatively cool location so that it doesn't start buzzing about and wasting energy. I would say that not buzzing is likely a good sign (too much buzzing in an enclosure can add stress, and occasionally cause bees to damage their wings trying to escape). Ten holes for air in the box sounds great!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  234. It is October in western Massachusetts. The bumblebees are still on my flowers and it’s 55 out on an. Do I leave them alone or do they need help? They are sluggish but can fly. Although there are many. Some are just I guess waiting for the sun . But as cold weather approaches if they are still here how can I help them?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Susan

    1. At this time of year, what you're seeing are likely all male bumblebees, awaiting new queens dispersing from nests, who need to mate before going into hibernation for the winter. This is typical beehavior for males... so I would simply enjoy the autumn bee-watching! They'll be sluggish on these cold mornings, but they'll warm up quickly in the sun, and they're right on the flowers , so all the food they need is already there. Queen bumble bees are sure to come by later in the day, since they're stocking up their own fat reserves for overwintering.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thank you. There was many of them all the same in size. Still there eating. Good to know it didn’t warm up to much today. I’m sure they be okay until frost weather comes and hopefully safe by then . If not what do you do leave them or put them in a container for winter?? Clueless but I don’t want them to die. I plant flowers for the bees and milk pod for monarch butterflies. Do daily feeders for the hummingbirds . I sure don’t want to cause any harm.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Susan

        1. It's lovely to hear you care so much about your bumble bees and other wildlife. I'm sorry to say that life isn't too kind to male bumble bees (or older queens) by the first hard frosts. It is only the newly born, freshly mated queens who hibernate through winter, each alone in the ground, before awaking next spring to start new colonies. This year's queens (who in late summer gave birth to the new queens and males), along with all the male bumble bees, no longer maintain a colony through the winter, and so those bees will sadly all die from cold and lack of food. It's simply part of the natural bumble bee lifecycle, and I'd imagine that even if one were to try to intervene by keeping them warm and fed, their natural lifespan would not be much longer, and they'd not be outdoors roaming free, so it would be a strange existence for them.

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  235. Hi, we brought a bee inside as it was cold and just laying there early this morning. It's fed well on sugar and water, generally been asleep on the window cill. It's showing interest in going outside but it can't seem to open it's wings. Any advice on to what we could do for it? Kind regards

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kay

    1. Another quick note... I realize it's later in the evening where you are, so these would be steps to take tomorrow morning, assuming it'll be a temperate day tomorrow. Sometimes, depending on the weather, it's worth keeping bees fed and safe for a few days, before warming them up and releasing them on one of the warmer autumn days.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

    2. Is it a bumble bee? They take a surprising amount of time to get going on cooler mornings, and it is likely that she's still cold, rather than anything wrong with her wings (if you see nothing amiss). So long as it'll be a reasonably temperate day today, I'd warm your bee up indoors (in some kind of enclosure) first, and see if she starts buzzing her wings, indicative of preparing for flight. Placing her near (but not too near) a heat source can help jump-start her day, giving her energy to fly and more time in her day, once she's released. Keep an eye on her throughout the time you're warming her up.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  236. I fed a mason bee honey I've heard it can cause diseases. What should I do to help this bee?

    I'm very concerned.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Mina

    1. I would try not to be too concerned about it (simply making sure to use sugar water for helping future bees in distress). It would really depend a great deal on the honey too, in terms of the likelihood of any possible bee disease transmission. My intuition is that if it's a more standard, ultra-filtered honey, it's less likely to cause an issue than an unfiltered, raw honey (mainly owing to the heat treatment of more processed honeys). Honey is also probably more likely to cause potential issues for honey bees, rather than mason bees, but I'm not certain on this point. In any case, there's no undoing it, and it certainly would have provided energy to your bee, so that's a plus.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  237. Okay so I have a mammoth sunflowers outside my apartment. They get a lot of good sun but it’s starting to get colder because it’s fall I live in Pittsburgh. Anyhow I noticed this one particular bee has literally not moved from this flower in three days he’s moving just a little bit (or she) so they are not dead but like I don’t know if it got cold or wet or something because it has been raining a lot but like I need to save it LOL and I’m not sure the best way to do it. I noticed because the nights are going down to like 50° It seems to be moving but just barely and hasnt left that flower in days. there’s also this other one that looks like a queen it’s so big that also is now doing the same thing- its acting slow and hasnt moved since yestwrday around 3 pm- like it’s like really looks like it’s kind of frozen this morning like it doesn’t really move even and I can touch it and it doesn’t even really react.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Chloe

    1. I'm assuming these are bumble bees? I wouldn't bee too concerned about either of the bees currently, though I do hope there are at least a few days of dryer, warmer weather coming up? Both spring and fall typically feature variable weather, and what happens is that when it is too cool (especially when it's also rainy), bumble bees tend to stay put, even if that means spending several days and nights out on the same flowers.

      Any queens out at this time of year are also new queens, having dispersed from their communal nests of summer, with plans to mate and then find a suitable place to hibernate overwinter. So it's unsurprising to find new queens out at night, having no place to call home as of yet. Male bumble bees also tend to spend nights out on flowers, awaiting new queens in the daytime.

      Bumble bees (especially queen bumble bees) also take more energy for liftoff than most bees, and that's another reason that on cooler, wetter days, you'll find the same bumble bees staying put. It's only a problem if, say, a bird spots them and nibbles them up while they can't move (since bees enter a state of torpor when cold), but most bumble bees manage to survive out each night, awaking to plentiful food each morning while spending their nights on flowers.

      So I'd keep an eye on both bees, and your upcoming weather forecast, but there's likely no need to intervene yet. In the event that no warmer, dryer weather is forecast for some time, you might try warming them up indoors in a ventilated enclosure, and offering sugar water. But that would only be something to do on a dryer day with temperatures closer to 60 F, around 10-11am or so, basically to give the bees energy to get going around when the day begins warming up... this can be especially helpful to young queens, as it'll give them a boost on a day that they might otherwise miss, to continue searching for the perfect place to hibernate.

      Queens are also building up stores of energy at this time of year, but it's best they get those from flower nectar rather than sugar water, for all the essential amino acids and other trace elements from which they benefit. Keep me updated if you'd like!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  238. Thank you so much for this cool post.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Anderson

  239. I found a bee in my pool!! I believe it could have been in there for 10-15 minutes but got it out as soon as possible and warmed her up with my breath, she regained movement. I took her inside and placed her in a box as you suggested and attempted to feed her sugar water but I do not know if she is drinking it, she cannot balance either but still tries to move around. Her tongue is always sticking out and I (from what I have read) has been poisoned by the chemicals. I’m not an expert in bees nor insects but based off the situation, do you think she still has a chance? She has been inside for about 3 hours and hasn’t improved anymore since I brought her in… help!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Mali

    1. It does take time for bees to recover, but she may sadly have been in your pool for too long. Bees breathe along the sides of their bodies, so being immersed in water is dangerous. I don't know if the pool has chemicals, but chlorine particularly wouldn't be kind to a bee, on top of almost drowning. Her tongue sticking out isn't necessarily a sign of poisoning, but it is something that you'll see when they're nearing their end. Other than warming her up, and putting drops of water near the tip of her extended tongue, there's little to do besides make her comfortable. I've seen many bees revive with time, warmth, and sugar-water, but it does depend how long she struggled in the water before you found her. If you don't already have a dish of fresh water with pebbles in it outdoors, you might try putting one out, with the hope of attracting thirsty bees to a safe drinking spot, instead of ending up in your pool accidentally.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  240. I’m finding bee resin or spit or something on the mason bees tubes

    Looks like big bumblebee types spending hours on the outside of the filled tubes

    Just took the nest down and yes, this gelatinous substance all over,

    What is it and is it harmful?

    Thanks so much ….Connie

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Connie

    1. I believe you may be hosting giant resin bees, which are large bees native to Japan and China. Their mandibles are not strong enough to create their own nesting cavities, so they love using ones that carpenter, mason and leaf-cutter bees might use as well. True to their name, resin bees do coat the outside in resin that they gather from plants. There is some concern that they may displace native pollinators (particularly carpenter bees), however they are also good pollinators themselves. Since the resin bees are later-season pollinators, they may compete with leaf-cutter and carpenter bees, but mason bee young should all be sealed safely away before resin bees become active. Anecdotally, it looks as though resin bees may sometimes turn out the young of other bees though, which would be concerning. It's advisable to protect mason bee tubes once the mason bees finish their active lifecycle by gently transferring the mason bee tubes to a pest-free, dry environment (at the same temperature as the outdoors, ideally in an outbuilding), ensuring they're placed back outdoors before emergence in early spring.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  241. Hi Elise, we have been following your advice.

    Our little fluff was found under water in our paddling pool.

    Still moving.

    We have had fluff 24 hours now ...and fluff is moving about but looks exhausted. We have offered sugar water and we 'think' fluff is taking it. Fluff keeps moving his/her legs and stroking her head etc.... What else can we do XX thank you and hope you are really well XX Pippa and John. Wirral u.k 🌺🐝🌻

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Pippa

    1. In the morning, try offering more sugar-water... and look to see if her tongue pokes out, it'll be quite noticeable if so. Tomorrow mid-morning, I would put Fluff outside, ideally in bright sunshine if you have it. Alternatively, if it'll be a cool day out, first warm Fluff up well indoors, and then see if she'll fly off outdoors around mid-morning ☀️🐝

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Hi Elise,🌹

        An update of Fluff. 🌼

        I bathed her in today's warm sunshine. Our first day of sun since Saturday when we found her.

        I moved her shoe box so she was positioned nicely in full sun.

        I offered her sugar water and she again declined.

        Then about 90 mins later I heard her buzzing and trying to fly... Her first effort since Sat.

        And she did great, flying towards the window.. she banged into the glass.

        So I placed her on cotton wool pad and sat her in the window ledge again in sunshine. About 20 mins later she flew off into the garden and across.

        Hooray.. she has her second chance at life. We feel so grateful to have helped.

        And thanks to your advice. she finally got her freedom. 💟🐝👋😍😚💚

        I took videos.

        Kindest and loving Regards

        Pippa and John.

        Wirral U.K.

        xx

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Pippa

  242. I live in Massachusetts (Zone 6 in the plant world) and I'm finding as many as one to three bumble bees a night who are sluggish and clutching the centers of my two clumps of Helenium. They are there in the morning (I just saw the same three as last night). It's about 68-70 degrees out in the evenings and right now, about 65 degrees in the morning. Later in the day, they'll be gone. Do bumble bees slow down as the temps drop (it's cool, but I didn't think it was 'cold' for bees yet but you tell me). During the day, there are as many as 7 bumble bees at a time on each mound of flowers and they're buzzing happily, healthily and actively. I don't want to do the sugar water treatment if they're just resting or if this is OK because I figure the less handling the better. I did try the sugar water treatment with one 3 nights ago. It didn't drink for a few minutes, but when I transferred it to the dish with water, it did activate and buzz a bit. I went indoors, came out 2 minutes later and the bee was gone. Sugar water? Stressed and evading me, the 'predator', using up valuable energy?? I don't want to stress the bees unnecessarily by handling them, but the regular occurrence has me puzzled.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Anne

    1. Bumble bees and other bees do slow down as temperatures drop... even 60s may feel cool to them, especially to bumble bees, as they take a bit more energy to get off the ground. I've frequently seen bumble bees hanging out on flowers throughout the night... even looking quite damp in the morning when there's a shower! Male bumble bees often do, and it's nothing to worry about... they'll begin their days once they warm up, with fresh nectar for breakfast 😋

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  243. Hi.

    I rescued a tree bumble bee who had a damaged wing.

    I thought this would be just a couple of days some nice sugar water and a comfy place to go to bee heaven but 44 days later I still have my little guest.

    As there was no way she could fly I added some local honey and pollen to the box to feed her and lots of fresh flowers.

    Yesterday she fell back first into the honey and is very unhappy now.

    Her proboscis reflex is stuck with it out now because she can not clean all the honey off her self.

    I am wondering if there is anything I can do to help her.

    Bumble bees can cope with rain so would a gentle misting help?

    Or could I try a damp Q tip?

    Thank you in advance

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Del

    1. I would try to dissolve the honey with slightly-warmer-than-lukewarm honey (but err on the side of cooler-lukewarm first... you want just enough warmth to help liquify the honey). I'd probably use a dropper rather than a mister, to target the honey better, and also because you could get just a little more pressure with a dropper, in terms of removing the honey. Make sure to do this earlier in the day, as she won't want to be sopping wet all night. Ideally you could use a dropper to clean much of it off, and then let her warm up and dry out throughout the day, with good air flow and plenty of warmth. This is challenging, but with patience and water, you may have some luck getting a large amount off her, leaving her to do the fine-tuning, cleaning-wise. I wish you and your bee all the best, it's kind of you to take care of her when she can't fly, and I imagine you must have developed quite the kinship with her at this point ☺️

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thank you.

        I used a q tip soaked in luke warm water and gently dabbed/stroked her.

        Safe to say she was true to character and pretty unimpressed about this process but she did’t throw a total fit.

        Her proboscis is still out but she is much more active after the “bath”.

        All in all I think its worth while trying as she seems happier.

        As we are in Norway and she is a spring bumble bee (pretty sure she is a queen) so normal temps for her are low, I am keeping her fully ventilated box at a warm 23c (using a no touch thermometer) ….she is indoors in the living room but I will check in the night and if below 20c add some boiling water in a jar next to but not touching the box to keep heat up.

        She is pretty dry now but not bumble fluffy…going to break the bad news we need another bath in the morning.

        Thank you for understanding my crazy bee lady vibe….after over a month she is a little family pet!

        If you want I will let you know how we do…maybe one day it will help over bees. Oh and the offending honey bowl now has a mesh cover so she can drink but not fall in!

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Del

        1. I would love to know how she is getting along! Although she may be near the end of her natural lifespan (typically 2-6 weeks for worker bumble bees, though she's certainly safer with you than out foraging in the wild). I'm sure she's given everyone in your family a closer connection to bumble bees ☺️

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

          1. Hi.

            Sadly we lost her a couple of days ago.

            The baths got a lot of the honey off…she almost seemed to be drying herself on the the rough heather plants after them and we used an aquarium lamp to help her keep warm when still wet.

            She was accepted the bathing…I even found 2 bee mites I was able to pluck off her with a strong magnifying glass and tiny electrical work tweezers!

            She was really busy and happy the last day but then just went in the space of an hour.

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to Del

  244. hi, so i had some bees in the a little plasic box that we stored pillows in a storm came by and knocked it over the had 3 hives along the lid and now it kinda broke and there all hudled on the outside corner and havent even really moved for a day

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to hailey

  245. I found a honey bee wet and floating on a petal in my garden fountain. I placed the poor little thing on a daisy but it fell off into a border bush and I can't find it now. It's 615 pm and it's an overcast and very warm and muggy summer day. I do hope it will survive. Bees are the whole reason for my pollinator garden.

    Poor wee things...

    Think my rescue will save this one?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Heidi

  246. Yesterday I discovered a bumble bee on our steps that seemed to be a bit tired. It just sat there. I thought maybe it was a bit thirsty so I sat a soda cap of water next to it and let it be. Today I found that very bee on the sidewalk on it's back struggling and seemingly panicked. It would stretch out its rear legs and bend inwards, almost like it was doing sit ups or trying to sting itself. Kinda convulsing if you will. I rushed to help. I figured it probably hadn't had any nourishment since I last discovered it so I gave it the 2:1 ratio of water and sugar(granulated white sugar) through a medine syringe like you get in a childrens tylenol bottle(well washed and no medicine residue). She seemed thirsty and drank vigorously. I didn't press on the syringe, I just put it near her head and she drank what was in the tip. Her panicked disposition subsided shortly after and she began to gain some control. Since I found her(I assume her) I had noticed she was favoring her front left leg(she held it in and kept rubbing it with the leg behind it, as well as kept rubbing her eye). Its getting near dark and she has since not favored it as much. My biggest concern at this point is that since I fed her the sugar water she has started this "panting" from her proboscis and maxilla. It's been non stop ever since. Other than that she seems fine. She gets around, still doesn't use her front limb very much but has stretched it out in a normal fashion. We have her in a cheap little bug carrying case for her protection with the door opened for when she feels strong enough to be on her way. But she has stayed in it, venturing to the doorway but not going out. Since getting dark she has climbed to the top to slumber I assume. I'm just so afraid I messed up giving her the sugar water. She seems content but the proboscis moving in and out has me worried. I'm not a seasoned bee rescuer so I merely looked up ways to help. I love bees and what they do for the world and try to help when one needs it. I guess I should also mention that she seems in good health, no tattered wings or body. I know they don't live that long but she has succeeded in making it since I first discovered her and I feel like if she was on her way out it would've happened by now. Anyway, I've not been able to find anything out about it and I saw your ask a question section and thought maybe you could help. Thanks in advance.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sarah

    1. Sorry, in reading everything back to myself for incorrections I noticed I accidentally hit 2:1 instead of 1:1 ratio. I'm typing on a cell phone and have fat fingers lol. Sorry for the misinformation.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Sarah

  247. Hi. I've just emailed and on sending you that question, checked the bee in the box and she was ready to go. I took her outside to the flowers and got the bedraggled bee in the box and is inside now.

    Thank you.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Val

  248. Hi. I have a bumble bee in a box inside at the moment. Found on the garden floor during torrential rain. I have also found another bumble bee in my garden that needs help.

    Can I put the 2 bumble bees together in the same box?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Val

  249. It's late at night bumblebee was found in water I've given it sugar water it's trying to fly but can't get off the ground should I keep it inside or put outside

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lena Carville

  250. Hi

    My bird box has been overtaken with tree bees for two years now. Although I am a bit scared of them I would never want them taken away or harmed. For three days now there has been no activity. I know they are still there as on one of the three days four come out. Is this normal please. The weather here just now is really hot (mid 20s). Well hot for Scotland anyway lol. Would appreciate advice on this please x

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Rhona

  251. I found a bumble bee on my lawn three days ago and it was in a poor condition. I placed the bee on my garden furniture and gave it a drink of sugar water. I checked an hour later and it was still there but walking around and looked to be exercising it’s wings. The next morning it was still there, still walking around and exercising it’s wings. Later in the day I gave the bee some more sugar water, which it took. This morning, after a stormy night the bee is still here. Why won’t it fly off? Or even can it fly off?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Billy

  252. In the middle of my parking lot on the asphalt there was a swarm of bees 10,000 I am guessing. We swept them up and relocated them to a flowering bush. They are now dead. I have never seen this before have you?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jim Levante

    1. it could of been the queen bee making the workers do to much

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Indy

  253. I regularly help struggling bees. I have just come across a buff tailed bumble which doesn’t seem interested in my sugar water offering.. it’s climbing around in earnest, and takes flight for a very short burst but obviously can’t sustain prolonged flight.. any suggestions??

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Tom

  254. Hello!

    I found a bee on its back and helped it onto its front. It kept flopping back over but I managed to balance it upright on a twig. I gave it some sugar water but although it put its legs in, it didn't look like its tongue was extended to drink any. I have sinced moved the bee into a flower to keep it upright and close to pollen. It's now almost 3 hours since I found it and although she is still alive (atenna still move) she hasn't made any effort to move. I've brought her inside to try and warm her up but I'm not sure what else to do or how to tell whether she is dying. Any help gratefully received!!

    J

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jojo

  255. I rescued a tired bee. Put it in a box with roses and gave it sugar water. Next day took it into garden and it doesn’t seem to fly. Took it in fed it left it overnight. Bee still lively and drinking sugar water then sleeps but not wanting to leave? Should I keep it or put it in the garden?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Charlotte

    1. Day 3 rescued bumble bee still not flying but still alive and drinking sugar water a few times a day. Keeping it in a box with foliage. It sleeps inside a flower. Is there anything else I should do?

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Charlotte

  256. I have bubble bees going to and from under my decking just outside my door. This does not bother me but certain members of my family find it a bit scary.

    I was wondering how long the bees will stay?

    Please could you enlighten me thankyou

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Chick

  257. Two days ago I found a bee crawling around my septic tank cover. It has remained in the general area for the last 2 days and hasn't really moved much. There was a threat of a thunderstorm today so I decided to bring it into the house after reading some of the info on your website. I poked holes in the lid of a plastic container and put him inside with a couple of leaves that were in the area he had been staying. Almost as soon as I did that he started buzzing his wings frantically. Did I do the right thing bringing him in the house? He seems to be kind of upset. I don't want to release him now because it's going to rain quite heavily but I just wanted some guidance and what to do from this point. I do have photos of the bee if it would help you to identify it. Please advise what I should do next. Thank you 💜

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Cher

  258. Last night at around 8pm (U.K. time) I found a bee on our patio. I am big on helping and saving bees, so I gave him a drink of sugar water and left him on our garden table to rest. I went back out about an hour later to check he had gone and he was still there. I have him some water and even bought him inside in case he just needed to warm up a little. Now this bee has sat on me and rested, he’s crawled on me and let me hold him. I did some research and set up an open shoe box outside with some water and expected him to begone this morning. However he was still there. So I brought him back inside in case the temperature drop is why he didn’t fly away and he is still sat on me. He’ll move about for a bit and then rest and he hasn’t really seemed interested in a drink this morning. We have had the local council spray weed killer in our area of late, so wonder if that is the problem. We have a 4yr old son and are trying to teach him about being kind and helpful and he really wants us to help this bee. Any ideas on what else we can do or should we just put him outside and leave him to it? Many thanks

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sarah

  259. I have a very wet bed on a bottle brush bush that is hardly moving, it is 10.30 am and more rain is due. What is the best thing to do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Alison

  260. We have sloping a window on our kitchen ceiling, huge bees often get caught in the shallow dip under it and they can’t fly out. The stressed out buzzing noise is upsetting. Is there any kind of contraption or tool I can use to save them?? When they get caught in the dip (2cm wide) they end up dying 😢.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Dina

  261. I had a bee sit in the same spot on my window all day today, it's a bit cold here at the moment, so as it was becoming late at night I was worried he was cold, so I warmed the glass from the other side with my hand. After a while of doing this he still hadn't moved, so I put him into a container with a tissue soaked in water to bring him into the warmth of the house for the night, as soon as I brought him in he became distressed and started flying about in the container. I didn't want him to feel scared so I brought him back outside (at this point it was 10pm at night), and left the lid open, and he immediately flew out. My question is, why was he sitting on the window all day and we'll into the night? He seemed well enough to fly...?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Christina

  262. Got a queen buff tailed bumble we rescued from exhaustion last night.

    She seems to be feeling better after a feed and a warm up, but she isn't buzzing off again.

    What should we do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kerrie

  263. I found a baby bee as it looks like on floor he’s quite tired and clinging onto a flower I’ve got for him I’ve given him sugar water but he didn’t really drink it he’s closed his wings but still moving his body when I give him a little lift up what else can I do does it take a while for him to get back strength?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Karina

  264. Your blog was a lifesaver, literally. I found two bees two days ago in my garden, and today after 48 hrs of snow and nights below zero, I found them today, no movement but alive (they climbed to a straw) so I brought them inside. I have cats so I needed to be very careful about them, and I was looking for a proper 'container' for them to spend the night. This article was everything I needed and more. Thank you so much for this info and your work!

    BTW, just for sharing, they looked dead after drinking sugar water and climbing on some greenery (they were really active walking, but clumsy and no flights), like you mentioned, but they were like that for 15 mins and suddenly, they started to move. So people, be patient with them.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Chuck N.

  265. Thank you so much for your work. I have an issue with bees being stuck in my 3 season room. They may be nesting at the edge of my home and getting in under the floor boards in the room. Then they fly to the same extra warm corner far from the door. It's a screen in area. I've always been able to capture and release one at a time however this week, there are usually 3-6 at the same time. Any ideas?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Tammy

  266. I found a very almost dead bumble bee today the poor bee looked like it was fried up in the sun barely moving feet tucked under it, laying on my porch so i quickly brought it inside and made some honey water and it drank the drops i put on a lid it couldnt use its legs.. it looked almost dried up. After it drank for quite some time i put it on a napkin in a open container to rest in hopes that when i came back home it might still be alive. When i got home all its legs were working and he/she managed to get its winges back to normal and even the front legs were in use.... i was so proud to see the progress but right after i checked on him or her it passed away almost like he waited till i got home to show me his progress then passed away :'( my question is.. why did he wait till i got home to let go. He passed away within 5 minutes of me being back home i was gone for about 5 hours. It made me cry to know he held on till i got homr almost to say thank you and goodbye. Also ..In the future how often should i give a bee sugar water and do they sleep at night should i be leaving them alone and not checking on them constantly bugging them?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Audra Green

  267. Found a queen, gave her sugar water boxed her and warmed her on my hand but she won’t fly away. I think one of her wings is damaged and I don’t know what to do. Please help.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Charlie-anne Mullineux

  268. We have a very large bee which we found on the pavement in a rain storm. It wasn't moving so we took it in and tried to give some sugar water. This was 5 hours ago and the bee will not touch the water. Kept in a tub and warm then after a while the bee keeps trying to climb out. So we put it outside in a sunny place but it then climbs back into our box and the process starts all over again. Not moving, warming it up then not taking any water. Repeated the process a few times now. Its heavy rain showers here constantly at the minute but don't want to keep the bee in the box too long with it not drinking. What is best to do. Thank you

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Paul

  269. What if you have a carpenter bee because my family dose not mind carpenter bees but what if one of the bees gets hurt or looses a wing. I don’t know how to help this bee but I red on Google that is likes to eat nectar, plants that grow pollen, and pollen. I don’t know how to make this bee feel like it is home. So I don’t know what the carpenter bee needs

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Erin

  270. What are we ever going to do when we can no longer purchase shoes that come in a box?!!! 😁

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Englishelley

  271. I had found a honey bee out in the rain just today but the clouds are covering up the sun

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Abby

  272. I'm in Michigan and found a bumble on the porch late yesterday. It was cold and miserable outside and she wasn't moving around so I picked her up, brought her in and fixed a little area for her. I put a drop of sugar water by her head, but she never really moved much and wasn't interested in the water. This morning, she'd died :( I feel so bad! I really wanted to help her. Thank you for the first aid instructions though. They will be helpful in the future because I do occasionally find one like that.

    Sad...

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to nightsmusic

  273. I have a pet bee. She was injured so I put her in a bug box for a few days. I made a bee house and put her in it. The next day, I was outside and she was hiding in a crack in the wood. She was not moving around (I poked her with a stick). I think that she is dead. What do I do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lily

  274. Just wanted to say thank you for this site. I was moving some of my plants indoors because it's going to be in the low forties and it's raining. I did not want my plants to die. In moving my blueberry bush a bumblebee fell onto the chair so I just picked it up and put it back on the bush and stuck in the corner. That's when I decided to Google And I came across your sight and thanks to you I saved the bee and now he is starting to move around.... I put the bush in my car and turned on the heat and I could seen him coming back to life : )... Now he is moving slowly in my bathroom in the blueberry bush

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Liz

  275. Hello again Elise!

    I just wanted to let you know. We took our little bee girl out on the porch about an hour ago (10:30 Michigan time) after sitting her shoebox in the sunlight inside the house and I offered a bit of fresh sugar water. Literally less than five minutes later she suddenly hovered up like a little helicopter and took off! She took a couple circles around the porch and was soon gone, looking like a typical little bumble bee. Complete 180 degree change from the wet tired bee I found yesterday. So you don’t have to worry about answering my post. Our little house guest is back where she belongs! Thank you so much for your informational website!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Linz

  276. Hello Elise!

    I live in Michigan and found what looks like a bumble bee that had been caught in the rain yesterday morning (her wings seemed very wet and stuck together). It was drying outside when I found her but was overcast with no sunlight and the forecast called for more rain at night. So in watching her and reading your website I mixed up some sugar water and offered it to her. She seemed pretty interested and responsive to it. I’m not sure if she ate any as I didn’t see her tongue but I dipped a dandelion in it and offered her some drops as best I could. She moved her antennas and jaws to grab at it and also her legs but still couldn’t dry her wings naturally. I ultimately placed her in a shoebox with a bit of grass that I dried with a paper towel and a shallow lid with some sugar water. She managed to crawl up on the lid but this is where she stayed. We kept her in a spare room in our house overnight. In checking on her this morning she is still just on the lid of the shoebox not attempting to fly. I was planning on offering her some new sugar water and place the shoebox open on our porch where I found her when it’s warmer (the sun is out but it’s only in the 40s right now). Is there anything else I should be doing? I’d appreciate any advice.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Linz

  277. Hi

    It’s cold today about 4 degrees and I’ve found what I think is a queen bee in the drive almost lifeless. It didn’t want water to start with so I brought it indoors. It’s now taken a big drink of sugar and water and is moving a bit more. Still looks like it’s struggling. It’s nearly 7 pm and very cold out.. which is such a change from Sunday when it was unusually warm. I’m watching the bee but she looks like she may take a while to recover . Do I put her outside??

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to N

  278. Found a frozen bumblebee in the morning. The little guy was able to thaw out but he seems to be unable to drink or not want to drink. It’s been 10hrs since I’ve found him and he seems to be the same. Very little movement and a bit wobbly. I don’t know what to do, can you please advise?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kat

  279. Hi, I'm so sorry about the the fire and all the kisses you suffered. I hope things are shaping up better since the new year.

    I'm in nj and it's been getting into the 60s, and my hyacyinths are blooming. I cut a few last evening and put them in a vase, and didn't notice until late last night that there was a big bee on top of one. The temps had dropped to below freezing so I googled and found your site. I had a perfect shoebox with a hole in it, and I got some small branches from the bush where the flowers were and put them in the box. I tried to feed it the sugar water, but my hand was shaky, and then it crawled into the spoon, so I just closed the box for the night. My question is tomorrow and tomorrow night isn't going to get better weatherwise. I think the daytime high is 45°, so should I put the box out anyway, or wait until the next day which will be warmer, and try feeding it again?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Bernadette

  280. Amazing... I used info on here to recover a bee... Bee was stuck floating in a bird bath and I dumped it in a plant, but it looked all dirty and disastrous and weak... I made a shallow bath and washed all the dirt off and put it in a clean area... seemed sluggish... I tried cleaning it a bit, giving it honey and nothing much happened... I transferred it in a warm sunny spot, and when I saw its tounge gave it sugar water, and it spent more time cleaning itself up, looked wet.... I kept checking on it, and it was getting faster and more active... then after 10 minutes, I looked out the window and it took off like a rocket.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Steven J

  281. Hello, I have had a bumble bee living in a shoe box (ventilated ) also inside my slipper , since Sunday night (now Tuesday night)

    It is still alive but no longer accepting and water/sugar .

    I can’t bare to put it outside as it’s so cold and when I do it curls up.

    Iam not sure if it’s trying to hibernate again inside my slipper or is it dying and Iam prolonging the misery? Please help as I just want to help this beautiful creature. X

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Laura silver

  282. I found a seemingly dead carpenter bee yesterday. It’s been 50’s day/40’s night. I brought her inside and gave her/him sugar water which she did drink, but since yesterday she doesn’t move unless I gently blow on her. She just doesn’t look good and does not move. she did fall forward into the sugar water. Should I try making a teeny wooden nest in old wood and allow her and nature to just, ah hem, bee?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to m

  283. Hi I fiund a Carpenter bee on its back so I put it in the sun and gave it sugar water. They usually dont come out until later in the summer. Im wondering should I keep her in thexouse in a container with sugar water ir try and put her in the tiny nest. They have been here for a few yrs. now. The weather is going to get colder again. Thank you.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kim

  284. Hi Elise,

    Your website has been very useful for me this morning as I found a large fuzzy bumble bee struggling on my patio this morning (I think she's a queen), she was on her back so I popped her on a small plate with some sugar water but her front leg didn't appear to be moving so she collapsed on her back a few times and got a bit covered in the sugary water unfortunately. After helping her stay up, removing the plate and popping her indoors for a bit with a smaller dish of sugar water ( placed her in the sun as it was cold outside )... she seemed to improve and move more. Eventually her wings buzzed but she was still struggling with her front leg I think. Maybe she was just lethargic still. It's now been 3 hours and she's made her way to my irises outside, she's still very slow. I am worried she has too much sticky sugary water all over her body. Any other tips to recommend for me to help her? I feel an urge to really look after her now :)

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Laura

  285. what is the difference between a worker bee and a big fuzzy bumble bee.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to cookie cat

  286. Bit off topic, but queen wasps... If they come out of hibernation too soon (eg weren't aware that hibernating in a conservatory is a bad idea as you'll get a false "spring is here", signal, especially if there's a radiator too!), is it possible to re hibernate them /re induce diapause? Obviously care needed handling wasps, all though at this stage they have hardly any energy to do much they can attempt to fly + probably sting. But I fed her, it's a nice day, I put her outside, but in the knowledge that it will probably kill her, as I'm in Yorkshire in late Feb, + probably it will soon be tough weather again. So after 10 mins watching her womble around the lawn with a couple of very small flights, I've put her in a plastic tube with air holes + with a leaf to hang onto, on the shady side of the house. Trying to Google about wasps returns loads of pest control results! She may be about to starve to death either in or out of the tube, so I have nothing to lose with my experiment. Around mid March early April I will see if she survived + open the tube.

    Other than kill her (quick death rather than starvation!, even though the latter would be natural), is there something better I can do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Rich

  287. Im a new beekeeper. We just got a hive yesterday and undid the hole today so they can learn where they live. Of course a weather-alert hit my phone a few hours into daytime. A big rainy cold front came in, blasting rain, wind.. I found about 8 or 10 cold wet bees at the base of the hive. I picked them up carefully with a stick and pushed them back into the reducer hole. Hopefully their bee friends will attend to them? That's all I could think of to do to save them. It'll be 37 tonight so I don't think theyd live on the ground overnite. Do you think this was the correct thing to do? I'm just learning. Thx

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sarah

  288. With our recent hard freeze in Houston, Texas, all of my Mexican Heather and other bee favorites are dead. Now the sun is shining, and the bees are out.

    What can be done for emergency food source?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Cheren Goodwin

  289. Hi, yesterday I found a bee on the floor so I picked her up and gave her sugar water. She had a good drink and then I left her outside, tucked out of the wind so she could fly off. I checked on her later and by 8 at night she was still there. It was quite cold and I could see she was shivering her wings so I brought her in and put her in a little pot with some leaves and cut some big air holes in the top. This morning I’ve popped her back outside with a little cap of sugar water in the hopes that she will fly off. She’s definitely a lot more active but doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. Today is supposed to be quite a lot warmer so I’m hoping that it will get her moving, but what do I do if she again doesn’t fly off?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Shay

  290. I have a bee I saved from my pool yesterday it was almost dark and too cold for it to fly. I dried him and warmed him up, made him a little box and out some warm socks and some sugar water in a shallow dish. It has been raining all day today and its going to rain must of the day tomorrow and will be too cold. Should I just keep doing the same thing until it’s warm and sunny enough to releases him?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Melissa

  291. We have had a bumble bee with us over night after picking her up out of the snow. She is now crawling around and wants to get out of the box. Its minus 3 outside do you have any suggestions. Oh she also has part if her back leg missing.

    Thank you

    Vincent

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Vincent

  292. I found a struggling bumble bee this afternoon while walking my e elderly dogs.I picked it up and covered it gently with a dog blanket in my dog chariot that I use to rest one of my dogs when out as he has arthritis.

    I have it in a box with sugar water, kitchen roll and is on a warm radiator. It is reviving...but what can I do to keep it safe and well until a warm sunny day comes along?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Susan

  293. I keep rescuing bees from pool. They move quite a bit but then just end up going in circles and dying. Is there a way to avoid this?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to K172

  294. Hi

    Just found a large bumble bee. It look dead but I bought her in and she’s now warming up and moving.

    Now I do t know what to do as it’s -3 outside

    Please advise

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Fiona

  295. Hello 👋 so after work last night I found a very tired cold and wet bumblebee. I have fed with sugared water and kept her indoors in a shoe box but I think its to cold to let her go. As it is only just above freezing (I live in the south of england) my question is do I keep it for longer before releasing and if im keeping her longer do I have to provide her with anything else? Any advice would be very appreciated as I have never done this before. Thankyou in advance

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Just me

  296. I rescued a dozy cold queen bee last night and followed your advice.

    She is sleeping curled up on a flower today. Should I wake her or wait?

    How long do I keep her for and could she be hibernating?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Christine

  297. Hi - I have a natural bee hive in a large tulip poplar tree in my yard - about 35 ft up the trunk. The hive has been here for 5 years and seems healthy. It's cold here, about 45 degrees F high during the day. A stray bee has been at my screen door and I've brought it in at night. It's active at night, but once I put it out during the day it slows down. I fear it won't fly up to the hive, and wondering if I could take it to a local garden area that has several bee boxes at ground level. Would the other hive accept this stray bee? I don't want to put it in danger. Thanks, Kate

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to KC

  298. We have found a bumblebee in out house the other day its the 26 of December and the temperature has been very up and down in a very unseasonably way lately.

    We took this bee gave it some sugar water and we noticed that it has a damaged wing. Our son figures that it won't be able to make it back to where it needs to be without dying so we are going to keep it till its dies but we want the bee to be happy till it does.

    If you thi k that this is wrong please let us know, but if this seems OK we where wondering how to keep it.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jon

  299. I found a bee on the ground curled up with what looks like a white bubble on its butt? (Right Where the stinger is) I put it in the sun and it’s starting to move but it’s very twitchy - what can I do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Cait

  300. I’ve been providing water for Bees every summer for about 3 years. This sounds strange but I can’t recall what I did when winter comes. I’m 71, it seems that my memory took a permanent vacation when I turned 70. This year I’m having trouble. The temps go down in the high 30’s and mid 40’s. The bees come early in the morning unless it’s too cold, or it’s raining. We haven’t had rain but 2 times all year. They are usually at the water no later than 10am. But it doesn’t take them long to fall in the saucer. I use plant saucers. They aren’t deep and are finished so it’s easy to keep clean. My problem is that on cold days they fall into the water very easily. I get them as soon as I see they are in the water. That water has been out all night, it’s very cold. I get them out and place them in the palm of my hand. My hands are always hot, I gently move them in my palm to help them wake up. They wake up and are happy the rest of the day. My problem is that at times bees that fall into the water in the afternoon don’t want to fly away before night fall. I’ve tried to keep them with me in the house during the cold night, but by morning they are dead. Tonight I have 10 bees that didn’t fly away by sunset. It’s going down to the 40’s tonight. I’d like to bring them inside, but I don’t want them to die! I love my bees very much and don’t want even one to die! I made a see through plastic container for my bees if I have to bring them in the house. It has lots of air holes. But in the morning they are dead. Please tell me what am I doing wrong? Should I leave the bees outside at night? Should I empty the water until next spring? I always check on the bees every couple of hours. It’s difficult because if I have a doctors appointment I sometimes can’t return to check on them for a few hours. Is it safe to use marbles? I read that, I did that with rocks when I was trying to have water available for butterflies. It got slimy very quickly. I didn’t want them die from bacteria growing so I just emptied it and didn’t do it again. The bees always go away just before it gets dark outside. Are they going to a hive nearby? If not, where do they go?

    Thank you so so much for your help. I’ve been looking everywhere for help. My wonderful husband found you for me. Thank you again, I’m very grateful.

    Patty

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Patty

  301. Hi I have found a large bumblebee outside on the patio soaking wet and cold (about 8degrees) I scooped it up and put it in a box and gave it some bee's honey ( I used to keep bees and have some spare). Don't know if that was a good thing to do or not.

    Anyway I am not sure it has dried out. I have made several attempts to let it go outside but it just curls up. (inside it is quite active). It was free to go but didn't. Now it is getting colder and darker so I have bought it in again. The problem is I think it will be cold for the next few days. Do I keep it in overnight and keep trying to let it go each day? If it doesn't how long can it survive in this (amazon) box?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Stu

  302. Hi I have had a bee arrive yesterday morning was out there in rain last night what can I do to help it

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Hev

  303. Hello! We found a freezing carpenter bee outside (it’s 40f). We brought him in, gave him sugar water and warmth. He perked up and was flying around the container so we released him near a bench we think his nest is in. He flew off but then came back to our front door a half hour later. We have him inside again and are wondering what to do next. Can you keep a carpenter bee over winter? I’m afraid he’s lost his nest somewhere and will freeze to death. Thank you!!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lea

    1. Perhaps the bee thought it was a good food sorce for it's hive and wants to come back? If so it isn't good and you probably shouldn't let the bee back in or it may be encoraged to try again to get more sugar water for the hive.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Hebe Manon

  304. I found a bee in a glue trap, It was so awful watching it strugle. So I put some vegtible oil on it, but I think I drowned it. I finally got it out of the trap but it buttwas still moving, I tried to get it to wake up and fly or anything really, ut it stopped moving... Sadly it will not move for about 5 min now,... I feel really bad. 😥😓😩😭

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to beez

  305. It’s the start of a really cold snap and the onset of winter. There’s a poorly bee in my house. Can I keep it safe over winter? I’d usually offer sugar water and set it free but I don’t think it could survive winter!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Elle

  306. Hi, we found a worker bee in the middle of the river while out on our boat. Got him on the boat to dry out and waited a while, but I think we was too tired to fly off. Brought him home to give some sugar water, but now I don’t know where to release him since it will be difficult to get him back to that area by car. Will he survive if released in our back yard?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Shelby

  307. I’ve found a bumble bee outside my back door early this morning, I think she may have been there all night, it’s November and winter, she is alive but only moving slightly- what should I do?

    Thank you

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Clare

  308. I have a large bee under a leaf in the garden. its been there for a few days .its alive, is there anything I can do to help it or is it dying

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Julie

  309. Hi! I found a honeybee on my car last night, it was supposed to get cold overnight(about 40F). I read that was too cold so I took the bee in and gave it sugar water. The outside temp today did not reach 50F. Tonight the temperature will reach 55F but that is only during the night and while it is raining, in the morning the temperature will drop to below 50F. Tuesday the high will be 45 and mostly sunny. Wednesday it will 53F and cloudy. Thursday will be 59F and rainy. Friday will be 57F and mostly cloudy.

    I am not sure when to release the bee as I do not know how long it will survive inside and which of those conditions would be the best to release it in. The bee has sugar water and I filled a bottle cap with compost, garden dirt, and water for it as well. I need help deciding when to release the bee and how to provide for it while inside.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kate

  310. Hey,

    Found a bumble bee yesterday. It’s freezing here and Bert is very slow and groggy. Given sugar solution. Today i put Bert outside but still nothing. Little flutter of wings. Please help. I’ve got quite attached

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jo

  311. It is getting cold out. I found a bumblebee on my mum and mum is dying because it’s between 20-35 degs. Overnight and most days 40-50. The bee is sluggish. 2 others were there but they left. I took this single one inside 3 days ago, gave sugar water and live flowers in a butterfly habitat. I put him outside today cuz it was 60 but temps will drop tonight and over next week. He hasn’t moved off the mum. What should I do with him?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Nota

  312. The video that you have of the bees drinking in the red bowl. where it says: Shared with kind permission by reader Christine.

    May I have Christine's contact details or would you pass mine to her. I would like to see if she will give me permission to use her MP4 video.

    Lesley

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lesley Woodfin

  313. Hi, I have found a western honey bee, he came in my house on wood for my wood stove he fell off thankfully and onto my floor I saw him crawling around and scooped him up. I have him in an open container I made some tunnels out of cardboard and he’s gone in. What am I to do with him if I put him back outside will he find his hive? It’s freezing out and we have snow now? Thanks so much

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Baby Sunflowers

  314. My girls for a bumble bee yesterday on a path. It was late afternoon on a cold, frosty day. We rescued the bee and took it home to warm up/ give sugar water. It perked up but didn't want to fly off. We have kept safe over night and now it is pouring rain (typical Scotland). It is moving around a little, giving odd buzz but doesn't seem that active to get going. Any advice?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jacqui

  315. It's about 10-12'c out now. Found a large bee at the doorstep - taking in heat from the song sun. But it is sluggish and weak.. I've got it in a box, some flowers, sugar water, heat etc. Is it dying at this time of year? Any advice accepted.

    I saved a bee earlier in the summer, but it's cold out now.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kathy

  316. I found a bumbel bee queen mating she had only one wing i bought here inside and i gave her a daisy flower she drank and buried into the soil she is currently in hibernation when she has a few workers i am going to put her outside in a bumbel bee box is this okay?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Asim

  317. Hello. It is getting cooler by the day here in CT. Yesterday evening (10/24) I found what I believe is a honey bee. It was too cold to move so I gave it some sugar water and sat with it in my hand for a while but it did not fly away. I decided it was best to take it indoors overnight as it was getting dark outside. It warmed up and began flying inside the old fish tank I am keeping it in. But then when I brought it back outside (10/25) in the afternoon (the temperature is only 48 F) it tried flying and was unable to lift itself higher than an inch from the ground. It crawled back onto my hand and stopped moving. I figured it is still too cold outside for it so I took it back in and am not sure what to do now. The temperature is not supposed to get any warmer outside and there is rain in the forecast for the next few days. Please help!! Thank you

    -Sami

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sami

  318. Hey. I found a honeybee in the crack of my car trunk today. I’m not sure if she was there from our house or my moms. She was hardly moving and seemed to be cold. I brought her inside and gave her a little sugar water And within a few minutes she was trying to fly. She doesn’t seem to be injured or dying. But it is chilly outside and fairly damp. Tomorrow is suppose to be the same way. She has a safe place for tonight but should I attempt to release her tomorrow seeing as how the weather isn’t the best and not knowing if her hive is here or in another town?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kara J

  319. Today a bee was on me and it almost sting me what do I do?

    I was scared that the bee has already bit me!

    I hope I don't get an infection, but will I get an infection?!

    -Charley Maria Dela Rosa Badawi

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to charley

  320. We have found a bee this afternoon barely moving, we have bought it home given it some sugar water not sure it has taken any though as in a very poor state, it’s legs are moving very slightly at times and the head tucked right in, l have now put it in my hand which is quite warm, we also removed a fast moving mite! Any ideas please? In the past we have had bees that recover quickly, So not sure what to do as it’s October ! Many thanks in advance 🙏🌺

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lisa S

  321. I have a bumblebee (or it could be a queen honey bee because my neighbors have bees) and it has been on the same flower for overnight (which was rainy and 40 degrees )and looks like it’s just hanging there. As we now approach another night she is still there but we are suppose to get a light frost tonight Should I try to bring it inside in a box? I’m afraid it could be a queen

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Deb

  322. Hello. Yesterday I took in 3 inactive bees that had been hanging onto a cut bouquet of sunchoke flowers on my back porch since the day before. So after some googling and finding your page I took a ventilated show box, added sugar water and a few of the sunchoke flowers (in water) and some soft paper. Once the bees were in they had fed on the sugar water they perked up so I went outside with the box. One bee flew away but not the other 2. I kept them overnight and now they still won't leave. What should I do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to C

  323. We are in the middle of a storm. Rescued bee from wall, given it sugar water and its perked up, going to keep it overnight and hopefully release tomorrow. This storm is here for a while. We are in Cornwall UK

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Tee

  324. in Wisconsin its 4e degrees, wet m, and rainy. Found a best that wasn't moving. I brought it in, offered sugar eater, and warned him/her up. What do we do now?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jodi

  325. Hi!

    I love Bees and am a little concerned looking for true answers. I’ve recently come across this “sleepy Bee” idea that says Bees sometimes sleep outside their “nest” in flowers. Are they truly sleeping ? I’m worried that it could be exhaustion of worse God forbid a pesticide issue. I’ve seen a few Bees recently asleep in what I think is a calendula flower. Yesterday and today in the early afternoon and morning. It’s been a bit cold late as well here on the east coast.

    Also I will note that this last summer I saw sooooooo many Bees out! I’ve never seen so many and yet made me feel food like perhaps humans being quarantined had allowed for done reset of nature and a much needed flourishing of Bee civilisation. I don’t know, just a thought. But I had a good feeling whereas with this sleepy Bee thing I feel bothered 😕

    Thanks for any insight 🙏 🐝 💓

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Shana

  326. Oct 3rd 2020. We have a dozy Bee in our conservatory. It's Autumn here in the UK and cold and pouring with rain outside. The Bee is crawling around slowly. We have supplied sugar and water for it but what else should we do ? Should we make make some sort of nest for it to crawl into? Our conservatory is getting a bit chilly now and we don't want to put the Bee outside where it's even colder.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Geraldine Dodd

    1. I’m no expert but I read above that allowing the Bee to crawl on your skin may provide it with sine warmth fir recovery. Just thought I’d point that out so you can act quickly for the Bee 💓

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Shana

  327. I brought dahlias indoors from my plot. Next morning a honeybee was buzzing on the inside of my window. I tried to open the window to entice him out but couldn't find the key to unlock it, so decided to do same on my return about one & a half hours later. Sadly, it was dead on the windowsill of my other window. So sad. Feel like I have killed it. Why did it die? Regards jo d

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jo

  328. I'm so relieved having read your post. The past few days here in Vancouver have been particularly rainy - very heavy at times - and I have been seeing so many thoroughly soaked bumblebees in my asters and dahlias both day and night. During the day I can pick 7-8 of them, bring them in to warm up and dry off and then when they're buzzing their wings I've been letting them fly outside when the rain has stopped.

    Last night we returned from dinner and I found at least 10 more bumblebees on the dahlias all soaking wet. I brought them all in, some still on the flowers they were on, keeping them in a shallow ice cream bucket with a soft mesh cloth (from a laundry bag used to wash delicate garments) on top. I've put them all in a quiet dark place.

    I was worried I was disturbing them and somehow messing with nature but I'm so glad to know after reading your post that this is ok to do. I will start offering sugar water. I have some hummingbird nectar I've made which I'll add more sugar to make it the correct ratio. Thank you for your information.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Flavia C

  329. I know your site is all about wonderful furry little bumbles, but I have been so damaged by carpenter bees that I hate all bees that are not honey bees. I'm sure there may be a way to tell the difference, but any bumblybees I see, all seem to drill holes in my house.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Tim

  330. i saved a drowning bee with my hands

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to kk

  331. I came across a cold wet bee yesterday and followed the advice to house the bee overnight as we had an abrupt, cold start to our fall yesterday. Now that bee is warm and dry I see that she is injured, it looks like her front legs. Today’s a warmer day and I’ve made her a cozy spot on our deck next to our flowers, with some leaves, flower heads, fresh water and sugar water but I’m not feeling hopeful as she’s still there several hours later 😔. Any further advice?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Rhonda

  332. Hi I had a dish out all summer for the bees to use for water up until recently didn’t see much of them catching on ? Anyways 3 weeks ago I happily saw numerous bees using the dish and even some hornet types ! So to make a long story short I noticed that the glass rocks and sides of my water dish could use a cleaning? I was worried about them getting something from the moldy sides ? So I cleaned with vinegar and put fresh cold water in ? And now none of them are using it anymore? Were the bees leaving some type of scent to guide others to the bowl that I have now washed off or is it just coincidence?? Any help on this would be great!! Ty

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Nish

  333. A roofer told me that I had a bees nest. How can it be safely removed?

    I live in Lynn,MA 20 miles North of Boston.

    Thank you,

    Dr. J

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Dr J

  334. Found almost dead(?) large bee on garden table. I put sugar water and flower bud on leaf and tempted bee to eat/drink which it did. However it still seems sluggish. Another smaller bee has joined the larger one, this smaller one keeps flying away And coming back. Now, it has either mated with large bee or tried to either sting it or kill it. Not sure what to do, should I try and shoo little bee away or leave the pair alone??? Please advise, I have spent about 4 hours trying to make big bee strong enough to fly

    Regards xx

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Patsy

  335. I’ve been finding several lethargic bumble bees in a corner of the yard (and a few dead bees). It is unusual, we haven’t used pesticides (though who knows about neighbours), I’m wondering if it’s just because it’s a shady corner and it’s been a cooler summer (temps more low 20’s C than mid 20s as we’d normally see). Is it likely they’re Just cold or is there something else I should be looking for? I have started moving to a sunny location and feeding them, but it’s usually unnecessary, especially for so many bees this year. We have so many flowers in bloom that I have difficulty believing they’re going hungry.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Beth

  336. So my neighbor has a bee box I care take her home while she is at work the bees were fine yesterday but my other neighbor called me saying his backyard is swarming. I went over there and her box is swarming and the bees are dropping out of the box in big blotches and swarming. It is a cool morning what is going on?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Darleen

  337. I was just driving out old, dry soil in my trough to put yes I compost in and I've come across mining bees in little kids in the soil. I guess they're baby bees, one doesn't even have fully formed wings! What should I do? I feel terrible. Should I leave it or can I do anything to help reverse the damage I've caused?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Summer

  338. Hi,

    Late this evening it turned cool and while out with a lamp, checking my flowers for nasties, I found a struggling bee..

    I tried to give it sugar water on a teaspoon, but it fell to the floor. I re-approached with the teaspoon and the bee started drinking.

    After the drink, the bee became more animated, but was struggling to fly - I assume it was because of the cold.

    I put the bee in a well ventilated box for the night, in the house and intend to release the bee tomorrow.

    I'm hoping the bee will be ok and that I can get the bee flying as bees are in trouble and we need to save all we can.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Paul

  339. We had a series of storms over the weekend. While I was on my deck securing some furniture down, I found a carpenter bee. I brought her inside and saw that her wings had been torn off and two of her legs on her left side no longer function. I won't be able to release her back into the wild, as there is no way she will survive. But I'm happy to care for her.

    I just need some help in knowing what I can do. Whenever I try to research her needs as a carpenter bee, all I get are "pest control" sights or how to get rid of them - which is not something I want to do.

    I try to bring her a variety of flowers every day but I don't know what kind she needs - all I know is she needs shallow open-faced flowers because her mouthparts are shorter than honey bees.

    I often let her curl up in my hand (her favourite place is usually between my fingers, where she likes to rest or groom herself) I've had her for 5 days now. She fed on the 3 day, (and pooped twice) but I'm worried about her still. She doesn't take sugar water often, and most the time she will crawl over the flowers or just curl up on them.

    I'm worried about the long term, because I know she needs the nutrients from flower nectar. I'm just at a bit of a loss, so any help and advice you can offer will be deeply appriciated.

    She's a fighter, extremely gentle, and I've grown very fond of her.

    Sincerely,

    Mia

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Mia

  340. I lifted up a sedum plant outside and apart from the usual woodlice there was a large black furry insect with several legs lying on its back it flipped over to reveal it was a large bee I put the sedum plant back on top of it as I didn't know what else to do was there anything else I could have done?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Carla

  341. I lifted up a sedum plant outside and apart from the usual woodlice there was a large black furry insect with several legs lying on its back it flipped over to reveal it was a large bee I put the sedum plant back on top of it as I didn't know what else to do was there anything else I could have done?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Carla

  342. What to I do if I found a bumblebee stuck in sweetened milk?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Dunja

  343. I have rescued a bee from paddling pool in the garden. She was walking as I left her in the sun on some flowers now she is barely moving and semi curled up in a ball, I have placed into a box with some leaves flowers but looks like she isn’t going to make it. I’m so sad please help do they sleep should she be barely moving ? Offered sugar water but she dragged herself through the few drops I put out now worried I’ve caused her to be sticky and made it worse 😫 please help

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Annabelle

  344. We have now three bumble bees that were on our back porch all within three days who have black sticky stuff all over them causing them not to be able to fly. Two have lived the last two nights even in this condition. I have tried everything I can think of to help them. They have been staying in our garden boxes.

    Please help!

    I still cannot determines the source from which is causing this! It must be near as they are dropping on my back porch.

    Any ideas on how to clean them?!

    Best,

    Gabrielle

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Gabrielle

  345. I’m trying to save a bumble bee because it’s weak. It’s tongue is sticking out and will not go in. I’ve put him/her into a box with some foliage. Please can you give me some advice? Why won’t it’s tongue go back in?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Louise

  346. Not really a question. I'm so angry with myself. I am scared of bees, but when I saw one drowning in my pond I scooped it out with a spade. It was alive, so I left it in the sun to dry. Gradually its wings seemed to fix and I could see the bee was now completely dry. I even gave it some sugar water, which it declined.

    Come night time I didn't know what to do, there was no way I could have it in my house. So I left it, but still checked on it. It even buzzed, but still wouldn't fly away.

    Later in the evening I heard it start raining, without hesitation I ran outside to get the bee under some shelter so that it didn't get wet again before being strong enough to fly off. To my dismay it was dead, ants had gotten it. I never even considered that ants would appear and kill the poor thing. I saved it's life, and then my fear of bees prevented me from taking it indoors and cost it's life. I just felt the urge to try and help it despite my fear of them. Now I'm sad, I feel like I failed it :( :( :( :(

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Chaz

  347. I found a bumble bee in my garden 2 days ago on the floor, I offered it some sugar water as it had been there a couple of hours. It was still there later on in the day so I moved it onto a Passion flower. It is now morning day 3 and it is still on the Passion flower, he/she is alive, I offered more sugar water but the bee does not seem to be drinking it. What should I do next? The weather is meant to turn for the worse.

    Thank you

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Laine

  348. Hi.

    I rescued what seems to be a bumble bee from my paddling pool. It climbed onto the lead fine and I put it in a flower in the sun thinking it would dry off. It’s head and centre body part appeared to dry off but the back end still looks sleek as if wet. It was moving a bit so I wasn’t too worried.

    Approx 1 hour later the bee was still there. It wasn’t moving and it was only when I gently blew on it that I could see it was still alive. The sun had set so I took it into my garage and put it onto a saucer with a cap containing some sugar water close to it. Two hours later it had crawled out of the saucer and was lying on its side.

    I’ve now brought it inside where it is slightly water. It’s in a Tupperware container with pierced cling film over the top (I have very young kids so Don’t want it loose in the house if it gets better).

    I now have a petal with a drop of sugar water instead of a lid which I have placed inside the box. Is there anything else I can do? I fear the outcome is not favourable for this little bee :(

    Thank you.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Daniele

  349. My partner found two bees in our paddling pool yesterday, he brought them both in and I put them on some tissue where they both began to clean/dry themselves off. As it was already late in the evening and they were in no rush to leave, I made them each a box to stay in over night as it was also cold and raining. I tried them both with the sugar water solution which neither wanted and put them in their ventilated boxes. Come the morning the smaller, less colourful one of the two had died, the other had perked up. I gave him some more sugar water solution which he drank, I also gave him some of my lavender which he foraged for pollen. It is only 13 degrees celsius here today, and it doesn't plan on warming up to about 22 degrees until 2 days time. I've been keeping him in the downstairs toilet which is full of natural light, cool and next to the back door. When I check in on him he's very active and he must have flown at some point too as he was out of his box however when I take him to the opened backdoor or the garden he remains still and doesn't attempt to fly. So I'll bring him in and check on him 30 mins later and he's moved around again. Is it just too cold for him outside? The fact that he must have flown at some point seems promising as he definitely couldn't have crawled from where I'd put him on a high shelf to the floor. I live in England and the weather is cold and damp at the moment, and as usual you can't rely on the weather forecast.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Cat

  350. I saved a bee and it flew so it survied

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Tom

  351. I have a covered garden house. The sides and front and back are opened this time of year. Most days no problems for the bees to come and go. Occasionally they forget how they came in anD struggle to find a way out. They want to go higher! This morning I had five doing this. I rescued all of them. What can I hang like a small bee bubbler with sugar water near the opening for them to say, “heh this way out!”?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Nina Sharon Goinsd

  352. We live deep in the countryside in South Wales and since the weather started to get warm early, the bumble bee queens all started to some out and within 6 weeks we had hundreds of bees busy collecting pollen and nectar from the trees and flowers. But.... in early June we had very low temperatures, almost a frost, and now we have not seen a bee for weeks. Do you think the cold temperatures may have killed off all the grubs and worker bees? There are still plenty of flowers for them and they are usually all over the clover that is flowering now, but not a single bee!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sparky

  353. Hi, I saved a honey bee from a bird bath and watched while it dried itself and cleaned itself in the sun, then just before it flew away it looked like it excreted or spewed water. What was the bee doing?

    Thanks

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Anna

  354. Hi,

    I found a bee that wasn’t moving

    I offered sugar water - didn’t take it

    I took it and placed it in my plant pot (thinking it would pass away but amongst the flowers)

    The next day the bee was still there and I went to move it... it moved a little.

    I offered sugar water again - couldn’t see it’s tongue out.

    Left for the day - still the same

    I now keep it in at home with me at night to avoid it getting wet etc

    But I can’t actively see it drinking the water or getting anymore movement... but it is still alive (day 3) what should I do? Xx

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Victoria

  355. Hello, I found a bee, which I think is a Tree Bee, a week ago and she has part of her wing missing so can't fly. I out her on a flowering plant and kept checking on her. She stayed there all day so in the evening I covered the plant with large ivy leaves and left her.... She was still there in the morning. I had to go away at the weekend and it was due to be stormy so had to accept she may not survive or be there 3 days later... Well she wasn't on the plant when I returned but came wandering over the lawn! She's still here over a week later and being fed on a diet of flowers that she drinks from and the odd bit of strawberry jam ( treat)! She stays on the plant all day and I cover her up when I go to bed... She's currently drying out in a Bug Box with leaves etc that we had from years ago since it's rained all night... Can't believe she's still here 😍 I'm going away again this weekend but would it be ok to take her to another garden for a spell or should I leave her in my garden alone!? She's now called Bee-Yonce... Am I getting too attached!?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Mother Ter-Bees-a

  356. Rescued a bee from a pool. Offered some sugar water with zero interest, It has ‘t moved in over an hour anything else

    I can do to help it?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kyle

  357. My sister found a bee in our pool and took it inside and it kept falling over then we took the bee up stares and we looked after it but it might die 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Amy

    1. Don't worry, your bee is probably wet, or it's wings are. Just let it dry off, and hope it will be okay.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Lisa

  358. What happens if I can’t revive my bee? I had already revived Mr. Buzzy Bee 🐝 but he seems to not be being revived a second time. I am worried and want a solution quick! It seems like he got attacked by hornets and I have been feeding him sugar water, like you said. I have put him outside, and am hoping he can live a little longer. I had just revived him at 12:00 pm and now it’s 7:30, I am sad and want him to live more. I think his whole colony was attacked so I want to take good care of him! Is there a solution to this, because I just tried his sugar water again, and still, no sign of hope. 😢😢😢🐝🐝🐝

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Mari

    1. I buried him... 😢😭😭😖

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Mari

      1. I am so sorry your bee died R.I.P to your bee 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Livvie

  359. How to tell a male bee from a female bee and I saved a bee from some water

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Nikki

    1. Bees are male and female bees are both gender

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Amelia

  360. I found a bumblebee clinging onto my washing as I was bringing it in, it wouldnt fly off so I made it some sugar water, it crawled round for a few minutes and then its bottom started pulsating (the only way I can describe it!) Then it did what looked like a wee, the same colour as the sugar water, then it moved to some more sugar water I'd put in a different spot and then quickly flew off, at no point did I see it drinking, so I was wondering what it could have been doing? Strange question I know I'm hoping you have an answer as it's really intrigued me!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Stephanie

    1. Hey! I had the kind of same problem. Mine didn’t fly off tho. But it didn’t drink either. It was weird!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Mari

  361. Took in a sleepy tree bee overnight and its had some sugar water this morning. Beautiful warm sunny day so have taken outside but it still doesn't seem able to get strength to fly. Quite lively and rubbing back legs and running around box stretching wings but no flight. Any ideas?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Pat

  362. Hello

    I found a bumblebee lying on the floor whist walking to the shop I gave her some sugary water and she drank some but she is still sitting on my flower from last night what do I need to do to help her

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Hanna

  363. Today (mid-June), I came across a carpenter bee freaking out on the sidewalk: rolling around, flailing its wings but not flying. Seemed to be aggressively grooming? I tried to coerce it onto a leaf to bring it to a safer, grassy area, but it didn’t seem to have much control over itself. I couldn’t see any mites, and it appeared to have all its limbs. What was wrong? How could I have helped?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kristina

  364. what if the bee is to hot i'm in texas and its 92 degrees F

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to josiah

  365. I just wanna share my story so I’m 9 there was a bee at my grandmas house the bee was in the birdbath so I decided to save it before it died I grabbed a leaf from the ground and I tried to pick the bee up wit it for about 20minuits and then I got it so I started walking with it around my grandmas back yard and then when I went next to are shed it flew away and didn’t come back

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Bean

  366. there is some sort of yellow sticky string coming out of the side of this cold and wet bee that i found. it is in a box right now with honey and sugar water. do you know what it could be?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to charlotte

  367. I live in Ohio. I have medium sized ground bees with more than one hole in my front flower garden. I trim these bushes once or twice year. The bees ground holes are right under the bush. They are fuzzy, light yellow, fat like a bumblebee but have black butts. Their colors are not real vivid. I’m afraid to trim the bushes and plant in the garden. Are these bumblebees? I do have a video of them. I accidentally put a tarp over their hole and that’s when I saw like 4 or 5 flying around. I trimmed 95% of the bushes without a sting or knowing they were there.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Shelly

  368. Having Just found a drowning bee on a rainy wet day, in a tub of water. I have brought her in and tried to encourage a little sugar water, but I accidentally dropped a huge droplet onto the bees back. Now the bee is struggling as it dries it's all sticky. I feel so sad I have been so careless and really just tried to help her! She is walking around on our indoor strawberry plant and vibrating her wings. How can I help her?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Georgie

  369. I gave a bee sugary water roughly 2-3 days ago it was a very hot day so after it was trying to fly but can’t, it’s wings were going but nothing, I assumed it was tired so removed from patio and placed on the lawn as cooler, I’ve just been mowing the lawn and luckily spotted it, I placed on my hand and put in the air it tried to fly off end of my hand but fell back into the grass. I’ve moved it further out the way but don’t know what else I can do :( can you please help

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to teresa redman

  370. i found a bee on my windowcill and was there for a few hours in the morning. i decided to feed it some honey, and so it ate. the rain was spitting and the bees wings were with small droplets. i decided to make little shelter outside using a small box and some tissues inside. i put it outside as i was afriad it might get lost in the house and so it walked into the shelter rested for abot 40mins and the was moving about then left the box. its not a question but i wanted to share my story with you.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to maddie

  371. I saved a bee out of my paddling pool. It was crawling around but now it's stopped and is breathing but barely moving and has curled up. I've given him sugar water and now bought him inside as the sun has gone in. Do you think it's too late for him?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jo

  372. We found a bee last night that wasn't moving. We gave it some sugar water but still didn't fly. It survived the night and tried some more sugar water but it doesn't seem interested in this. We've warmed it up and keeps buzzing it's wings but doesn't fly away. It's also very wobbly. Is there anything else w3 can do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Amy

  373. I rescued a bumblebee from my paddling pool last night. I fed it some sugar water but it wasn’t very keen so I put some on the path for it. I have only found your page this morning so I didn’t know to put it in a ventilated box overnight. I assumed it would have flew off overnight but it hasn’t. It is only moving a few steps at a time. It has been buzzing and flapping its wings but it rolls over sometimes and can’t get back up without help. I don’t want to keep trying if he is dying and I’m just prolonging things. What is the kindest thing to do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Vikki

  374. Found her walking around and put her on some flowers, she took the pollen and is still active but she won’t fly away. She doesn’t look injured in anyway, do you know what might be up?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Tevis

    1. She might want to stay with you or just waiting for the right moment to fly away

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Bean

  375. I found a bumblebee on my balcony that was not moving so I took it inside and tried to give it suger water but it won't drink anything, I've had the bee for 5 hours now and it still won't drink, it's also not moving, I actually thought it was dead until I saw its leg move slightly. The weather here has drastically changed from lovely and warm to cold and rainy with high winds and its 8pm now so I'll keep her over night in a shoe box but I am concerned she's not drinking or moving much.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Chloe

  376. Hi we have this little bee which has sat in our porch for 2 days. Today I fed her sugard water but she still she has stayed. She doesn’t try and fly and she seems very weak. All she does is lift her legs up and she has something yellow on each side of her leg. Don’t know what to do with her.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Ellie

  377. I found a bee yesterday on our lawn, too tired to fly so I put it up on a bird table with some nectar and out it under our porch so it was as much out of the wind as possible as it also started raining. However this morning it still hasn't moved, but when I gently blow on it, it does, so I know it's still alive... from the pics above, it looks like the middle bumble bee queen. I have a "minibeast house" which I could pop it in tonight if it is still there, will keep it warm and sheltered even more with some nectar etc if you think that will be okay and release tomorrow, but is there anything else I can do to help it today? I hope this all makes sense, thank you

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lucy

  378. I have a poorly bee. I found him on my door step 48 -ish hours ago. He’s struggling to walk and is spending most of his time lying on his back kicking his legs. I have managed to get him to drink a little sugar water but he’s showing no improvement. We’re moving into day three of him struggling and I don’t know what to do.

    He buzzed on day 2 a little with his bottom and I don’t know whether maybe ending his struggle may be best.

    He has a lovely house in a box with access to food and water.

    He’s still living and kicking but his legs won’t work.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Charlotte

  379. I have a poorly bee. I found him on my door step 48 -ish hours ago. He’s struggling to walk and is spending most of his time lying on his back kicking his legs. I have managed to get him to drink a little sugar water but he’s showing no improvement. We’re moving into day three of him struggling and I don’t know what to do.

    He buzzed on day 2 a little with his bottom and I don’t know whether maybe ending his struggle may be best.

    He has a lovely house in a box with access to food and water.

    He’s still living and kicking but his legs won’t work.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Charlotte

  380. I have a bee in the garden that id totally disorietstsd. It can't walk normal and rolling around. Is there anything I can do to help?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sarah

  381. I found a bee on the floor and brought it home. It won’t take any sugar water and falls on its back when it tries to move. One of its legs is curled under and the next one is sticking up. It can’t seem to sit straight. What should I do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Hannah

  382. Today in hot weather I found a bee on the path. It was not really moving. I picked it up and brought it back to my garden and gave it come sugared water which it drank. Unfortunately my bee fell into the sugary water and I was cornered that it’s wings had become sticky. I dropped some water onto the bee and I have left it in a shoebox with greenery tonight. Are there any other tips you can give me please? My bee is very sluggish and want to do everything I can to help it on it’s way?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Charlotte

  383. Hi, I found a bumble bee queen on the garden floor yesterday afternoon. She looked well but wasnt flying, just buzzing on the floor. I offered sugar water but she didn't drink. I read that buzzing meant that she is cold so i brought her in the house and laid her on a piece of kitchen roll with sugar water close by. She is still there barely moving and not trying to fly. Her probosis is out and she only moves her abdomen and head occasionally. I think she is dying. I attempted wetting her prognosis with sugar water with a toothpick and that seems to have made her move a bit more afterwards. I dont know if there is anything else I can do for her, but I thought you might. Thanks

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Maria

  384. Hi, I found a bumble bee queen on the garden floor yesterday afternoon. She looked well but wasnt flying, just buzzing on the floor. I offered sugar water but she didn't drink. I read that buzzing meant that she is cold so i brought her in the house and laid her on a piece of kitchen roll with sugar water close by. She is still there barely moving and not trying to fly. Her probosis is out and she only moves her abdomen and head occasionally. I think she is dying. I attempted wetting her prognosis with sugar water with a toothpick and that seems to have made her move a bit more afterwards. I dont know if there is anything else I can do for her, but I thought you might. Thanks

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Maria

  385. A bee fell in my pool and there is no sun outside because it is a stormy day and I don't have sugar water because I can't make it I have no sugar what do I do

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Hannah

  386. Can bees die if they only have 3 legs to walk on

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sharon

  387. I’ve had at least three huge fuzzy bees , likely spring queens, crawling around in my garage. Very sluggish weak ...first one died after many hours, I tried to give sugar water. Second one I put in the sun and it flew away before I could could get water to it which is great . third one is struggling, won’t take sugar water,it’s going to be night soon how can I help her ....She is still moving a tiny bit but starting to curl up like the first one.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Catherine

  388. I found a bumblebee on the water I took it out straight away ,I put her on the sunlight to dry but don’t know if she is dead or not I gave her a water sugar solution too any help would be great thanks.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Patricia

  389. Hi a honey bee found his way into our house yesterday so I let him crawl onto my hand and placed him onto a nearby cosmos outside, an hour or so later I went outside and he was still there. Barely moving, I mixed some sugar water and plopped a small drop on a petal he had a small drink and proceeded to crawl around and had a little wash, as the sun started to fade he stopped moving around so I took the potted flower Indoors. He then proceeded to crawl out of the pot along the side and into the window and got settled in a potted plant.burrowed into the dirt his head first and his bum sticking out. He is still there this morning. I have popped the plant outside with him in incase he needs some warmth..will he survive? Is it possible he has died, I feel I did all I could for him. Is it normal for bees to burrow into soil? Many thanks x

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Honeybee1

  390. Some bees that I rescue from my pool turn back to the pool and jump back in. One bee I rescued 8 times and kept doing it. If I can get them when they are motor boating, they fly away. We have bee hives. We keep a rag tied on the steps so they can get water safely. Thanks

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Pk

  391. Hi,,

    I have keep a queen been safe (after finding her in a pool) overnight.

    I was going to release her the next day but it is quite windy.

    I'm just wondering if she'll be able to fly in the wind?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Leann

  392. I rescued a bee lastnite from drowning I brought it inside and gave it some sugar water. Due to the weather I decided to keep it in over night. When I woke this morning the bee is still sluggish and doesn't want any water any idea what to do. Thanks

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Rachel parker

  393. I have found what looks like a queen bee, hanging onto the side of a net paddling pool.

    I rescued her and placed her onto my blossom tree but she was hardly moving and it is extremely windy. I made the decision to take hey in side but I picked some blossom, because she was enjoying munching on them, and placed her in a shoe box. I've put her into my boys play house, so she doesn't get confused by the heat in my house.

    I'm just wondering if she'll be OK with the flowers until morning?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lenne

  394. If you make a bee mad is there a way to make it happy again. Also if you are scared of a bumble bee do you have any tips for me???

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to angelica young

  395. We found a honeybee that could not fly and had a damaged leg. We warmed the bee up and gave him some sugar water but he keeps doing well and then not so well. He is not moving too much right now, and I'm not sure if he will fly again. What should I do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lorin

  396. We rescued a damaged male carpenter bee in early March, and have had him in an aquarium with sugar water (and kitted it out) ever since. He is really clumsy. When we took the aquarium into the sunshine with the top off, he hid, then was upset when we took him in late in the day. What should we do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lori

  397. I just pulled the grill cover off a honey bee hive that was underneath , a downpour happened soon after. Will they drown? Will they leave on their own or do I need to find a company to relocate them?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lindsay

  398. I found a male carpenter bee earlier today tried to give him surger water no change then regular water hes stumbling around and wont pull his tongue in his mouth what should i do

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to David

  399. Hi there,

    Found a bumblebee laying on the floor in my back garden, gave it some sugar water and it seemed more energised, but it did not fly away, I left it for a few hours and came back, it was still on the floor, worried my neighbour might come out and step on it I picked the bee up with a small twig which it held onto, to under a bush and left it some sugar water, it has been there for three days, and is still moving but seems sluggish, wings seem intact and nothing seems injured, I read that it might be to cold for it to take off so I have brought it inside and have made a wee box up for it, so it can stay warm and have some sugar water to pick it up, but it’s seeming not very active, I’m a bit worried and want to know if there is anything else I can do, thank you :)

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Trisha

  400. Hi guys. I found a Bumbleebee yesterday morning drowning in my pool. I've taken her ( assuming it's a female) out and have had her kept warm since yesterday with sugar water. Shes very mobile but just dosent seem to want to fly off. I have no idea what to do with her at this point. Xx

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Carly

  401. I found a female carpenter bee on the ground her one wing is extremely short she cant fly, we put her on top of our BlackBerry bush so that she can get nectar, is there anything we can do to help her? She is very docile and hasn't hurt us.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sarah

  402. How do you help a bee stuck inside you’re home to find a way out? I have a struggling bee wasting all it’s energy by a second story window trying to get out with an open door right underneath it one story down.

    :(

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Dearwyn

  403. Found bumblebee on floor of wet porch in 40 degree rainy day . Unresponsive at first

    Made sugarwater drink

    Bee refused it even after I brought it inside and it warmed up

    It's supposed to freeze tonight and tomorrow but Wed should be in the 50's so I'm planning to keep it inside til then

    BUT : How do I get it to drink - It tries to get AWAY from the teaspoon of sugarwater!!!

    Thank you so much for any help!

    eileen

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to eileen

  404. I’m trying to save a bee I found on its back and seemed to be crunching it’s legs up, I’ve tried sugar water, I could see him drinking it but now he seems like he’s dying and not moving

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Danica

  405. Hi,

    I live in the UK and me and my daughter were out on the trampoline on weds afternoon after it had rained and we found a very small bee struggling to fly so we picked her up with a leaf and placed her in one of our flower pots she stumbled to hide under a leaf, she buried her bottom into the soil and stayed there. We came out the next evening to check on her and it had rained heavy so we placed the ot under a chair and she hadnt moved she was in the ssamespot that we left her in and we tried offering sugar water butshes not interested. Im unsure what else i can do to help her shes very small so am also unsure what kind of bee she is too. Do we just let nature take its course ad see if shes ok by herself. would love any advice my daughter just loves bees and would also like to help her

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Amiee

  406. I found a big bumblebee about 10mins ago. It is 6pm right now so the sun is going to set in about 1hr or so and the temp is 47 Fahrenheit right now and will drop to the kid 30’s Fahrenheit during the night. It is very early spring here so there aren’t any flowers around yet and I’m not sure what to do with this bee. For now it is inside a small critter container w a soda cap full of sugar water 50/50. Is that all she needs for overnight? And how do I know when I should release her back into the wild. And how do I know if she is a queen bumblebee or not? The only thing I know for sure is that she is a bumblebee. Thanks in advance for your response!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Stef

  407. Hello . I've just rescued a giant queen bee that was drowning. My question is after she had drink and dry off she lent on her side lifting her side legs waving at me then she took off,flew in circles around me about 6 times then flew into the blossom tree. What was the waving? Was she warning me not to get closer or thanking me for saving her? It took her a good hour to fully dry (looking like a drowned rat) so I don't think she was being aggressive with this leg lifting as I'd fed her sugar water etc etc. It just blew me away like she was saying thank you to me. Thanks I enjoy your bee page.kind regards steve

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Steve

  408. I’ve had a bumble bee injured for the past week in my garden. Part of one of its wings is missing. I’ve been putting sugary water and wild flowers where it seems to stay, but it’s going to rain for the following week. Will it survive or should I take it indoors?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kelly

  409. Hello!

    I found a grounded bumble bee yesterday, and I brought it inside to warm up a bit and give it sugar water. It warmed up, but I did not see it drink anything. I left her inside and left a drop of sugar water close to her, but she did not drink any, but she moved slightly. I then left her in the house because I figured she would pass away. When I woke up today I found her still alive, and still she hadn’t taken any sugar water. It’s been 24hours and she is still alive and still hasn’t taken any water. I’m surprised and wondering if this is normal?

    Thank you :)

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Em

  410. Hey :)

    I spotted a large bumble bee that wasn’t really moving in my garden and I gave the bee some sugar water, I’m not too sure if it really had any of the sugary water solution and stayed pretty much still the whole time, sometimes I would move the leave under the bee to see if the bee was still alive and it was, I put it under a tree for some shelter and the night was quite rainy And had been quite bad weather for a while now. The next day I go and check on the bee and it was very still but still alive, I came on here to see if there was anything else I could do so I put the bee in a container in my shed to give it a bit of warmth. Still not much movement, is there anything else I can do to help the bee? (Also thank you this page was a big help!)

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Ari

  411. Hello

    Sorry to bother you at this busy time.

    I swept my drive up on tuesday and uncovered a queen buff tailed bumble bee amongst the loose leaves. She was crawling about and seemed active so I put her on some flowers in the sun that she tucked into. Many hours later she was still there and crawling around and not able to fly.

    There is no wing damage I can see and she flits her wings like she wants to take off but doesn't. Tuesday evening she was not on the flowers I put her on so thought she had flown off.

    Wednesday morning I found her walking out from under the planter of the flowers I put her on.

    Both days I offered sugar water which she did not want.

    I spent most of wednesday and thursday carrying her around the garden taking her to different flowers. I brought the loose leaves from the front to re-cover her over. Wednesday night she headed back under the planter and emerged Thursday morning about 10:30am. Last night she was on the flowers on top of the planter I placed her on but holding on to them and still, so i put her under the planter and she headed into the loose leaves. This morning she wandered out again at 10:30am so I put her back onto some flowers in full sun. It is windy today currently 12 degrees.

    I really cant see any physical damage to her wings. She rears up and flits them after indulging in the flowers but she cant seem to move them quick enough to get flight.

    I am not sure if I should keep doing what I am or if there is any more I can do? She does pump her body a lot when I put her in the sun like she is trying to warm up. Should I try and warm her up further? I'm also worried we dont have that many flowers in our garden at the moment. My neighbour has a lot on his front lawn and I am tempted to take her to those but then I wont be able to keep an eye on her if she wanders off. Should I keep returning her to under the planter?

    Is there any more I can do?

    Will she re hibernate if it's too cool for her?

    Do you have any advice as to why she isn't flying?

    I am on day 4 of carrying her around the garden and putting her under the planter at night. I dont want to just leave her as she will likely die. Which I do not want to happen especially as she is a queen. She really perks up after flowers but not enough to fly.

    Every company/charity/ beekeeper I have emailed havent emailed back.

    Many thanks

    Lauren

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lauren

    1. Hi...I am in more or less the same situation as you. If I find an answer I will pass it on to you :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Caroline

  412. Roselle

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to BarryJed

  413. Found a bumble bee near death on my urban porch. I’ve been nursing it back to health and want to know if I can release it about a mile away where there are plants/flowers as there are very few plants near my place.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jason

  414. Hi given the bumble bee some sugar water but it fell upside down and got some water on it’s wings tried to put a little pure water on them and it’s wings are now moving think it may just be tired

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Paula

  415. Hi again she's doing better today😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀 😀 😀

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to GA

  416. I have a giant bee on my windowsill for a second day. Most probably the queen bumble bee (I am not an expert to judge)

    Yesterday I left a bit of water next to her and found her dead, today I moved her a bit and she was moving her legs. I found your site and as I have no sugar at home, I offered her a bit of apple slice, well I put her on this slice and watched how she moved and looked almost healthy, but then she crawled of the slice and lies as if she's dead again next to an apple slice and a small jar top with a water and apple. What's wrong? What can I do to help the creature?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to olga

  417. Hi!!! We have found a bee outside on a plant and it was cold outside so we thought it was sun bathing but it was still there a little while later so we took it inside and put it in this globe thing we had and gave it sugar water and some mums. We put the bee which we think is a queen down in the sun and after a little while it started buzzing and moving around so we put it outside in the globe but she did not fly away so we took her and a flower that she was on out but she still did not fly away so we took her back in but she more sluggish and has been like that for the rest of the day and we put some more flowers in there. What should we do we really do not want her to die😱😱

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to GA

  418. I found a bee drowning in our bird bath and believe it’s a queen bee, we have gave her sugar water and put her in the sun to dry. I’ve now put her in a box with ventilation and leaves. I’ve left sugar so she can eat it and water to drink, but she isn’t moving only moving her legs and trying to get up. What should I do to help?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Madi

  419. Hi, I have had a little fuzzy humble bee flying around my garden for a few days. Today I saw her crawling around the ground. About half an hour ago she appeared on my daughter's leg. I encouraged her in to my hand and she crawled around up & down my arms and across my back, although very lethargically. I managed to get her to walk on to a piece of card & I placed her in a tub I have strawberry plants growing. I quickly googled and found advice to feed 30/70 honey/water mix. Whilst i was preparing this my son shouted that the little bee had fallen in under the soil. I think she probably dug her way in. We have a little sunshine here today so I have placed the tub in a sunny spot. Should I let her be or do u think she needs help? Thank you.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sharon

  420. Hi, I found a bee late last night so housed it in a shoebox overnight after giving her a small amount of sugar water. She was buzzing and vibrating her wings but I thought it best to wait until morning to release her. This morning I gave her some more sugar water and found some fresh wild flowers. She has been in her box in the sunshine but doesn't seem to want to energise herself to leave. She seems more sluggish than last night. What more can I do to help?!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Storm

  421. Hello!

    I was wondering if there was a way I could help the bees so they don't go into the water in the first place. Whenever I go swimming and I see a bee in the water, I help it but I am not outside looking for bees all day. Just asking if there is anything I can do. Bye!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jane

  422. Hello!

    I was wondering if there was a way I could help the bees so they don't go into the water in the first place. Whenever I go swimming and I see a bee in the water, I help it but I am not outside looking for bees all day. Just asking if there is anything I can do. Bye!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jane

  423. Hello!

    Bees are my favorite animal/insect (i know, it's weird) but I was wondering what do do when a bee i sin your pool but has not yet died. What I do is take them out with a leaf, and give them sugar water from a spoon and put them in the sunlight. A lot of the times that works, but sometimes it is not enough. I know in some cases the bee can not be saved, but then one time I put the bee (after it had dried off) in a shady place and kept giving the bee food and shelter because she was not in the health to fly. I think that maybe if the bee is close to dying to not just leave it in the sun, but to give it sugar water or if you don't have that, honey. Maybe you could write some things you could do then just put them in the sun? Maybe it could save more bees than just the ones that have been in the water for a short amount of time. Thank you!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Alice

  424. Hello!

    Yesterday at about 4pm I found a big fuzzy bumble bee on a path next to my house not moving much, I moved her to my deck so she didn't get trampled and checked on her at about 6pm. She had moved to a sheltered location and was resting (I think). I gave her some sugar water, she drank it and then became more active, vibrated her wings a few times and started walking about, then settled in a new spot. I left her alone hoping she would take herself off to somewhere she liked. This morning (9am) she is still on my deck in a sheltered spot. It's 8 degrees celsius and cloudy and I don't have any flowers in my garden, what can I do to help her today? Thanks in advance

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Gee

  425. I rescued a honey bee that was laying on the ground not moving at all. Gave it sugar water and kept it over night in a container with some grass, but it's still acting sluggish and isn't trying to fly at all or buzz. It's been raining quite heavy for the last 2 days. Kinda needing some help here

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Ashley

  426. 911 Bee Emergency

    I was at work today and got a call from my roommate that a swarm of bees had attached itself to a wood overhang at our house. He said they were wasps and to bring wasp killer home. I worked until dark brought home spray. To my disbelief there were thousands of honey bees laying on the ground under the area they had landed. He sprayed them with a mixture of soap and water. They seem to still be alive is there anything I can do to save them?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Paul Hancocki

    1. If it's mostly water, they may be alright still, especially if there's still a cluster of bees around the queen. But they're in dangerous circumstances (already when they're swarming, they have only the food in their stomachs to see them through until they locate a new home).

      If they've expended a great deal of energy covered in soapy water on the ground, they will likely need experienced human help. I would do a web search tomorrow morning for "beekeeper your-town" and see if either a local Beekeeper's Association, or local beekeepers themselves, pull up in the search results. You should be able to call around to find a beekeeper willing to come out and help, if the swarm of bees is still mostly intact by morning.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Elise thank you for your guidance. Local keepers from Bryan's Bees came out and rescued the queen and a fairly good size clump of bees. About half of what parished. The new colony will thrive at it's new home in Semi Valley. Thanks again. I learned so much about these magnificent creatures in the past 48 hours. Amazing.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Paul Hancock

      2. Elise thank you for your guidance. Local keepers from Bryan's Bees came out and rescued the queen and a fairly good size clump of bees. About half of what parished. The new colony will thrive at it's new home in Semi Valley. Thanks again. I learned so much about these magnificent creatures in the past 48 hours. Amazing.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Paul Hancock

  427. Yesterday hundreds of worker honey bees had fallen all over our patio from a maple tree they had been getting pollen from. The sun had been out and then the weather changed and cold set in and clouds and a bit of rain started. We think it just was the cold temp but the kids went around gathering the bees gently and placing them in a jar...warming them by bringing them inside and as they regained their strength they let them fly away again outside. One bee seemed to struggle getting better so we gave it some raw local honey because that is all we had and it still struggled so we kept it in the jar overnight but unfortunately it fell on it’s back in the honey and is covered in it...so it can’t fly...it seems more perky this morning though...is there any way we can help it clean off?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Bex

  428. I found a bee yesterday covered in sticky stuff, I tried to help but found the bee this morning in the cold on her back, I have her in my kitchen on a bit of paper with a triangle bit of paper over her, she is really struggling and I don't know how to help.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to TJ

  429. Hello! I’ve had a fly on my porch for two days and to my surprise, it was actually a little bee. I gave it some sugar water but It was quite chilly last night so your site convinced me to house it overnight. Good News is the bee must have gotten better but the bad news is that she somehow escaped from the box. I’m not so much worried about the bee being in the house but that she will starve. Any ideas where to look and to help continue to keep her alive? Thanks!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to L Smith

    1. UPDATE! My plan worked! Last night I went looking for my escaped worker honey bee in the guest room... after doing the window method (making window the main light source in the room) and sure enough, she was right on the windowsill! 💛 Today it is in the low 50s so I’m not sure about releasing her, it looks like Saturday might be nicer. I also have not given plain water yet so I’m going to do that. I want to say though, I feel bad keeping her in the box even overnight like she really wants to get back... but I think it’s too cold, it’s supposed to rain today 😕 anyways try the window method if you have an escaped bee! I left a spoonful of sugar water right there for her But I’m not sure if she ate it... When I feed her myself with a dropper she’s been eating just fine once the ratio is right (once the water evaporates it gets too thick) 💛🐝💛... highly recommend a dropper because she just puts her tongue in directly and it doesn’t leak at all!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Tessa

    2. I have this same issue! Mine was drowning in my 2 year old nieces swimming pool when I got home from my jog... I got her out and used a Kleenex to dry her off, I laid her out in the sun, but she was quite cold and not very responsive but I thought hands off would be a better approach. Later on that night I was worried so I looked up if bees can get too cold and freaked out when I found out how sensitive they really are, the temp was 48 degrees f and I was scared I lost her. So I ran outside and picked up the flowers I set her on and I swore I thought she was dead. But immediately after taking her inside I could see her feet wiggling, then the warmer she got she moved her legs more and more. I didn’t read to give sugar water until she was inside and had warmed up enough to move her legs fully, as soon as I have her some she perked right up, and actually flew a little bit but she was still a bit weakened. She was SO hungry though! Poor thing, had to have drank her body weight in sugar water. And she was kinda mad I spilled a little on her 😅 Anyways I left the guest room where I was keeping her to get a jar of some sorts or gather some plant matter like it said on here but when I came back to the room she wasn’t anywhere to be found! 😭🐝 I camped out there a while hoping I could hear her buzz or something but to no avail. Reading online it said its best to make it completely dark aside from a window so they go towards the window, so that’s the technique I’m using! 💛 Hopefully tomorrow she will be fit enough to be released. I have the added drawback that the other members of my family are still mainly brainwashed into thinking bees are public enemy number one 😓 So I don’t want them to find out, my mom would be mad that I brought a bee in the house let alone that she took off. I showed my brother and he was mad at me 😤 As for me I’m worried about her, she probably wants to get back to the hive already which I get but ugh this whole thing has been a learning experience for sure, I’m definitely carrying a small dropper bottle of sugar water with me in the future so I can help them more efficiently ❤️ I am so glad though because I wasn’t super afraid of bees before but this experience helped me get to a point where I was holding a bee! If I had not been so afraid it wouldn’t have gotten this bad for her but at least now I know...

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Tessa

  430. Yesterday i noticed a bumble bee laying on its side outside my front door.

    Later in the evening it was on the wall of the house.

    It rained heavy on and off the day so i offered some sugar water. It didnt take it. I placed a rose from my vase by the bee and in it went. Very slowly. Wings were crossed over its back and its rear legs seem to be dragging behind.

    Today the bee has stayed with the rose and looks more lathargic. It seemed lifeless but raised one leg. I have now made a bee box. Some cut flowers so it can dry out. There are a few little yellow mites on the bee. The bee is very fluffy and quite large. What can i do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Heather

    1. That is a nice thing to do💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Rainbow

  431. I have kept a soaking wet bee overnight in a box and it had livened up after giving sugar and water but when I just checked on it now, it's gothe lots of little tiny mite looking things crawling around neare it's head end. Do you know what they are and do it still release the bee as I was going things out do now it's light and dry outside?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Donna

    1. Hi i have just seen your bee post. I have the same thing. Mites n all. Have u had any luck?

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Heather

  432. I have found what I thought was a tired Bee. I have fed sugar water.

    Bee seems to perk up and then go down hill again.

    I took Bee home for over night. Kept in box with leaves with a drop of water on. Bee was moving around well. One leg seems less mobile and I have not seen wings moved other than to twitch. Bee has never buzzed ☹️

    I am at a loss how to help this bee any further? Is it cruel to keep trying

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Rose

  433. I want to add another 2 hives to my bee yard, would like to use my own stock of Bees to do this.

    What’s the best way to do this?.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to James

  434. Hopefully saved a bee from cold

    Found him on my path, dosile

    Gave him sugar water, soon started moving,

    But its now dark, cold

    Will he be ok in a small box, holes in for the night,

    And is he a good ao bad bee, (heard some are bad for others)

    Thank you

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Karen

  435. Good evening! I’ve got a lost bee here that I need advice on. Found him sluggish on the ground in west London, he’s perked up now he’s inside and had some sugar water but the temperature is about 5-6 c tomorrow and I’m worried releasing him might be his end! Should I keep him until the temperature rises?

    Thanks in advance!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Ross

  436. Hi, I found a Bumble Bee on its back lifeless, whilst walking home. I carried it home (15 mins away). There seemed to be some life so I gave it a bit of sugary-water! She was so much better, but it looks like the back leg is not opening out & she keeps falling onto her side or on her back! She’s getting about a bit now but there’s no buzzing sounds at all. I’m worried she won’t be able to fly if I let her outside! Can you help please?

    Thanks

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Marcie

  437. We found a bee in the garden and gave it some suger water but it has 2 missing legs,What do we do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to George

  438. We found a bee in the garden and gave it some suger water but it has 2 missing legs,What do we do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to George

  439. Hello, I found what I think is a queen bee on my decking yesterday, she was wandering around all around the decking with no real purpose. I gave her some sugar and water and it seemed to pick her up. Later on in the evening she climbed the wall of our house and made it nearly to the top as it became dark. This morning I found her on the decking soaking wet and I thought dead. A couple of hours later she emerged once again. I googled what to do and put her on some flowers where she fed from. She seems as though she cannot fly so I am now in the process of warming her up in the garage. How long do I need to do this for? She seems quite lively just not flying.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Caryl

  440. I have found a bee in my garden. It appears to be soaked and struggling after being caught in a down pour. It is moving its legs ever so slightly now and again but looks like its giving up. I have taken it off the ground and placed it in a box with a little sugar water but it doesn't seem like it has any energy at all. Is there anything else I can do to save it !? Xx

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Amy

  441. I have found a bee in my garden. It appears to be soaked and struggling after being caught in a down pour. It is moving its legs ever so slightly now and again but looks like its giving up. I have taken it off the ground and placed it in a box with a little sugar water but it doesn't seem like it has any energy at all. Is there anything else I can do to save it !? Xx

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Amy

  442. I have found a bee in my garden. It appears to be soaked and struggling after being caught in a down pour. It is moving its legs ever so slightly now and again but looks like its giving up. I have taken it off the ground and placed it in a box with a little sugar water but it doesn't seem like it has any energy at all. Is there anything else I can do to save it !? Xx

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Amy

  443. I have found a bee in my garden. It appears to be soaked and struggling after being caught in a down pour. It is moving its legs ever so slightly now and again but looks like its giving up. I have taken it off the ground and placed it in a box with a little sugar water but it doesn't seem like it has any energy at all. Is there anything else I can do to save it !? Xx

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Amy

  444. Hi I have just found a,queen bumble bee sheltering under my tarpaulin that I use for my horses hay. I have brought her in and given sugar water but we have very high winds today approx 40-50 mph and other than some just opening cherry blossom no winter flowers should I just give her a rest then put her back or keep in until tomorrow when the weather is better? (It has also rained heavily all night) thanks Jo

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jo

  445. Hello! I have a bumblebee in my garden since two days, doesn’t look as big as a queen. I put her in a box inside the house yesterday and she spent the night inside. I tried to give her some sugar and water but she didn’t take any. I tried to release her today but she stayed at the same spot in the garden for hours. I took her back inside now. she seems Very frail and tired, I wonder how long she can survivre like this and what else can I do to help her. It’s very cold outside and there are no flowers yet in my garden.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Ibouh

  446. Hi!!

    So currently I’m at my house in england where there’s storm Dennis.

    As I left this morning , there was a bee in my porch, we’ve left it in some flowers and some water but I’m very concerned as only everywhere is saying that if it reaches 10 degrees or below they it can be fatal.

    I didn’t know what to do, should I bring them inside or leave them outside?

    Thank you!!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Rachel Mettyear

  447. Hi!!

    So currently I’m at my house in england where there’s storm Dennis.

    As I left this morning , there was a bee in my porch, we’ve left it in some flowers and some water but I’m very concerned as only everywhere is saying that if it reaches 10 degrees or below they it can be fatal.

    I didn’t know what to do, should I bring them inside or leave them outside?

    Thank you!!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Rachel Mettyear

  448. I saw a bumblebee struggling on my decking .It is quite big so I think it’s a Queen. It’s February and it’s was a very windy day. I fed it a bit of sugary water and placed it in a daffodil pot in the garden. It was still slow and clumsy when I checked on it after half an hour. So, I pooped it in a terranium with some leaves and brought her indoors to warm up. .

    After 10 mins she came to life . Buzzing and vibrating her wings trying to get out so I took her outside to reLease her. As it was 4:40pm I wanted to release her before darkness. I lifted the lid and the wind quickly slammed it back down . The bumblebee was rolling over and over like it had been bashed by the lid .

    I brought her back in to the house still in the terranium.

    It is now 7:30pm. She is alive just still sometimes but moving her limbs. Mobility has been affected by the looks of it but I can’t see any damage .

    I have put a leaf in with some surgery water but she’s not interested .

    Should I keep her in overnight and see how she is in the morning? I’m concerned she’s in a lot of pain and I’m prolonging her agony.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Adele

  449. Found a queen bee , in the house , crawling up my partners leg freaking her right out! Have put her in a ventilated pot for tonight and hope she survives tonight . It's freezing outside so what to do tomorrow ? Thanks for any info .

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jut

    1. If your partner survives the first night in the ventilated pot, maybe consider bringing her in and letting her sleep in the spare bed!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to beehave

  450. Found a queen bee , in the house , crawling up my partners leg freaking her right out! Have put her in a ventilated pot for tonight and hope she survives tonight . It's freezing outside so what to do tomorrow ? Thanks for any info .

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jut

  451. Found a queen bee , in the house , crawling up my partners leg freaking her right out! Have put her in a ventilated pot for tonight and hope she survives tonight . It's freezing outside so what to do tomorrow ? Thanks for any info .

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jut

  452. We have, what I am 99% sure are, honey bees waking up....in early February and crawling around in the laundry room and under our sink. They are small,and can't fly. We can't find the hive but I don't want the hive to die either if they are waking up too early for hibernation. What do I do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to KC

  453. Dear Madam,

    I found a honey bee 2 days ago in my kitchen. I tried to follow your tips but it looks like the bee does not want to drink sugar water on a tea spoon. It keeps trying to fly but it does not keep itself in the air. I made a staying place box so it stayed 2 days now. Also the weather here is now 6 Celcius and the wind is very strong. What should I do? I want to help the bee but the bee is not drinking. I feel sad for the bee. Thank you. Greetings Alan

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Alan

  454. I have just found a bumble bee on my cellar floor, it is fairly motionless although with a little blow the back end moved slightly. Any suggestions? As the weather is likely to get colder before we get to spring. Currently here it's night time and gales and rain so have left in the cellar but moved a little so not to be trodden on x

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Wendy

  455. Hi ,

    A bee has appeared in the bathroom today . I believe it's a hairy leg flower Bee , not 100% sure . It just gets onto window sill and sits there . Is there anything I can do to help .?

    The house is old so gaps etc leading to clay lump walls .

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Geoff

  456. Found distressed queen bee about 4pm yesterday. Now in small box in my greenhouse. Wouldn’t take sugar water yesterday. Storm Ciara in full force today, how long can I keep it in current state before I let it go?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Robert

  457. I have rescued a Queen Bee today, which was barely moving before. I’ve given her sugar water and left her in a box to chill out and re-coup. She’s doing lots of buzzing now and trying to fly, but every time she does, she ends up on her back. I don’t know if I should put her outside or not if she just keeps ending up on her back, maybe she’s not strong enough to fly? It’s sunny outside but only about 7 degrees x

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lou

  458. I live in New England and it is winter up here. Last week we had a few days that were over 50 degrees F and i noticed a few bees flying around. Fast forward a few days and it was back to our usual 20-30 degree F weather and I found two honey bees curled up in the snow. I thought they were dead and brought one inside. A few minutes went by and it "came back to life". I gave it a snack and it started flying around the jar I had it in with holes on the top. It was so happy and cute! It was sunny, but cold outside. I brought it outside on my hand, but as soon as the cold hit it, it just curled up as if it were dead again. I read that this is how some bee species hibernate? I placed both bees under one of my bushes to keep them out of the rain and snow. Could I have done anything better? -Mikayla

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Mikayla

  459. Hi, I found a huge bumblebee yesterday afternoon on the ground in a car park so, worried that she might get trodden on or driven over, I put her on a wall in the sunlight with a bit of sugar water, which she didn't seem too bothered about drinking. I've just checked this morning though and she's still sitting in that same spot today with dew all over her. She's definitely still alive so I'm wondering what I should do next or whether I should just leave her alone?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Laura

  460. Hi! I found a bee curled up on my patio on a very Wet cold day. my instinct was to get it out of the cold so I placed it in a small container still on the patio. It was still struggling after a few hours and so I brought it inside to warm up and gave it some sugar water. 30 minutes later and it was up with lots of energy so I placed it outside assuming it would be ok! The next morning it was back to how I found him, cold and helpless. Now i've given it more sugar water and brought it inside as it is still raining here and it has put its whole head into the sugar water...

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Danielle

  461. Hi, I helped a bee last night. Have sugar water and kept inside as wasn’t flying away and it’s cold out. Have let her out this morning and she’s still there tonight cold. I’ve put her in a proper breathable animal tent with some sugar water again. She’s climbing about her house and wings are opening but doesn’t fly. I’m keeping her warm tonight but what do I do from here? Keep going or let her go and she’ll probably die.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Laura

  462. Hi, i found this bumble bee in my garden yesterday, i brought it in and gave it some sugar water, i fully expected after that it would revitalise the bee & it would be ready to fly off, but it didnt. It did seem very weak & as it was late in the day i decided it best to keep it overnight. I came down to the bumble bee on its back this morning with its legs tucked in, i picked the bumble bee up to examine it and couldnt see any sign of life, so i put the bumle bee back. About half an hour later the bumble bee started shaking & raised its wings, it hasnt really moved but is still shaking....just looking for any advice you could offer...thank you.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Chantal

  463. I just rescued a honeybee on the beach in the sand where the tide came up , I gave it sugar water and it’s in a box moving more but keeps falling on her back and I have to help right her. I’m afraid to walk away! She was cold and wet

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to ML

  464. I found a large bumble in my garden three days ago. She is listless. I have brought her in each night in a cardboard box with a flower and foliage. I put her out each day with some sugar water which I don’t think she is drinking. I found her on my lawn which is Astro turf , so obviously she can’t burrow. Would it be best just to bring her indoors completely to hibernate until the weather warms up a little and what about food? I don’t want her to die. Unfortunately I am going away for a few nights. Thank you. Toni

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Toni

  465. Hi, I brought a bumble bee inside late this afternoon as it was frozen, almost dead. It has had some sugar water and revived. It has been wandering around the kitchen, but it is dark and freezing outside so didn’t want to put it out. It has found a warm spot by the radiator and seems to have gone to sleep. Will it be ok overnight will I need to feed it again? Thanks.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sally

  466. I found a bumble bee (I originally thought it was dead, as not moving) & have taken it inside where it warmed, so gave it sugar/water mix. It seems to be coming around well. I’m going to release it tomorrow, however I’m worried about releasing it as the temperatures are so low at the moment...will it survive? Should I go ahead & attempt to release?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kezza58

  467. Hi. My bee mentioned earlier started lying on its back, but is alive. I haven't seen it take any sugar water except one a day ago. This morning I found it under a cupcake paper "cave," on its back. I used a twig, which it grasps, and rolled it upright. I put in a little filtered H20 with salt, as well as without, & it has the hummer feeder, a clump of grass (pulled from a cement crack) & the only flowers yesterday, some alyssum. (I mistakenly put the only other one I could find, red geranium, but took it out soon afterward, having read they don't like them. Also resisted flowering plants at the grocer, but will try to find clean ones today.) The bee's not lively, but upright on it's twig, sort of hanging, & the proboscis is somehow noticeable today. I thought I saw a bit of tongue earlier, but didn't have my glasses. Am losing hope, but have set the jar in direct (not terribly bright) sunlight, & may clear some another window area as the sun moves. None of the local bee people called back. There are a few yellow clovers outside, & I'm waiting till they open to bring some in. Also, the bee's wings are crossed. Could they be stuck?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Char

  468. A fuzzy black bee was not doing well outside in the wild area of my yard. Husband says it's a bumblebee, but it's all black with nacreous rosegold wings. Fuzzy legs. It's in a turtle bowl with paper towels & a few tiny flowers, & filtered water in a lid, which it ignores. Doesn't fly, but clings to a twig & it buzzled a bit once. 1st day a couple of drops H20 revived it, & also when it's near the heater at night. It's the 3rd night & it's falling on its back, but moving and clings to a twig, & then I help set it upright. It was more active before, stayed closest to the heater at night. It appeared to be drinking at the small hummingbird feeder I put in last night. Also sat on wet areas of paper towel each day when I put a few drops in. This afternoon was sunny, so I left the uncovered jar outside a while, but it made no moves. There's few flowers outside. Either species, I'm worried it's a queen, a burrower emerged too early?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Char

  469. Hi I've found a nearly drowned bumble bee in a puddle. I thought she was dead but did move when I touched her. She's quite large so assuming she's a queen. I've warmed her up in my office and she's moving around a lot now but won't touch the sugar water I've put out. Her wings are still quite wet but as she's now quite active I've put her back outside a currently not raining but it's very windy and temp say 12 degrees but the wind is colder but now she not moving at all. Should I bring her back in and keep her warm over the weekend then try releasing her again on Monday when I'm back at my office? Advice would be appreciated. Thank you

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Debbie

  470. Hi!

    My boyfriend found a bee in London while at work yesterday, he took it with him to revive in his van. It’s looking a lot better but wondered about releasing it as it seems very early for a Bee to be coming out of hibernation? Also, as he bought it home the bee is very far from where it was found and we won’t be able to take it back there. Is it ok to release them in an unfamiliar place?

    Thanks!

    Hayley

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Hayley

  471. Just wanted to say its 10pm here and my daughter saw a (what we think is a queen honey bee) hardly moving looking very sad on the floor of our shared flat stairwell. As we get lots of people and dogs up and down the stairs I've brought the bee in and gave it a small portion of the sugar water (it drank for ages) and seems a little better now. As it's cold and windy out I'm gonna move him to a shoe box like suggested until tomorrow. I've taken a photo and video. My daughter is over the moon now we helped the bee. Just wanted to thank you have a lovely day and happy new year! Xx Chloe & Lucy xx

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Chloe and lucy

  472. A bee just landed and got stuck in a dish of sunscreen. He is in the sun on a napkin and seems to be cleaning it off of him. Is there anything else I can do? I’m worried about his wings being coated with sunscreen.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jessica

  473. A bee just landed and got stuck in a dish of sunscreen. He is in the sun on a napkin and seems to be cleaning it off of him. Is there anything else I can do? I’m worried about his wings being coated with sunscreen.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jessica

  474. Disterbed a bumble bee have it indoors now has had suger water. Its winter not sure how to relese it.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lisa j close

  475. How do I take care of a young bumblebee I found out in the rain it's pretty damaged and not moving alot it's the end of december

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Minnie

  476. Hi,

    My son found a bee in his bathroom and asked me to rescue him/her. I currently have him in a big jar, and gave him a few drops of sugar water in water bottle lid. He has perked up and has been walking around and doing a little exploring. My question is; it is the end of December and cold and rainy. The high temps right now are around 43 degrees and the lows around 28 degrees. Is that too cold to put him back outside? Also, I haven't seen him trying to fly. Do you have any suggestions for my little guy?

    Thank you!

    Stephanie

    ps. I don't know what kind of bee I have rescued and if its a little guy or gal

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Stephanie

  477. I found a bee outside in the grass. I thought it was dead but I touched it gentle and it moved a bit. I brought it some sugar water but it didn't seem interested and was moving around very slowly and sluggishly. I brought it inside and after a while it began to move around much more, but still didn't seem interested in sugar water.

    I took it back outside and left it for fifteen minutes, after which it stopped moving again. It's quite cold here (45 f), and not sunny. I've taken the bee inside again and have put it in a box with some sugar water and plain water. Although it's moving quite a bit again, it hasn't opened it's wings and still shows no interest in the water. Is there anything else I can do to help it recover? I don't know how it could ever survive outside in this cold weather.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Heather

  478. Can I release a bee in a different location then where I found it?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sam

    1. Ideally, it's good to release them where you find them, but it depends on the type of bee and the time of year.

      Honey bees should always be released where you found them, and ideally even at a similar time of day if possible, since they use both landmarks and the position of the sun in navigation.

      If it's a very large, fluffy bee at this time of year, it's not so important to release them near where you found them, since they'll most likely be bumble bee queens seeking a place to hibernate overwinter.

      For other bees and on most occasions though, it's usually best to try to release them where you find them.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Ok. I took her back, but she didn't fly away. I believe she is a carpenter bee. I brought her back home last night and this morning she is still alive. At this point I'm amazed and lost as to what I should do next. Thank you for all your time here. I followed your directions and she's still alive. So what do I do next for Frances the Bee 🐝

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Sam

  479. Good morning! Yesterday afternoon I found what appears to be a queen bumble bee on my back porch. It was sunny and the temperature was around 75 degrees F. She wasn’t moving, so I offered her a spoonful of the sugar water mixture but she wasn’t interested. I left her alone, hoping she’d come to. This morning it’s foggy and in the 50’s, and the bee was still in the same place but covered in dew. I picked her up gently expecting her to be dead, but she moved slightly. She’s currently inside on my counter (72 degrees) with another offering of sugar water - which she again isn’t interested in. I’ve dabbed her with a piece of tissue so her hair isn’t wet anymore. When I dry her, she begins cleaning herself very slowly, but then stops. Her wings look smooth but I haven’t seen her separate them (and I won’t). Do you think she’s dying being that she hasn’t drank any of the mixture?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jenn

    1. I am sorry to be replying so late with the holidays upon us. I think it's possible, but unlikely, that she's having problems because she hasn't drank any sugar-water mix. My main concern is that she was continually unmoving in 75 degree sunny weather. That is unusual behavior for a healthy bee. Was she in direct sunlight at that time?

      Other than doing exactly as you have done: helping her dry off gently, warming her up indoors, and offering her sugar water, there is not much more to be done for her. Warmth usually picks bees right back up if they are otherwise healthy; sugar water certainly helps too, but bees are typically active when warm, even if hungry.

      You might try dropping the sugar-water onto something like a pesticide-free dandelion or similar, to see if she responds to the color and smell of a real flower (dandelions are good, because bees knows them as a reliable off-season source of nectar an pollen, and their flowers are easily accessible to bees of all kinds).

      I never give up on a bee, so I would try her outdoors in full sun again if it's sunny and warm... even if she looks unmoving, they sometimes revive in direct warmth. Another thing you might try is to drop the smallest of sugar-water mix drops on one of her front feet, as they taste with their feet (but I'd try the flower first, since cold bees are clumsy, and get sticky easily).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Update! After about 4 hours on my counter (after drying her with toilet paper, blowing on her gently, and offering more sugar water) she started to perk up and spread her wings. I took her outside when the sun came out and released her. She started walking around immediately (didn’t fly), but was in much better shape then when I found her. Thank you for creating this page as a resource, she may not have survived otherwise.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Jenn

  480. Hello Elise, just thought I'd give you an update on my beautiful queen Bee , I kept her in the box for a couple hours, she was walking around a lot so I took her outside as it had stopped raining although cold, the sun is out, she climbed on to the side of the box and I ordered her some sugar water, which she drank loads of, it was an amazing sight for me as I've never done anything like this before, to watch her tongue come out and lap it up, she then tried to fly but fell in to the grass, she then walked a few steps and took off high and flew away, so lovely to see, thank you for your advice xx

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Wendy

  481. It's winter in the UK and raining . There is a large bee in my garden very wet is there anything I can do to help it

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Wendy

    1. I think bringing your bee indoors (in a ventilated box) and letting her dry off somewhere warm might be the most helpful thing to do. It may take her a few hours to air dry, but it should be speeded up by being somewhere warm.

      It is possible very delicately to use the tip of a tissue to pull additional moisture from her fluff and speed her drying too.

      I would offer some drops of sugar water mix as well, while she's warming up indoors. Since it's early there, I'm hoping you'll be able to dry her off and warm her up enough to where she'll be able to fly again today, assuming it's not raining much later.

      If it is raining heavily, it's possible you might end up keeping her overnight in her box, somewhere relatively cool such as a garage. But ideally if there's a break in the rain later today, I would put her out (with her box open) once she's warmed up and dried off.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  482. Like to know if you have a company business support program as we would like to look at joining.

    We do offer organic honey as part of our branded organic lines in Australia.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Anthony

    1. I appreciate your interest! At this time, I have no partnerships or affiliations with any companies (donations received by generous individual visitors being the only source of income received, all of which is put towards the costs of updating and maintaining this website).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  483. I found a bee outside today hiding under a leaf. It was right under the water faucet I was about to turn on. To keep the bee from drowning I moved it to the edge of my garage. By the time I was ready to go back inside it was getting dark outside and it was 49 degrees. So I left the bee in my garage so it could get warm. I went outside and checked in the bee several times to try and see if it was ready to fly away. But over the course of an hour it hadn’t moved at all. So I brought it inside and put it in a box with holes in the top with bottle top full of sugar water. The bee is doing much better now after only an hour being inside the house. It’s flapping it’s wings and trying to crawl to the top of the box. I would put the bee back outside except it is currently 34 degrees outside and dropping. The weather forecast is showing it won’t be 55 degrees until Friday. Is it safe to put the bee outside? How long is it safe to keep the bee inside? Help!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sydney

    1. It's a good sign that your bee is moving with more energy when warm indoors. But since it's night time, you'll want to cool your bee down so that it doesn't think it's time to go, when it's so cold out. Place the box with your bee in the garage or somewhere that's more like outdoor temperatures, but not freezing.

      What is your weather forecast tomorrow? Is it a large fluffy bee? It would be nice if your bee could get going tomorrow, but if it's below 50, that's unlikely to happen. It won't hurt to keep your bee in its box for a couple of nights (plus the day in between), so long as you keep your bee at similar temperatures to the natural ones.

      If you're keeping your bee, it's also a good idea to provide it with sugar water in the day, either a few small drops near its front feet, or even drops of sugar water added on flowers cut from a pesticide-free area (though depending on your state, there may be few flowers at this time of year). I wouldn't leave the bottle top of sugar water in the box overnight, in case your bee clumsily stumbles into it while cold (sticky bees are hard to clean)!

      The other thing to do if you're housing your bee is simply to keep a good eye on them. If they get too warm during the day in their box, they might damage their wings trying to escape, not realizing that the conditions are so unfavorable outdoors. If that happens, simply move your bee's box to a cooler area, and that will naturally cause it to slow down and use less energy.

      Tomorrow, you can try your bee in its box outdoors with the lid off, after warming your bee up first indoors. But if it's below 52 or so, I'd suggest holding onto your bee until Friday. When Friday comes, warm your bee up well indoors in a warm room, and offer sugar water, so your bee is as energized as possible. Then put its box out, with the lid off, in the late morning or around noon, once the day is starting to warm up well (and ideally in direct sunlight).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. It is a large fluffy bee. I kept the bee in my garage all day today. I picked some flowers and dropped the sugar water onto the petals. The bee was okay and moving this morning and this afternoon, but it’s quit moving altogether since night fall. Is that a bad sign? It’s currently 29 degrees outside. Is it safe to keep the bee in my garage at this temperature? It’s going to be 53 degrees and sunny tomorrow around 2 o’clock. Temperatures are shown to not get much higher than that for the rest of the week. Will it be okay to let the bee go tomorrow during that time? Thanks for your help.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Sydney

        1. It's normal for your bee to quit moving altogether come nightfall, it's called entering a state of torpor, and it happens when a bee is cold, because they're cold-blooded. Your bee will 'revive' with warmth tomorrow, so long as she is healthy.

          I would bring your bee indoors from the garage in the morning, in her box, to a nice warm room, so that she has a few hours of warming up well before the middle of the day. Offer more sugar water on the flowers tomorrow too. Place your bee in the direct sun tomorrow, with the lid open, once your bee is fully warmed up.

          It's hard to say the exact time, I might try her out there maybe around 1pm, but there's this trade-off since temperatures are still on the low side for her.

          A large fluffy bee likely means a young queen bumble bee, looking for a place still to hibernate for winter. The more food you can get into her before she leaves, the better. It may take her a little while still to get going once she's outside, but the closer she can take off to the warmest part of the day, the better.

          It may well help to breathe warm air on her too, if she's still a bit sluggish when you place her box outdoors. Bumble bee queens can generate a good amount of warmth with their own wing muscles, but the warmer she is to begin with, the better her chances!

          If she doesn't take off tomorrow let me know, as there's a fallback plan here, which is to prepare her a place for safe hibernation... but ideally she'll choose her own place naturally.

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

          1. I brought the bee inside at 8am and set her box in my kitchen near a window. When I got home from work and checked the box again at 1pm she hadn’t moved any from the night before. I put her in my hands and blew on her and still she didn’t move. It’s currently 56 degrees outside. I’ve had her sitting outside in the sun for almost an hour with no sign of movement. Is there a chance she won’t come out of torpor? Did I do something wrong?

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to Sydney

            1. That's unfortunate that she is not perking up in the sunlight, especially as it's a reasonable (if low) temperature for her. They fall into these states of torpor when they're outdoors at night, but they typically come right out of them when they're warmed up. It may simply be too cold for her though, even in direct sunlight... possibly she lost her indoor warmth too quickly. Bumble bees can generate their own heat to an extent (by decoupling their wing muscles and then vibrating them, which looks as though they're shivering). But she needs energy to do that.

              Is there a place indoors where you could warm her up to close to 70 degrees or so? I realize it's getting a bit late again today, I'm not sure what your timezone is, and it's possible that it would be better to try for tomorrow, depending on the temperature and time of day.

              Has she extended her tongue and had any sugar water, that you've seen? That would be the only other concern, in terms of a lack of energy.

              You mentioned finding her hiding under a leaf, and that may have been her attempt at finding a place to hibernate, since it is better than nothing (though hardly ideal). Typically they dig small holes for themselves underground, to stay frost-free. You could try putting an upturned ceramic plant pot or similar, stuffed with some insulating material like pieces of grass, in such a way as not to have the material fall out easily from the bottom when it is upturned. Then raising the edge a bit on one side with some small rocks, so as to provide a way in and out of the plant pot. They do sometimes hibernate in such places, and when they don't have the energy to dig a hole for themselves, they'll often readily take to a location like that. She does still need stored energy to make it all the way through winter though, which is why I wonder if you've seen her drink any sugar water?

              Reply

              Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

              1. I did not see her drink any. The drops on the petals look undisturbed, so I don’t think she drank at all yesterday. The first night I had her she drank out of the bottle top for 4mins. Later that same night I watched her drink for another 3mins. I’d put shredded cotton balls in the box and when she wasn’t drinking she was hiding under the cotton balls. She hasn’t moved from under them since that first night. Is it possible she’s already hibernating and that’s why she didn’t leave yesterday?

                Reply

                Leave a Reply to Sydney

                1. I apologize for my late reply, I've been out all day. Yes, it seems like her instinct (outdoors under the leaf, and in the box under the cotton balls) is to hibernate. If she's in your garage, already under the cotton balls, and no longer drinking, that may well be what she is doing.

                  One thought here is to add some additional insulation (more shredded cotton balls should work) and put her box outdoors with her inside it, underneath some sort of frost-free shelter like a large plant pot, with an edge raised so that there's a ground-level entrance/exit.

                  Another thought is to keep her in her box in your garage, since that's a frost-free environment that will be at outdoor temperatures for the season. If you do that, you would need to move her out in very early spring, otherwise she might have trouble finding her way out of the garage. And I think you'd still (at that time) want to put something additional over her box, to protect her from frost.

                  Reply

                  Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  484. I noticed a bee (I believe a worker bumble bee)on a wall near my back door this morning around 10am, and he didn’t move all day (it’s now almost 6). I tried to give him sugar water, but since he was on a wall it was difficult. It’s getting quite cold out and it’s really foggy so I gently pushed him into a shoe box. I put some herbs from my garden in there for him (mint, lavender and rosemary), and left a few drops of sugar water near his head. He’s currently on my garage and seems to be feeling a little better - he’s moving his antenna around a it now, but he’s just staring at the wall and not moving.

    What should I do if he doesn’t start feeling better? Is there anything else I can try besides sugar?

    Thanks in advance for your help!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jess

    1. Don't worry about your bee being inactive tonight, as they are much less active in the evenings (and also when they're cold). I'd keep your bee overnight in the shoebox in the garage (on a shelf perhaps, somewhere unlikely to be discovered by ants), with the few drops of water and springs of garden herbs.

      What I would do tomorrow morning is to warm your bee up indoors for a half hour or hour or so (depending on your bee's behavior... the idea is to help your bee become more active faster, and if it begins to buzz a bit with its wings, then it's time to go outdoors). I'm hoping it might be sunny there, given where you live?

      Aim to put your bee outside near where you found it, in its box with the lid off, sometime after 10am, once the day is warming up more (unless it looks as though it will warm up sooner). Placing your bee in full sun will help too, if it is sunny. It may take your bee an hour or two more to get going, but being warmed up should help speed it on its way, and if it drinks some sugar water, that'll help too!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  485. Hello, Thank you so much for your website!!! I have a few questions about caring for a lost bee. I found a worker bee inside our house fumbling around on the cold tile floor. We fed it some sugar water and set “him” up in a box for the night because it is rainy and cold tonight. We are due to have rain for the next day or two and were wondering how to care for Mr. Bee until it is warm enough to release him. Should we keep him in a dark box and adding sugar water to his dish? Open his box and allow him to fly around our bathroom? Offer fresh flowers? We live in Southern California and the weather is expected to be in the low 60’s in a few days and the rain should stop in about 1-2 days.

    Thank you for any advice you can offer.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Vern

    1. I do apologize for replying late, various life events here have impacted my response times recently!

      I wouldn't recommend letting your bee fly around the bathroom during the day, as it might be hard to return to the box at night, and it might get stuck somewhere too. Ideally it'd be nice to have your bee know that it's daytime during the day though, and then kept dark at night.

      If there's a break in the rain, with temperatures over 55F, you might try releasing your bee earlier too, well-warmed and topped up on sugar water. Otherwise, you can hold onto your bee, keeping it cool and dark at night, and lighter and a bit warmer during the day.

      One thing to watch for would be that, if your bee is very warm, it is possible to hurt itself trying to escape; it's easy to reduce that inclination simply by cooling them down, and in this case, it's for the better to hold onto your bee in the bad weather, and then release your bee once conditions are favorable for flying home.

      I'd definitely add some flowers (that are known to be pesticide-free) to the box too, to add a little color and interest. If your bee is drinking fine from the sugar water dish, then there's no need to add sugar water to the flowers (sometimes that's a way for them to drink if they don't realize the sugar water is food). The flowers will lose their nectar quickly, but are mainly there for 'emotional support', since it is clear from studies that bees feel simple emotions, and can be more 'optimistic' if given good circumstances.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  486. I found a beautiful bumble bee outside on my patio yesterday. It's very cold here at the moment and after leaving sugar water out for it, I woke thismorning to find it in the same place, moving very slowly, not looking the best. I took it inside, leaving more sugar water beside it but it didnt even go near it. After a few hours of it just moving slowly around the floor i put it back outside to see how it coped. I checked after about an hour and it had almost rolled up (because of the cold im guessing) so I took it back in again. It seems to be moving more and is veering towards the heat of the fire (it's not near the fire don't worry). I really don't know what to do for the poor thing, it won't touch the sugar water and it doesn't seem interested in flying off as it's wings haven't budged since I first encountered it. (They don't look damaged in any way) I don't want to put it back out in the cold tonight but I feel so cruel having it in a box overnight, I'd be terrified something will happen over night. What should I do

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lizzie

    1. I am so sorry to be replying so late, something in life came up and I haven't been checking my email.

      I would bring your bee in for sure, and warm her up as much as possible, in a supervised way (since indoor heat, especially from a fire, can be very drying). Don't worry about keeping her in a ventilated box overnight, so long as she is safe and not freezing, it will be a better place for her to recover.

      Do you think you could place the few drops of sugar water such that her front feet might touch them? Bees taste with their feet, and so it might encourage her to drink if she needs additional energy.

      The goal here is to restore your bee's energy before transitioning her back outdoors to an appropriate place to overwinter. She should already be hibernating underground, but since she isn't, she's very vulnerable. A bumble bee is only ever about a half hour away from starvation when flying, though they can go much longer if they're not moving much.

      Let me know if your bee shows signs of improvement and activity as she warms up, and if she takes any sugar water.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  487. Hi

    We found a bee half frozen in water- amazingly still alive this morning.

    Weve bought him inside put in a deep dish with some water/sugar solution..

    Some 12 hrs later, hes still alive but still look very wet and crawling.

    Not sure whether to keep him like this or put him out of his misery. Your help would be appreciated

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to KT

    1. Update- bee still alive. Put him in a shoebox with sugar solution.

      Same situation as Lizzie in post above.

      Still moving, but not fluffy and it has dried up.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to KT

      1. I am so sorry to be replying so late, something in life came up and I haven't been checking my email. Is it a large fluffy bee (likely a bumble bee queen if so)? How does your bee respond to indoor warmth, does that improve her level of activity?

        My inclination would be to warm your bee up well indoors close to some heating source, but keeping a very close eye on your bee's behavior, as artificial heat can be very drying. Warmth should help restore your bee to activity; though she may have struggled in the water for some time, so even if she is warm, she may be so low on energy that it may not improve her visible state too much.

        If you can warm her up well, and offer a few drops of sugar water, that would be a way to see if she can recover from her ordeal. I doubt there are flowers about there now, on which to add drops of sugar-water, but most bees will drink sugar water drops that are placed just below their heads, especially if they get their feet in it just a little first, as they taste with their feet.

        Let me know if your bee shows signs of improvement with additional warmth, and also whether she takes any sugar water. She will need to be transitioned outdoors once she's better (she should be hibernating underground if she's a queen bumble bee), but the first goal here is to restore her energy.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

        1. Thank you for your reply.

          Yes from your description a queen bee.

          We did everything as suggested but I think she must of been in the water too long, as her 'fur' and wings never recovered.

          She lasted over 24hrs though.

          Hopefully we wont find anymore, but know where to turn to if we do.

          Many thanks

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to KT

  488. I have a what I expect to be a queen bumble bee, i found her slumped on a pavement yesterday. I have her in a large plastic container and keep checking her.. I want to release her but she still seems weak. Done sugar water, she has a flap every so often, she tells me to back off sometimes yet other times luvs a little stroke. But the weather is so windy she just can't seem to manage to get going.

    How else can I help her

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Hayley

    1. Sorry to be replying so much later than you wrote, I hope your bee is alright if she is still with you.

      I don't know what your weather forecast is there, but I'd hold on to her in her enclosure until it's less windy, keeping her cool in the dark at night, and then in the light and warmer during the day, to keep her daily rhythms going. And continuing to offer sugar water.

      Large bumble bee queens need plenty of energy to take flight, as well as favorable conditions. But technically, she can find a place to burrow overwinter to hibernate without needing to fly, so long as she's able to walk across the ground, and so long as there's suitable areas within easy walking distance for a bee.

      I wonder if you might look for a suitable spot outdoors with loose soil, covered in leaf litter, as they seem to favor such spots in order to dig their little holes in the ground. Something sheltered from rain ideally, but also somewhere that will get the sun especially in spring.

      Maybe you could hold onto her for a few days waiting for better weather, then on a better day, warm her up well, make sure she's had some sugar water, and release her in such a spot that looks favorable for a bumble bee to dig. Perhaps keeping an eye on her after releasing her, to see if she looks as though she's able to explore on her own and find a safe spot underground for winter.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. I used a upturned pot full of dried leaves inside and a cardboard container, all filled up with compost. Small opening at the front. It's quite sheltered there. She happily entered. I place a couple of flower heads at the opening and marker pen betsie bee's home. Fingers crossed it's warm enough for her. Thank You for your response and lovely page x

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Hayley

  489. I found a bee frozen this morning , I brought it indoors and placed in front of some steam then left it in a small box. On my return from work the bee is alive! It has crawled out of the box, I haven’t seen it fly and it’s moving very slowly. November in England with - temperatures, what should I do with it ? Thanks

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kel

    1. Is this a large bumble bee by chance? If so, she'll need a place to hibernate without freezing. Each young queen usually digs her own little hole for herself underground, in which to overwinter.

      I wouldn't warm her up too much if your temperatures are that low... at least, I don't think so, but I'm assuming you've already had cold temperatures and that she should, ideally, already be hibernating. Typically when finding bees with interrupted hibernation, it's good for them not to "wake up" fully and lose stored energy that way, which they'll need for overwintering.

      I think you could put her back out either near some undisturbed leaf litter, or promising loose unfrozen soil, or a similarly unlikely-to-be-disturbed spot where she could burrow her way underground.

      Another idea might be to place an upturned flower pot stuffed with some insulating straw or similar substrate on the ground, resting one edge of the rim on some pebbles/rocks so as to provide ground-level access inside. She might take to that as a place to stay, and so long as it protects her from frost, she should be alright.

      If it's a honey bee instead, then she'll need to get back to her hive. The thing to do in that case would be to fully warm your bee up, offer her sugar water, and release her at the warmest possible point in the day. If she's well warmed up and energized, she should be able to get back, where she can overwinter with her hivemates.

      If it's some other kind of bee, it'll be hard to prescribe specifically what that bee would need, but I'd go the honey bee route, and warm the bee up, offering sugar water, and releasing in the warmest part of the day, so that it has the highest chances of getting where it needs to bee.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thank you for your reply. I believe she is a bumblebee quite large. She was frozen solid this morning, so I am amazed she is still alive! I will will leave her indoors tonight and try make her a nest in the morning. Thank you again.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Kel

  490. Hi! My daughter and I found a bumble bee under the recycling bin in the very cold day. He looks like hibernating (we had several occasions in the past, but it was an early spring or fall, so they woke up and flew away next day). We live in Boston so it’s already very cold outside. We’ll have 51 degrees day this Friday so my question is I should wake him up and release if he wakes up, or keep him through the winter... please let me know if you have a good idea in this case.

    Thank you so much!

    Mari

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Mari nishimura

    1. If your bee is unmoving, I'd definitely cover it with something to protect it from frost, snow, wind, and such. Perhaps some loose straw or dried grass over the bee (placed over it gently), along with an upturned flower pot lifted at one edge by some rocks so that the bee had a ground-level exit from the enclosure if desired?

      I think that'd be better than trying to wake up your bee, because it's important to conserve energy for hibernation ideally. Although if your bee wakes up naturally on Friday when it's a bit warmer, then that's fine, but I'd still cover your bee like this to protect it, and then it can decide to hibernate there if it would prefer.

      Usually, bumble bees should dig themselves a little burrow in the ground for overwintering, but sometimes they do things like hibernate under planks of wood, or undisturbed leaf litter, or under things like recycling bins.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  491. I need help I found a worker honey bee outside and next to my pool. I think she might have fallen in and managed to get out it is reasonably cold out side and midday now it occasionally moves it’s wings and it’s abdomen is constantly going up and down it is very sluggish so I brought it inside I’m not sure if I should keep it through the night in a shoebox like you listed or if I should put it outside and see if it flies away.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Audrey

    1. Also, if she fell into your pool, she will have expended a fair bit of energy struggling (for however long she was in there). It takes them a while to dry off fully, especially on cooler days.

      Since it's later in your day there, she may need to spend the night with you in a ventilated box. Keep her box somewhere that's coolish overnight, and then in the morning warm her up nicely indoors, and offer her more sugar water (just a few small drops, so she doesn't get sticky accidentally).

      If she doesn't recognize the sugar water as food, you could also try adding drops of sugar water to a cut flower such as a dandelion, and putting that in there with her.

      Once she's well warmed up, she should be able to fly off. My one caution is that sometimes, they struggle for too long in a pool before we find them, and do not always make it, no matter what we do. If there's some sun to put her out in, that will help. But since it's the time of year for cooler weather, it'd be good to warm her up indoors first so that she has an extra boost of warmth to help her fly home.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

    2. Have you tried offering a sugar water mixture to your bee? Are you expecting any sun soon?

      Warmth and sugar water should help your bee get going again, but if she's not active enough to fly off today, I'd keep her overnight to protect her from predators and weather.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  492. Hi - will a bee survive a salt chlorinated pool? We fish them out and let them dry out in the sun but not sure how bad the chemicals are for them?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kaye

    1. It seems as though bees are often attracted to water with salt added, so it's not surprising that you find them in your pool. They need sources of water anyway, and a water source with a little salt or trace minerals is often more appealing than one without.

      Chlorine, on the other hand, cannot be good for them. It's not particularly good for any living thing. It depends how chlorinated the pool is, how much of an issue it is for them.

      One of the issues with honey bees is that it seems as though once they decide on a source of water, all the bees go there, and it's hard to get them to go anywhere else, since that "knowledge" of a good water hole stays with the hive.

      For that reason, it'll be hard to get these bees to do anything other than continue going to your pool. It is also speculated that bees have come to associate chlorine with salt when it comes to finding water. Additionally, most chlorine used for pools is in fact a type of salt, and that may explain their attraction to it, even when it's not a healthy source of salt for them.

      Fishing them out will certainly help them live another day though! I wish that putting an alternative source of water nearby would do the trick, but it sounds unlikely to help, given their attraction to salt chlorinated pools. I've read of some beekeepers adding salt to a bird bath of water, with pebbles inside, to provide something desirable for bees that is still safe for them to get their water.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  493. Hi, I keep finding a honeybee outside at night when I go to get the washing in. I either leave her be or put her under our veranda in a pot with flowers if it’s going to be a rainy night. I can’t be sure it’s the same bee of course but I just find it odd. I’ve tried googling lots of different things to find out why a bee would be out alone at night but nothing comes up. Appreciate any ideas or answers you might have. I just feel a bit sorry for her. Thanks 😊

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Paige

    1. It is odd to find a honey bee outdoors at night, they do not like spending nights out, but always try to get back to their hives. If it were any other kind of bee, it wouldn't be unusual in the same way.

      I assume you don't see this bee (if it is the same bee) during the day? Ah, and you're coming into your summer weather there, I see.

      Currently, I have no good answer for you. Bumble bees, even though they are social creatures like honey bees, do spend nights out sometimes too. Typically males, but also females in order to slow the progress of intestinal parasites (which are slowed down by the cold).

      I do think all bees are individuals too. For instance, we'll see bumble bee workers go sneaking eggs into other bumble bee nests, even though they're not allowed to have their own eggs in their main colony. Some honey bees sit around more than others. It's just possible your bee—however strange it may sound for a social insect—likes time on her own. I'm not saying that's the case here, more of an outside possibility, but I do think it's a possibility.

      If you wished to be ascertain whether it's the same bee or not (if you still have one hanging about, that is!), there might be a way to gently tag your bee while she's cold... that's how much of the bee science is done. I know I've heard of using tiny dabs on non-volatile paint... that would really bother me to do though, for all it's been helpful in experiments. A tiny bit of colored chalk applied with a thin paintbrush might stay on well enough to be visible the next day, without bothering the bee. Sometimes careful scrutiny of a bee up-close also reveals individual characteristics, such as a slightly tattered wing, a bit of unusual fluff, and such.

      It's certainly unusual to have such a honey bee visitor nightly, if it's the same bee!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  494. Hello,

    I found a bumble bee on my garage floor yesterday. She was very sluggish.

    I've put her on some newspaper in a safe corner and given her some sugar water but i dont know what to do next ....

    She looks a little perkier today.

    Should i put her outside ??? Or try and make a box for her ???

    Its getting cold here and i think she should be hibernating already ...

    Help :-(

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sarah

    1. I apologize for replying late here, and I'm not sure if you still have your bee or not. I would have kept the bee overnight, only because she'd be more likely to be safe that way. But they naturally do spend nights out in the cold too, so she should have been fine either way. Cold always makes them sluggish and inactive.

      Today, if you're still keeping track of her, I'd try offering sugar water and also warming her up well indoors if your weather looks at all decent today (around or above 10C). I would put her outside, well-warmed and hopefully fed, at close to the warmest part of your day. I might be tempted to look around for a good spot outdoors too, but bees will follow their own whims in looking for a place to hibernate. Undisturbed soil that is easy to burrow into is ideal.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Hi Elise,

        Thank you for getting back to me.

        She was still tucked up in the garage this morning, but looking a little livelier. It raining here just now so hopefully it will clear up later and i will open the garage doors and see if i can encourage her out.

        It would be great if she would decide to hibernate in our garden, maybe we will see her in the spring.

        Take care,

        Sarah

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Sarah

      2. Hi Elise,

        Thank you for getting back to me.

        She was still tucked up in the garage this morning, but looking a little livelier. It raining here just now so hopefully it will clear up later and i will open the garage doors and see if i can encourage her out.

        It would be great if she would decide to hibernate in our garden, maybe we will see her in the spring.

        Take care,

        Sarah

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Sarah

  495. I have a bumble bee here with me that has almost certainly been poisoned. I really don’t know what to do. She’s been with me all afternoon. Her two friends were dead next to her when I found them. She’s moving a little more now but I’m at a loss.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kat

    1. Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear that. I never like to give up on them, so I wonder—as a kind of outside chance—do you think she'd take some sugar water (or has she already)? I'm simply thinking about the possibility of flushing her system a bit with something safe.

      Do you suspect pesticides? I'm assuming so. Acute pesticide poisoning is very hard to watch happening to a poor bee :( There is often a lot of involuntary twitching involved, and their long tongues tend to hang out near the end of their lives.

      The fact that she's still alive suggests there's some hope though. Is she relatively warm indoors with you? Do you have any bee flowers nearby (dandelions work well when not much else is flowering)? I'm thinking about adding them to whatever you have her in, to see if she might perk up a little with flowers nearby (they would need to be safe though, in terms of no possible pesticides).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. I’ve tried to give her some sugar water yes. She was a little less sluggish for a short time. Her tongue was hanging out for the most part but seems to have gone in now. I was very careful holding her in one hand and letting her drink from a teaspoon with the other. But I honestly couldn’t say whether she got any - she cleared off her face a little which was the first real movement since picking her up earlier today. i also tried just cleaning her a little with a tiny food brush - I got a little too much on her face. I’ll try the flowers if I can find some. No pesticides in my yard, no. It’s heartbreaking to see!

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Kat

  496. Hello,

    I am in Chicago and tonight I found a bee outside that was freezing (it's 44 degrees) so I brought it inside and it seems to be ok. Tomorrow the high is 40 and on Wednesday we'll reach 50 with possible rain but then were expected to drop back into the 30s for a few days. What is the best thing I can do for the bee?

    Thank you!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lauren

    1. What sort of bee is it, large and fluffy (like a bumble bee), or thinner and less fluffy and striped (like a honey bee)?

      Those temperatures are not very bee-friendly, and I think perhaps Wednesday (with temperatures near 50, even despite possible rain) would be the only likely day to release your bee safely. I would warm your bee up very well indoors first, as well as offering a few drops of sugar water, and only release your bee once it seemed "all buzzed up" with warmth and energy, towards the warmest part of your day, and ideally placed in a spot with direct sunlight.

      In the meantime today, I'd keep a close eye on your bee to see how it behaves. It should be more active during the day, but not too active (you don't want it buzzing around its enclosure trying to escape, as that will use up energy). Placing the enclosure in a cooler room will calm your bee down if that happens. Make sure to offer a little sugar water (just a few drops, so as not to end up with a sticky bee)! Your bee should be just fine spending a day with you.

      If it's a honey bee, I'd release it in the exact spot I found it so she can find her way back to her hive. If it's a very large bumble bee, then I'd look for a spot where there's plenty of soil and hopefully leaf litter and such (a park?), for her to find a place to hibernate for the winter (since it's the time of year for young bumble bee queens).

      If she doesn't leave on Wednesday, then you'll likely end up with your bee throughout the following freezing days. What to do in that case really does depend on the type of bee. If she is a young bumble bee queen, she might choose to hibernate in something as simple as a plant pot filled with soil loosely, where she can dig into the ground so she doesn't freeze. If she's a honey bee, then she'll definitely need to get back to her hive for winter. It's unlikely she's another type of bee, given the time of year.

      I hope you have luck warming her up well on Wednesday! Aim to begin warming her (in a nice warm room indoors) about an hour before the warmest part of your day, ensuring she has as long a window as possible of close-to-50-degree temperatures in which to try to find her own spot for winter. Offer some more drops of sugar water then too, so that she's as energetic as possible before taking her chances in the cold weather outdoors.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  497. Hi,

    I have found a large bee, very docile, in my kitchen last night, I have offered sugar water and put in a box overnight to protect from predators. I put him or her back outside in the sunshine today but other than waving it's leg at me it hasn't moved all day. I have brought it back in today but I'm not sure what to do next, do I just keep it in a box with some sugar water until it feels ready to go or do I need to do something else? I just want to do whats right for the poor thing.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to David

    1. That's surprising that she stayed in the same spot all day (though certainly not unheard of). Was it cold today, even in the sunlight?

      I'm guessing it's a young queen bumble bee at this time of year, and so her goal will be to find a place underground to hibernate over winter (and forage enough to build up her winter reserves of fat).

      By the way, the leg waving (typically middle legs) is usually an expression of wishing you to give the bee a little more space.

      There's no harm in bringing your bee in each night for a few nights running, but ideally she would find her own way. If it's been cold even during the day (near or below 10C) then it might help to warm her up more first before setting her out that day.

      Sugar water and warmth usually help get a bee going, but sometimes they take their time, and I've also seen them in the same spot each day (when it's either been cold or wet).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  498. I found a bumblebee outside and took her in. I didn’t realize how injured she was until I got her in and tried to feed her. She is missing the bottom half of all of her feet, an antenna, and one wing is fairly inoperable. I tried to give her a drop of honey, which she ate almost all of, but then she got up and started rolling in it. She is now covered in honey, but mostly active. I’m worried she won’t be able to clean herself off properly without most of her legs to reach places. What should I do to help her? Or is it better to just let nature take its course?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Michelle

    1. I'm so sorry to hear about your bee, she sounds as though she's in a position where the most you can do is keep her comfortable, since her injuries (the wing particularly) will make it fairly impossible for her to have a normal bee life (they can actually do alright without part of a leg or antenna, but they do taste things with their feet, so losing the bottom half of all of her legs is unfortunate indeed). But the wing is the most concerning, because without the ability to fly, she will not last long outdoors.

      Sugar water is easier to get off a bee than honey... for sugar water, I usually advise a few drops of less-than-warm (but not cold) water dropped on the bee to dissolve the sugars, but I don't think honey will be easy to remove by either your bee or yourself. It's probably not all the world for her to have some honey on her, as long as she's with you... if she was outdoors, that would attract ants, and she would undoubtedly be taken apart (likely while still alive) by the ants, along with them consuming the honey on her.

      I guess if I could gently remove some honey from her I would, but I wouldn't advise the water since I don't think it will really do much to dissolve the honey, and having a cold wet bee isn't ideal either. I'd bring some flowers in if you still have them (dandelions would do) and kind of make her an interesting little area for her to live in, while continuing to supply her with honey for as long as she's alive.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  499. Hi,

    I rescued an almost dead bee a few days ago. I live in Southern California where we recently had very strong winds and fires. I found the bee early morning wet and almost dead. I rescued it, put it inside a large plastic container over a paper towel. I also placed pure bee honey with wax that my mother in law brought from lithuania on a small plastic spoon and water in the container. By late afternoon the bee was clearly back to life and thriving. However, the winds were still really strong the following few days so I did not want to release the bee. What should I do know? If I release the bee will it be able to find the hive? Or is it just going to die. I feel it's cruel to keep it in the container and also cruel to let it out if it will just end up back where it started. Thank you!!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Tal

    1. Strong winds are certainly dangerous for bees... they won't be able to fly in winds that are over 25mph or so. Do you have an idea as to whether it's a honey bee (smaller and thinner), a bumble bee (fluffier and larger), or some other kind of bee?

      If it's a honey bee or smaller bumble bee, it will have a hive to get back to (if it's a really large bumble bee, or a solitary bee, it won't be needing to get back to a hive... large bumble bee queens overwinter on their own underground). In the case of bees with hives to get back to, it's important to release them close to the place you found them, otherwise they won't be able to find their way back home.

      I think I'd judge whether to keep it or not based on wind conditions, type of bee, and your bee's behavior. If winds are above 25mph, I'd keep your bee in. If it's a honey bee, she will need to get back to her hive sooner rather than later, but she's still not going to be able to fly in strong winds. Bumble bees seem a bit better in strong winds, but still I wouldn't release a bee if your winds are above 25mph.

      In terms of your bee's behavior, I'd just watch to make sure that your bee is active during the day, and not seeming to deteriorate in terms of daily energy. So long as your bee is fed, she should be able to live in captivity for some time, but I agree that the sooner you can release her safely, the better.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thank you so much for advise. I believe it's a honey bee. My concern was that she would not find her way back to the hive. So glad that is not an issue. Any yes, when winds die down, I will release during same time of day and in same location as I heard that bees tend to navigate using the position of the sun. Thanks again.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Tal

  500. I live in Kansas and when out trick or treating tonight my 6 yr old spotted a bumble bee that needed help. I scoped it up and brought it home. I put some sugar water on a cotton ball and put him in a glass container with some holes and a few sticks to climb on. After reading the page I offered a small cap with sugar water. My little guy is moving a lot more but I haven’t seen him flutter his wings. I am keeping him overnight inside but the high tomorrow is only 51.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jinni

    1. 51 degrees is alright, so long as your bee is well-warmed before releasing her. Bumble bees do fly at colder temperatures than other bees, and they can generate their own warmth a bit too.

      I would try warming your bee up well indoors tomorrow in a warm room. Near a heater is fine, but not for too long or too close, and only if carefully monitored, since artificial heat can be very drying.

      It looks like the warmest parts of your days are between 1pm and 7pm, so what I would do is to begin warming your bee up around noon, and also offer sugar water in the later morning too (be careful not to offer too much, in case your bee is a bit clumsy).

      I would take her outdoors in her container close to 1pm, and if there's any direct sunlight, place her so the rays fall on her. Hopefully she'll be looking more active by that point, with both artificial warmth and sugar water, and be buzzing a bit.

      It may still take her some time before she flies off, but this way, she should have an ideal start to the day, and the warmest hours of the day before her to do what she needs to do.

      At this time of year, she's likely to be a young bumble bee queen searching for a place to hibernate in the ground. So you needn't worry about returning her to the same spot you found her.

      I hope she flies off happily tomorrow!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  501. Hi. It's late October and I found a rather cold, hungry but very large bumble on the floor whilst walking with my children. We have brought him home, given some sugar water but it was nearly 5pm so we have kept him in a box overnight. He was making some attempts to move last night and walk around the box. But still very slow. Shall I take him back to the park today and just leave him in the sunshine!?? If we have any!

    Thank you x

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Samantha

    1. I apologize for not replying sooner, I'm on west coast US time. Hopefully you took your bee to the park earlier today, as that's what I would have suggested. They seem very slow when they're cold, but all they usually need is a little warmth (and energy from nectar or sugar water) to get them going again. Sunshine is the best, but otherwise it's a good idea to warm them up artificially first, and then release them close to the warmest part of the day.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  502. Hi, I rescued a bumble bee early this morning from a bucket of dirty cold water found out on the farm. It was completely drench so I took it indoors cut a water bottle in half and put some kitchen roll inside to help absorb the water off it. A few hours on and it’s really brightened up. I have given it some sugary warm water which it loved and now it seems bright. Shall I release it ? Or keep it in the warm until tomorrow? Many thanks

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Tiffany

    1. I apologize for not replying sooner. I think either way would be fine... my inclination would be to release her if it was not too late in the day where you are, so basically if there was still some daylight left.

      If you have ended up keeping her overnight, don't be surprised if she seems sluggish in the morning, that's quite natural since they slow down when they're colder in the night, and then take some time the following morning to warm up ready for flight.

      When keeping them overnight, it's important to mimic outdoor temperatures as much as possible (without freezing them, that is!), so that they don't get all buzzed up with nowhere to go. It's also good to keep their natural circadian rhythms normal (with typical day/night cycles).

      If you have kept her overnight, simply warm her well and offer more sugar water in the morning, and let her choose when to leave. I've seen bees take several hours to get going before, but it totally depends on the bee and the weather conditions.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  503. Hi there,

    Hope u can help me found a bubble bee two days ago on the floor in the patio outside. Tried giving her sugary mix I think she did drink some, hard to tell. As on the floor shifted her to a table and tried again giving the mix she is not interested and keeps moving away.

    Have placed her on a bush and she seems ok still moving but not interested in the mix have tried everything. Her wings are on top of each other and seems fine. Why is she still alive after 3 days, with out drinking ? it’s getting really cold outside now some sunny does appear and I think she like that goes very still and stays there.

    What should I do leave her in her environment she has survived three days so far.

    Hope u can give me some advice. Thanks 🙂

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Alice

    1. I realize it's late where you are now, but do you have any sunlight during the days, and is she in a spot where she'll get some sun on the bush? Are there still any flowers around for bees, perhaps dandelions if nothing else? Dandelions are nice because they flower so much earlier and later than other flowers, and they're also readily accessible to a variety of bee species.

      Another idea is to try gently warming her with your breath, breathing a few inches away from her. Basically warming her up would be a way to help her get on her way. She's still alive, even without drinking anything, because she's not using much energy. Bees, when they're cold, enter a state of torpor that takes very little energy.

      Another option is gently to nudge her into a box and bring her into a warm room indoors for awhile. If you do have dandelions, you could cut a few and place them in the box, and drop some sugar water on them as a little extra top up. Once she's well warmed indoors (you'll need a lid for the box with holes), she should begin actively buzzing a bit.

      I would begin warming her up sometime close to the warmest part of your day, so that the outdoor temperatures are as favorable as possible. Hopefully they're at least 10C there at the warmest part of your day, though she'll be able to fly short distances at lower temperatures if she's well-warmed first.

      If she's a large bumble bee, she's likely a young queen looking to hibernate overwinter, so she won't really need to go very far, she'll just need to find herself a spot in the ground. Sometimes they'll even settle for hibernating beneath undisturbed leaf litter too.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  504. I found a large bee (I'm not sure what kind, sorry) in my house on the floor, he was on his back and just wiggling his legs about and shaking his little feet. I put him the right way up. And he just flips himself over. I read that they do this when threatened but I just found him on my floor like this and nothing could have threatened him before I found him. He doesn't want any sugar water and he keeps pulsating his bottom half. He's just been doing it for hours. He buzzes a little sometimes but just sits there on his back wiggling his feet and wiping his eyes. I looked at his wings too and they didn't look chipped or worn around the tips. Also it is non stop wiggling, not just occasionally.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Francis

    1. Hmm, flipping over continually like that is not normal behavior, and I'm not aware of (at least, I've not read of nor witnessed myself) bees ever doing so when threatened. Pulsating is something that's seen much more commonly... it's akin to "heavy breathing" in a sense (bees breathe through the sides of their bodies).

      The sort of behavior you're describing is often associated with acute pesticide poisoning, but that's not to say it's definitely the case here, just the most common cause of the symptoms you're describing (the flipping over and the non-stop wiggling).

      I would try your bee outdoors today if possible, ideally near some flowers if there are some (dandelions work well). Warming your bee up is often helpful too (ideally in direct sunlight, but indoors with artificial heat, or simply breathing warm air on a bee, works too).

      I wish I had something specific to suggest to help your bee get back on its feet, and flush whatever it might be (if there is something) through its system. I'm hoping it's something temporary that time may cure. Try warming your bee up in the later morning (when it's not as cold out), and offering a small amount of sugar water again to see if it can build up some energy.

      Larger bees often take hours to warm up and fly off, so keep that in mind too. Sometimes, people keep bees several nights before they decide they're ready to go, it depends on the bee and the weather.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  505. About a week ago my mom helped a tired or dying bumble bee by giving her sugar water. She was still lying down on a plate when I arrived home late that day. I didn’t have the heart to look at her since we thought she was dead. Just this evening we noticed movement (yes, we still had her on a plate). So this evening I gave her some more sugar water and then realized I had to unstick her poor leg from the paper plate.

    Now it appears that there really is very little movement, however she is moving and it’s so sick that she is alive but barely. 😫 I do not know what to do. Help please!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lauren

    1. I'm so sorry to hear that. It's important to start with just a few small drops of sugar water close to the bee's head. Bees can also appear unmoving/dead when they're cold, and so it's important to put them out in the sun or find another way to warm them after you find them.

      I am not sure what to say now, as I assume it's late in the evening where you are. It having been a week seems as though there is no way for this to have a good ending. However, if she's alive, it's still worth trying to do something. In the morning, I'd get her outdoors in the warmth if you have any, or else I'd put her out in some sunlight and breathe warm air on her for awhile... I mean, basically find a way to warm her up while also getting her outdoors and in real light.

      I would also find a way to drop colder-than-lukewarm water (what I mean by that is less than warm, but not chilly either) on any parts of her that look stuck/sticky. Not too much! Just enough to begin dissolving the sugars a bit, and do this only once she's outdoors too, I wouldn't try tonight as you'll have a cold wet bee if you do.

      In the future, a small amount of sugar water, along with warmth, can make all the difference to a bee, but keep in mind that they can be clumsy too when they're not doing well, so we have to make it as easy as possible for them to drink up some energy, without causing them any further problems getting sticky. It really depends on the bee... some have enough energy to drink easily from a bottle cap, but it's always best to start with just a few small drops to be safe.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  506. Hello, I love in VERY upstate NY about 30 miles from the Canadian border. I was at my husband's work when I found two worker honey bees out in the cold. They were moving very sluggish and the temperature outside was dropping fast. So now I have 2 bees , in the fall weather, in a cup in my car. Should I keep them overnight? Can you keep bees for long periods of time? Maybe getting fresh flowers? Because up here it is only going to get colder... This all sounds so silly aloud, but I just really want to help these guys.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Poppysma.fish

    1. I totally understand the desire to help them out :) In terms of keeping them, however, honey bees do need to get back to their hive within a few days (ideally sooner) in order to survive the winter, since they're quite social creatures and do not do well long from their hive. You can certainly keep them overnight, but I would definitely take them back to where you found them tomorrow (for navigational purposes, they need to be near where they were in order to find their way back home).

      They'll definitely do better if they're well-warmed before you release them, and you can also try offering a bit of sugar-water in the morning. The problem with fresh flowers, at least if they're cut, is that they soon stop producing nectar. But if you have a good bee plant that's small enough to place in an enclosure with your bees, they might enjoy that. Another trick is dropping sugar water on cut flowers, as a way to encourage bees to drink and get extra energy.

      If you can warm your two bees up well first, as well as get a bit of sugar water into them, and then release them at the warmest point of the late morning near where you found them, they should have their best chances of making it back to their hive safe and sound.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  507. Found a very large bee in a bucket of water yesterday. Rescued it and put it in our garage on some kitchen roll to dry out. Seem bit brighter today but still very warm out. I had put some sugar water out for it, tried offering on a spoon but didnt take any. Its huge, not sure if a queen. Any suggestions as to what to do to help this beautiful creature?

    Many thanks

    Caroline x

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Caroline

    1. Chances are that a very large bee at this time of year is a young queen bumble bee looking for a spot to hibernate for winter.

      Do you have any dandelions around, by chance? I ask because another way to administer a sugar water boost is to drop a little sugar water on a dandelion.

      I see your weather is fairly cold and wet right now. I think the best way to help your bee would be to warm her up indoors in the morning, and also try her again with sugar water. But even if she doesn't take any sugar water, warming her up should still help her get going again.

      She'll be able to fly at your cooler temperatures, even with some rain, but she'll be much more likely to be able to do so if she's warmed up well first. Ideally, come mid-to-late morning, she'll be ready to fly off to find a place underground to hibernate. If you have any late-blooming flowers nearby, you might try releasing her near those towards the warmer part of the late morning tomorrow.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  508. Right before sunset, we found two bumblebees in our garden who weren't moving but alive. We decided to take them in overnight because it is supposed to drop into the 30s tonight and they weren't moving, but still alive. We put them in a jar with a little bit of cloth covering the top. We placed it in a dark room so they know that it's night and they sleep. Is it okay that we put them in the jar?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to James

    1. Yes, it should be fine to place them in a jar overnight. When bumble bees are cold, they enter a state of torpor (which can make them look dead at times), but warming them up "revives" them.

      In the morning, I'd try warming your jar with bees indoors for a bit, so that both bees are freshly warmed and energized before you place their jar outdoors with the cloth off so that they can be on their way. Keep an eye on them to make sure they're happy together still.

      You might also try offering a bit of sugar water in the morning should you wish, but make sure not to offer more than a few drops, so that they don't get covered in it accidentally. They may also be fine without sugar water, so long as they're well-warmed.

      Assuming tomorrow offers decent temperatures and isn't pouring with rain, they should be on their way come mid-to-late morning (more likely so if they're warmed, and also if they've drunk a bit of sugar water too, which will give them an energy boost).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thank you for the advice. But unfortunately, we're out of any cane sugar. So hopefully they will be able to go on without it.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to James

  509. Found wet bumble bee on patio this morning. Put her in box and tried with sugar solution which she showed no interest in. Left it on some tin foil along with piece of melon and some hay. She crawled in hay and hasn't moved for ten hours. She is still alive. Added flowers but shown no interest. Should i let her rest or try to persuade her with sugar water? Worried she will die if she doesn't drink. Thanks

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to chantak

    1. I am so sorry for not replying sooner, I've been traveling. Is she a particularly large bumble bee, like a queen bumble bee? I'm wondering if she crawled into the hay thinking of it as a potential place to hibernate.

      It's hard to persuade bees to drink, though adding sugar water to cut bee flowers (dandelions work well) can help. But if she isn't even interested in bee flowers, instead being drawn to the hay, she may well have prepared herself for hibernation already, and simply be looking for a good spot to overwinter.

      That is, assuming she is a bumble bee queen, but there's a pretty good chance at this time of year, and the new queens are the only bumble bees that survive winter by hibernating individually. Well, I say only, but in more recent years, buff-tailed bumble bees have been establishing winter colonies in Southern Britain, so it's possible you'll have bumble bees year round there too.

      The hay might even work as a place to overwinter if she's a young bumble bee queen, but more naturally, she would hibernate underground. Looking at your local weather, it seems like today (Monday) will be your warmest day, even though it also looks rainy today and through the week. I'm hoping that it's a more intermittent kind of rain, such that you could warm your bee up first indoors, to give her a bit of a boost before setting her out with the hope she'll find what she needs on her own. Bumble bees can fly in light rain too.

      This is one of those situations where careful observation will be helpful, as her inclinations are important to take into account. I wish I had something more definitive to advise. If she sticks to her hay, you might try placing the hay with her in some safe location that won't freeze but that will remain at outdoor temperatures. You'd have to be sure the location would not be found by mice or similar. And it'd be helpful if visible light would guide her out, should she wish.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  510. I was just emptying the old soil from my window boxes when I disturbed a large fluffy bee. Beautiful. I quickly put everything back and I’m planning on putting into my outdoor, under stair cupboard until spring. Am I too late? Is the damage done. I’m really upset 😢

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lisa

    1. You have done exactly the right thing in this situation, so I would not worry too much about having disturbed what sounds like a young queen bumble bee in her chosen winter hibernation spot. She will very likely stay there if you put everything back as it was, and I've heard this advice directly from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust folks.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  511. I saved a bee that was drowning in sugar water. Then other bees came around him and seemed to be helping him. Do they do that?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lois

    1. Other honey bees will certainly come and help clean a bee belonging to their hive (this has been documented inside hives). It's a really interesting question as to whether bees will help others of their own species, or even other species of bees, and it's a question for which I do not currently have an answer. But if I read any research on the subject in the future, I'll certainly post it on this website. Learning from observations is helpful too. Do you happen to know what type of bees they were, and by chance, did you get any photos or video?

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  512. I have seen so many struggling bumble bees this year. Numbers of honey bees I see this year is very low. Is it something related to the new wireless antenna they placed near my house? The trees seems damaged and dying too. Is there anything that I can do to help them?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Aiko

    1. I apologize for my late reply, I've been traveling. I am sorry to hear of your reports of many struggling bumble bees and low numbers of honey bees. And of the trees' sickness too...

      I do believe that studies have not shown any significant effects on bees as a result of wireless signals. There are such a number of stressors on bees in modern life though, including pesticide use (weakening immune systems or causing acute toxicity), agricultural systems (especially monocultural), and the effects of commercial bumble bee imports on native populations (spreading disease).

      Having said all that, I will say that a friend of mine once lived in a house located right beneath three cellular towers, and never did he have such problems health-wise as in that house (intense migraines and a general lack of well-being). So there might be something as yet undiscovered on that front, in terms of the effects on living creatures.

      There's a sense in which I feel we're all living in one great experiment currently, in terms of exposing living creatures to so many potentially negative substances and influences, none of which they evolved to handle. Pesticides and monocultures are likely of most concern to bees' health, but everything adds up.

      In terms of what you can do to help, I would try to plant bee-friendly flowers, leave habitat for bees (dead stems overwinter for the stem-nesters, and bare patches of soil in sunny locations for the ground-nesters). Talking to your neighbors/communities about going pesticide-free is always a help too (and buying organic yourself, in order to support safer forms of agriculture).

      There's a project called Bee City USA that might perhaps be of interest to you too, if there's a chance that you might be able to raise the issue of pollinator awareness and protection in your community: https://www.beecityusa.org

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  513. Hi Elise. I'm in Indiana and it's about 64 degrees here. Woke up to what seems to be 2 honey bees frozen to my window? There seems to be frost on my window just where the two bees are. It's really weird. I have pictures of needed. What is going on here? I've never seen this happen before.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kari

    1. I've certainly never seen that myself. Perhaps the moisture from the bees might have something to do with the build up of frost right where they are. I take it that they were no longer alive? Feel free to reply to the email you'll receive with photos.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  514. I observed a black carpenter bee on my yellow wild flower yesterday afternoon and noticed it stayed on the same flower(collecting pollen)all through the night and through a down pour of overnight rain. I cut the flower with this bee and placed it on my covered patio..it was dripping wet and still on the flower..now it is still on the flower moving about and collecting more pollen..it this normal...I love it! Have pics

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sue

    1. That is a little unusual, staying on a single flower for so long! But I have noticed when taking bee photographs that larger bees (bumble bee queens and carpenter bees) spend more time on a given flower or cluster of close flowers, compared with other smaller bees... perhaps because it takes them more energy to fly?

      I'd love to see your photos :) Just reply to the email you'll receive if you'd like to share them!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  515. Hi thankyou for taking the time to help the bees.

    I found a small bee in a shallow puddle of water. It was struggling so I picked it up with a leaf and placed it on our outside window sill which was under cover. I checked on it 1/2 later and though it was moving slightly decided to bring it inside because it was getting dark with light rain. After looking on your site I placed it in a little box with some breathing holes in it. I placed a small piece of microfibre cloth in it. A little teabag strainer and a leaf and flower I picked fresh from the garden.

    At first I put in a teaspoon with a little sugar water in it but found it in it struggling. I removed it. It did climb through one of the bigger breathing holes and I thought it would be ok so took it outside but when it flew it landed on the porch and with wings still out walked fast but did not attempt to fly. It's wings seem extended all the time. I returned it to the box because it was cold, wet and dark outside. There seems to be a little gap between its head and body. It may be my perception

    Any suggestions and is what I've put in the box ok.

    Thankyou

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Yvonne

    1. Hello, and apologies for replying so late, I'm in another time zone. It sounds like you've done all the right things so far. Hopefully you'll have a nice sunny day today, and putting your bee's box open in full sun should help give your bee the energy to fly off.

      As for the gap between head and body, that's actually normal for bees... though one only notices it looking at them close up. It's also normal to walk around with wings extended when conditions aren't ideal, as if they're considering whether flying is possible.

      If your bee seems slow even after some time in sunlight (and if you don't want to risk your bee falling in a sugar water solution again), you might try gently placing or tipping your bee onto some good-for-bees flowers in the sunlight, if you have any (good-for-bees meaning any you've seen similar bees visiting). That way your bee can top up on nectar energy directly, as well as warming up at the same time.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Hello Elise

        Thank you for getting back to me. Unfortunately my little bee did not make it. Im not sure why. I tried to give him some sugar/water but he/she kept moving away. so i put some on a daphne flower i placed in there. I noted it was active when i first put him /her in the box but when i checked it later that night it was laying on its side. On googling i thought it was sleeping as when i touched it gently with a leaf it moved but somewhat disoriented. I decided to not bother it further in case it was sleeping but it must of been dying. It seems a little dry now but have still made up a solution and placed it on a leaf in the box. I was wondering if it was either too cold or too hot in the box. I did piece several tiny holes in it, then placed the box i a large gift bag just in case it found its way out. If i should happen to come across the same situation again, should i let it go, even at night if it walks around. it was so much stronger then. I accept responsibility but am eager to learn so i can educate others in same situation. Ive decided to see if any sunshine outside today and see if it really has gone to bee heaven.

        Thank you for what you do, just with this little bee i am educated more.

        Cheers and God bless

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to yvonne

        1. I am so sorry to hear that. It always distresses me greatly to hear when a bee does not make it, especially as it can seem to be a result of our actions (and more particularly, of following my advice on this page).

          There is no way to be sure what happened in your case, but what I can say is that there should have been nothing about keeping your bee overnight that would have caused it to have passed in the night. The advice here has been adjusted over many years based on many people's experiences with their bees, and so long as the bee is otherwise in reasonable health, this advice tends to give bees their best chance for survival.

          There are two reasons I advise keeping weak bees overnight. First, when they're caught out in the cold unexpectedly, they may be able to crawl to shelter, but they cannot fly, and so they make easy prey. Second, when people keep a bee overnight, and see it fly off the following day, they feel a sense of closeness to their bee that tends to stay with them, and that is something so good to feel and to share with others. I think it may be the only chance bees have for long-term coexistence with people: for people to feel closer to them, and to share that feeling with others. We care most about that which we love, in other words. To be clear though, giving people this up-close experience with a bee would not be worth it if it caused the bee any potential harm, but again, in almost every case, it helps the individual bee get a strong start the following morning, giving it its best chance for survival and a good bee life.

          Bees slow down overnight because they are cold-blooded, so it is not surprising that a bee should appear active before then, and get progressively less active as temperatures cool. Puddles are dangerous for bees, because they can exhaust their energy reserves quickly. Bees' health also tends to be far more precarious these days: a result of an unhealthy environment (not enough floral diversity, and oftentimes poisoned food sources that they have no way to know to avoid). Also, bee management practices have encouraged the spread of some debilitating bee pathogens to wild populations from imported captive bees used in agriculture (I'm speaking of bumble bees specifically in this case, not of honey bees, though there is some concern over some of these pathogens being spread to other bee species too, including the many solitary native bees).

          I think had you let your bee out on its own last night, you would not have felt that awful feeling of discovering a bee that had passed on (and feeling the responsibility that comes with that), but I also doubt the bee's chances of success on its own, even though you would have had no way to know what happened to it. In almost every case, sugar-water and warmth do wonders for a tired bee. But warmth late at night before being released doesn't last long, hence it's advisable to keep them overnight at normal nighttime temperatures, and warm them up well the following morning. But there are times when, for unknown reasons, the bee does not make it. It could even be that your bee was old... not all bees survive this time of year, especially male bees. In bumble bees, only the new queens survive through winter, for example. Honey bees are a bit different, but even their colonies go down in numbers over winter, as they do not need all those foragers any longer (nor the male drones).

          All this to say, I think you did all the right things, and given my own experience with ailing bees, as well as all I've heard from other people around the world, I would do the same again were I to find one struggling late in the day that was unable to fly off. Bumble bee scientists keep bees safely in captivity, and so long as they have access to a few drops of sugar-water, and some items of interest in their box, and so long as the box is kept close to a natural night-time temperature (just frost-free), they almost always awake the next morning cold and sluggish (as bees would when waking up outdoors), but ready for flight once they warm up. I think it's most likely yours was either an older bee, or that there was something else amiss that was not visible externally, either as a result of the time spent in the puddle, or something entirely unrelated (they also suffer from a number of internal parasites, and those can bother them a great deal as time goes on, and even cause odd behavior such as periods of seeming activity before passing on).

          Once again, I am so sorry to hear of this, and all I can say with certainty is that nothing you have described doing would have brought about an untimely end for your bee. Thank you for caring about your bee, it is so good to hear of other people caring for individual bees too. The more people that do, the more likely we will have these beautiful and vital creatures in our world long into the future.

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

          1. Thank you Elise for taking the time to answer... I feel a bit better now... You may laugh but i even placed some holy water on it this morning, just in case, but alas it was not its time to revive.

            God Bless and thank you for doing what you do. Every little bit of information you have given has made me a lot wiser.

            xx

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to yvonne

    2. Reply

      Leave a Reply to

  516. Hello Elise, its about the bumble bee that arrived 2 weeks ago, have tried sugar water, grapes, flowers, but nothing happening, hasn't flown off, but not dead, seems to be still living, but very very docile. Is there anything else I can do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lorraine

    1. What size is your bumble bee, relatively speaking (particularly large bumble bees are typically queens, hence my question). Is your bee mostly inactive even in direct sunlight throughout the day?

      I wish I knew of something else to suggest. I assume your bee has had some offered food at some point, since I don't think it'd be alive otherwise? It's unfortunate (and unusual) for bees not to respond to warmth and sugar water. I suppose I would keep trying the bee outdoors each day.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  517. Hi, not an urgent question but just want to know better in case there is a next time. I found a largish bumblebee crawling on our patio last evening, she fed from some tiny flowers (thyme?) but didn't fly away just kept crawling across the lawn. It wasn't really cold and there were some other bees on the caryopteris. I tried to offer her some sugary water but she didn't seem interested, just crawled up my arm and onto my back. Seemed to be "tasting" my arm and i even tried dripping some sugary water on my arm but she just ignored it. Once she was on my back I tried kneeling by the caropteris but she just stayed there. I didn't know what to do so I shook her off, she didn't seem dozy just kept marching along the lawn but there aren't any flowers on our lawn at the moment. I left the sugary water there and went in, today I found her dead. My question is should I have cupped her in my hands to warm her up or what should I have done?

    Thank you

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Esther

    1. I am sorry to hear that. If she was a largish bumble bee, there's a good chance she'd be a queen. It's hard to speculate as to why she did not make it, since there are a number of possibilities.

      It's that time of year when new queens will be leaving their colonies and preparing for winter hibernation by foraging and building up supplies of food in their bodies to see them through winter (they each then find their own spots to hibernate underground). She should have been able to spend the night out just fine, even if it were under a leaf or similar shelter.

      It sounds like she did appreciate your warmth, so yes if there's a next time, perhaps I'd cup her gently to transfer more heat to her. Bumble bees can warm themselves up too (it looks a bit like trembling, since they use their flight muscles, decoupled from their wings, to generate heat).

      They do suffer from other less-than-obvious problems like internal parasites (which are quite common in bumble bees), and perhaps something like that played a role here, but it is impossible to say.

      Warmth and sugar water most often do the trick, but it sounds as though this bee wasn't hungry. I wish I had a more definitive answer for you. It depends on how the bee in question responds... from all you've said, I would have thought this bee would have been fine, and I'm not sure there's anything else you could have done that would have improved her chances.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  518. Am so sad. Found a very tired and cold bumble bee yesterday - almost dead. It was after 5pm and very cold and no sun. I brought her inside and managed to revive her with sugar water having thought she had no chance - delighted! It was 7pm and now dark as well as cold. So I put her in a shoebox for the night with a small bit of grass, and lots of holes in the box. Box was in our back room - in the house but no heating on. This morning when i opened the box she was dead. What went wrong? What did I do wrong? She was feeling so much better after being revived that she was crawling around on the plate where I’d put the sugar water. I now feel like I killed her by putting her in the box and I am crying with sadness.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Georgina

    1. I am so so sorry to hear that. I do think, however, that putting her in the box had nothing to do with her death. I realize how it feels like that though. Was it a large queen, or a smaller bee such as a worker or a male bumble bee? I wonder if there was something else amiss, or if simply an older bee?

      There's no way to know for sure, other than that the box itself should have had nothing to do with it. There are so many times I've known of it to cause no problems at all (instead, favoring chances of success, by keeping a bee safe until conditions are optimal).

      I'm so sorry though, to hear your bee was dead upon opening the box. I can imagine that's a horrendous feeling, as one immediately thinks that one must have had some responsibility somehow. But in this case, I do not think it can be. Everything you've described should have ended with a living, if slow-moving, bee in the morning.

      One thing that comes to mind is that bumble bees commonly suffer from internal parasites, and they can have bursts of energy before succumbing to those. I am not saying that it is what happened in your case, but it's definitely a possibility.

      I wish I could say more to help.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  519. Hello! Today in our pool I found either a queen bumble bee or carpenter bee. I pulled it out and put it in a dry spot outside. It’s been pretty cool all day and I’ve offered sugar water but the bee doesn’t seem interested. I’ve checked a few times to see if it’s still moving and if I gently nudge I can see it’s still alive. My question is I’m thinking of bringing inside since it’s warm but tomorrow we’re expecting rain all day. Would it be ok to keep the bee until Tuesday when it’s going to be sunny and warm? I’m thinking maybe if I bring it inside it will warm up and be more inclined to drink as well?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Mallory

    1. Yes, it'll be fine to bring your bee in for a day, keeping it through Tuesday morning. And yes, if she is warm, she will be more inclined to drink and move about. At night, still keep your bee around nighttime temperatures. The only thing I'd caution is not to keep her too warm on the day that it's raining, because she might get all ready to go, without realizing it's not good weather for it.

      If she doesn't seem interested in sugar water, you could also trying putting some fresh cut flowers (dandelions, for example) inside her box, with droplets of sugar water on them as a top-up. Though in the end it'll be up to her, and so long as she's not expending much energy, she may well be fine (though depending on how long she was in the pool, she may have expended quite a bit of her stored energy).

      In most cases, all of the above should work well for your bee. Simply put her box out open in the sun on Tuesday morning near some flowers, and after an hour or two (less or more depending on how long it takes her to warm up well) she should buzz off happily! You could also try gently placing her on nearby flowers in the sunlight.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thank you! I will try to find some flowers for her, I’m in Wisconsin so most things have started to die. Hopefully she will be up and moving around come Tuesday. I’m not sure how long she was in the pool.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Mallory

  520. Hi Elise, I have a bumble bee in the garden. I found him floating on his back in the shallow dish I have for birds drinking. Managed to get him out, and he was still living and moving. This was Thursday. I tried the sugar drink, but he moved away from it. It is now Saturday He is still here, looks very tired, but not flying. I have tried giving him the sugar drink again, but he turns away. Anything else I could try. Thank you, Lorraine.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lorraine

    1. Have you tried 'hiding' the sugar water by lacing a dandelion with droplets of it, and offering that to the bee? How does your bee respond in direct sunlight (if you have any)? Can you warm your bee up artificially (nothing too drying, but a warm room in a box, or warm breath across them, for example)?

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  521. How can I help a Bee whose wings are stuck together?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kate

    1. One quick note... bees breathe through the sides of their bodies, so it is important not to immerse them in water. That's why I suggest dropping water cautiously over the wings. Bees do get caught out in rain sometimes, so they can get wet. But after getting wet, they'll need to be warmed and dried well before they can get going again.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

    2. Do you know what it is that is sticking the wings together? Generally speaking, if they are stuck with something sugary, a good way to handle it is carefully to drip colder-than-lukewarm water drops on the wings. Just one or two drops at first; the key is to do the least possible, while still loosening whatever is sticking than together.

      If things seem dire, since wings are so essential, I might use a cotton swab soaked with colder-than-lukewarm water, but I think that would only work on exposed materials stuck to the wing, and not help if the wings continue to be stuck together.

      The water droplets should loosen the wings with a little time though, to the point where the bee can exert its own force to separate them once more. You could then do so clean up (if it seemed required) with a cotton swab (again, ever so gently).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  522. Found two struggling bees in a friend’s garden while I was housesitting. They weren’t dehydrated as it had just rained, but they both were still clearly weak. I put them in the base of a plant. My friends literally had no sugar in the house… just Splenda! The only sugary substance they had was pineapple juice so I put a little of that out for them. Better than nothing or would that make them worse?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lena

    1. I think the answer is probably better that than nothing, but I'm not certain. It depends a lot on the pineapple juice itself too.

      Surprisingly, during late times of year when flowers are dwindling in diversity and abundance, honey bees are seen feasting on plums, peaches, grapes, apples, figs, and pears.

      So I think so long as it's a fairly natural source (without too many additives) it should be fine, and even any source (since it's just the one time they're having it) should be alright too. Definitely energy for them if they drank it, and that can make all the difference to a good bee life still to live!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  523. Hi Elise!

    I have a bee garden in my yard. Things are starting to wind down and I wondered is it OK to supplement as the flowers are coming to an end for this summer? Is it OK to place sugar water at various spots? I have honeybees and many species of bumbles. I hate to see them working so hard for diminishing returns. Thanks in advance!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Victoria

    1. I understand why it would be nice to offer your bees something at this time of year, but it's not a good idea to place sugar water out for bees. Sugar water is "fast food" compared to nectar from a selection of varied flowers, which each have their own balances of amino acids, proteins, and minerals. Also, providing open sources of sugar water attracts a wide variety of insects and changes their collective behavior, often triggering aggressive behavior.

      The best thing to do is to include more early and late flowering plants in your bee garden. I think it might be particularly helpful for people who care about bees to focus on plants that flower at the edges of the seasons, since that's when bees and other pollinators will be having their most trouble finding food. Even dandelions help :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  524. I found a bumble bee 3 hours ago, I have offered him sugary water but he’s not interested. He’s walking all over me but stops every so often. Very sluggish and slow, no signs of flying off. The wings work as when he walked into the sugary water his wings went crazy. Not sure what to do next, please help

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lucy

    1. Your bee is likely cold, and that's why it is not showing signs of flying off. It takes quite a bit of energy for bees to get going (more so for bumble bees), and sunlight is the best source of quick warmth and energy for them.

      Since it's late where you are, I'd suggest either popping your bee in a ventilated box for the night, or placing your bee outdoors in a sheltered and safe area for the night, ideally near some flowers that you've seen other similar bees visiting.

      In the morning, try offering sugar water again, and also try placing your bee in direct sunlight, if your weather is sunny. If it's overcast, you might try warming your bee up indoors first... walking on you is a good way to absorb extra heat too, but it often takes bees time (think hours) to get going if they began cold or sluggish.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  525. Hi, I found a wet sluggish honey bee (after heavy rain) on a step in my garden. I offered sugary water, but so far the bee has not been interested in it at all. I bought flowers in the hopes it would liven the bee up a little. I also brought the bee inside as it started to rain again.

    It walks around on my hand, but as soon as I put it back down on the step outside, it stops moving and doesn’t move from where I left it. It’s been 5 hours since I first found it now.

    I don’t have a shoe box to keep it in over night. Whenever the bee comes inside it livens up and is walking around all over the place so it can’t stay in here roaming around during the night as I will lose it, but I’m concerned about leaving it outside now as it’s due to rain again this evening, but whenever I leave it outside it just stays totally still.

    What else can I do?

    Many Thanks,

    Anna.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to AJ

    1. I do apologize for my late reply, I've been traveling. I am not sure if my reply will still be helpful as a result, but I hope so.

      I think the fact that your bee is more lively indoors is a good sign... it's just the cold that's keeping her from being able to fly off outdoors, in all likelihood.

      I realize it's late where you are now, and I don't know if you still have your bee. If you could find another container that would be helpful... anything that is able to be ventilated but still enclosed would do, even a colander over your bee.

      The other option is to find a place outdoors that is sheltered from the rain (under an overhang or similar, on some flowers ideally). You could then check on it again in the morning (chances are, she will still be exactly where you left her).

      No matter where it spends the night, try again with the sugar water in the morning to give your bee an energy boost. Sometimes, adding a few drops of sugar water to something like a cut dandelion can encourage them to drink.

      And if there is sun in the morning, move it to the sunniest place. Or warm it up well indoors first, even on your hand if you are comfortable so doing. The warmer and better fed your bee, the more energized she will be, and she should be able to fly off even if it's overcast, so long as it is not raining.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  526. Hey last night at midnight i found a bee struggling on my wall outside. It was raining quite bad so i brought her inside and kept her over nightto keep her warm amd dry her off in a box with some sugar water. This morning i have put the box outside where i found her but shes still not flying away.i keep going to check but its like shes just gave up.. what can i do to help her more?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Becky

    1. I am so sorry I am late in replying, I've been traveling, and so I fear my reply will be too late. If you still have your bee, I would continue to try her outdoors daily... sometimes they choose to spend a day or two recovering, and we never know quite what happened before we find them, or how exhausted they might have been.

      My other thought would be to ensure her box, when placed outdoors, is such that the sunlight falls upon her. Sunlight does bees a world of good in terms of re-energizing them. If it's not been sunny, then that might be the reason she's slow to leave, but in such cases, simply putting her outdoors every morning, and ensuring she has sugar-water for energy, should help her get going, assuming she's otherwise in good health.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  527. I have about a 4” round comb on my window. My wife is allergic to bees. Need advice on removing them without getting stung or killing them.

    Thanks

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Luke

    1. If there's a honey bee hive there, then there will be much more comb than 4" round, hidden from view. And a buzzing sound, I'd think!

      If you need honey bees removed from your house (they occasionally establish colonies inside walls and other cavities), then your best bet is to contact a local beekeeper, who will safely transport them and house them. If they must remove and then replace certain parts of your siding, then they'll charge something to cover the cost of that labor and parts.

      One way to find a local beekeeper (in the U.S.) would be to check the National Honey Board beekeeper locator: https://www.honey.com/honey-locator

      Alternatively, you could do a web search for "swarm removal" in your local city/area.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  528. Hello,

    I appreciate your website! I’ve been innately drawn to helping revive bees in the last 3 years. I was just drawn to any on the ground and would move them to a flower or give them a sugar water feed.

    I picked a Bumble Bee up from the ground 3 days ago that miraculously, was not trodden on! I have been sheltering and feeding the bee for these 3 days but wonder, is there anything elseI can do for the bee to help its recovery? Also, is it usual for a bee to need care for 3 days +? Lastly, where would be the best place for me to release the bee when it’s ready?

    Thank you x

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Nia

    1. It is unusual to have a bee stay three days, but it's not unheard of (it really does depend on the bee's individual situation). Has your weather been cold lately? Usually putting your bee out in warm direct sunlight speeds its recovery. Even if you end up putting the open box out for several days in a row, letting the bee take its time.

      If she's a small bumble bee (a worker), then it's definitely best to release her very near to where you found her. On the other hand, if she's very large (a queen), then it is not as important, in all likelihood, that you release her exactly where you found her. Especially at this time of year (going into autumn), young queens will be mating before preparing for winter hibernation (so the best place you could release her would be in a patch of flowers).

      Of course, it might be a male too, which will likely look thinner and longer than a worker. In which case, it doesn't matter where you release him at all... though flowers are still good, because he'd find all he needs there since female bumble bees would visit too.

      So ideally, place the open box in direct sunlight near flowers where you found your bee if she is a worker, or near any abundant (and ideally diverse) source of flowers if it's a queen or male. And offer sugar water: a combination of warmth and sugar energy works on every bee in the end, unless there is something else unseen that's amiss (age, internal parasites, bee diseases, pesticide poisoning, or the like).

      I hope your bee responds to the care you're giving it, and flies off happily soon!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Hey Elise,

        Thank you for your swift response! Your dedication to bees is amazing! And weirdly, I started talking to a stranger about bees in my city yesterday who also had signed the petition on Greenpeace and recommended a book by a Polish author I think, called Maja Lunde. Small world huh!

        I woke up this am to find my bee out of her box and on my curtain so I feel she is making good strides. She isn’t enormous but I do believe she is a she and most likely a worker.

        I have stationed her by my window so she can get some heat and hope to release her today or tomorrow from whence she came! I just was worried about placing her on flowers that may be covered in pesticides but I suppose, I can’t control this.

        She’s buzzing and moving her wings a long which is a good sign, but worry shebe sassy with me whenever I take her to her purported home he he.

        I actually have felt that my time with this bee was so special (the human mind is a strange thing!) but it really has been. It allowed me to slow down for once as I was looking after her and to see her feeding and resting close up I felt was a privilege.

        May the bees bless you and keep you 😜

        Thanks Elise.

        From Northern Ireland.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Nia

        1. *The author is Swedish. Apologies.

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Nia

        2. P.S. The weather forecast here is said to be rainy all week. It hasn’t rained yet but is it ok to release the bee before it does rain?

          X

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Nia

          1. I would try to release her, first making sure your bee is (ideally) warmed and topped off with sugar water. Bees don't fly much in the rain, but bumble bees are a bit hardier and do fly in the rain occasionally (though not complete downpours).

            Thank you for your other kind thoughts too! It does sound like your bee is active, and I'm so happy that the time you've been spending with your bee has brought you closer to her :)

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

            1. Let me just add... she'll likely get where she's going before the rain begins, so long as you release her near where you found her (she'll remember her way home).

              If it looks like she has to do a little flying in light rain, I wouldn't worry overly, so long as she takes off with energy.

              Reply

              Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

              1. Hey!

                I took my chances as the rain was light and sporadic. Fortunately where I found her was not far from my friend’s home and I was able to place her on some plants he has outside that are known to attract bees and butterflies (Can’t remember the name).

                I placed her under a sheltered bit and she prepared for take off and moved to the plant and went straight to work! I was amazed!

                Thank you so much for your support. It really helped and I’ll be able to help other bees again safely and adequately.

                Yes, I almost teased up saying goodbye 🙄😆

                Thanks Elise x

                Reply

                Leave a Reply to Nia

        3. Apologies for error in type! iPad and predictive messaging grrr x

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Nia

  529. I fed a tired wet bumble bee for 2 days. It drinks the sugar water and goes back to sleep. It doesn't want to fly or leave the box. Is it dying

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lisa

    1. Two days is a while without much change, but sometimes it does seem to take tired bees a few days to get going, depending on what happened to them before being found. How does your bee act in direct sunlight? It might take a few hours of direct sun, but warming your bee up should stimulate flight. And I'd keep trying too, so long as your bee is drinking sugar water and still alive. Time, warmth, and sugar water work in most cases (unless there's something else wrong with your bee).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. I found him when it had been raining heavy he could only walk. I took him in to dry him off and feed him but he never wanted to fly. The weather has suddenly changed from being really hot to cooler dull and some rain. There is no sunshine to put him in at the moment. I'll keep trying.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Lisa

  530. I found a bee yesterday in my daughter's paddling pool and rescued her and put her in big tree pit to recover, I tried to feed her sugar water but she wasn't interested and instead buried herself in the soil?? Is this normal behaviour for a bee?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Bananan

    1. It depends on the bee... many nest in the ground, in fact the vast majority do. Queen bumble bees and many smaller native bees all "dig" into the ground in order to build their nests, and that, perhaps, might be an explanation for what you observed. Either that, or your bee was simply trying to hide from possible danger after her experience! I would hope that if she had energy to do this, then she should have recovered fully from her time in the paddling pool. It was kind of you to rescue her :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  531. I found a bee that someone hit with a pool noodle then temporality after got squished on its upper part. It seems as if it’s right eye is hanging out of it’s socket and it won’t get off it’s back.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Nick

    1. I almost never give the following advice, but in this case it's clearly the right thing to do. Your bee is suffering, and its life should be ended as quickly as possible, because it can't survive in this state, and they do feel pain. Some people suggest freezing is the best way, but I don't believe that's the case, I think the suffering is simply less obvious. My suggestion (again, I wish I didn't have to say this) would be to hit it very fast with a very flat object such as a brick, in such a way as to completely obliterate the nervous system as fast as possible. I am sorry to say this, as I wish there was some way to do some kind of bee surgery, but there is no such option.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  532. I would like to say a big thank you after reading about reviving a Bumblebee I'm glad to say the Bee I found in my yard looked like she had giving up I read your article about how to revive a Bumblebee I followed it and picked her up and put her in our flowers this morning she seems a bit happier climbing round the flowers but hasn't flown away yet!! Does this mean she's just a old girl on her last legs or is she still just building her power back up.

    Thank you JockBhoy

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jockbhoy

    1. I would simply give her more time in the sun on the flowers, that works in most cases (sometimes hours). You can also get a sense of your bee's age by looking at her wing edges too: smooth, crisp wing edges are common in young bees, contrasted with older bees, whose wing edges are often frayed and a bit tattered.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  533. Hi there, I'm back for advice on your excellent site. We've found a lovely bumblebee in the garden who one jagged, broken wing, and another wing that's been crushed. He is very perky but can't fly. We've popped him into a butterfly tent with a plate of flowers which he is going mad for, especially feeding off the lavender. What can we do to help him?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Claire T

    1. Oh, I am sorry to hear about your bee’s wings. This is difficult, because bumble bees are social bees, so I am not sure how “happy” they might stay if kept individually. And sadly, there’s no way to repair the damage to the wings (I’ve heard of that working for monarchs, but their wings are easier to repair in a sense).

      It would seem that the best thing to do is to keep your bee comfortable and safe from predators, which you’re doing already with the butterfly tent and the cut flowers. Cut flowers don’t hold their nectar for too long though, and I would imagine that your bee’s natural foraging instincts may also kick in soon, in the sense of trying or wishing to get back to the colony.

      Occasionally I’ve wondered if a bumble bee colony might accept an injured bee back in, with the idea of giving that bee “house duties” (which social bees all perform for the first few days after becoming adults). But I’m not sure that the bees would allow an injured be in (I think it would need to be tested out), and it also hinges on knowing where the colony is, which is only easy to spot in the case of tree bumble bees. Social bees also guard their nest entrances, so I’m not sure how one would go about introducing an injured bee, without triggering the alarm defenses.

      I wish I could suggest something that would help your bee. I’m imagining some kind of netted enclosure over living plants, so that at least there’s a safe place to forage with fresh nectar flowing (though depending on the height of the plants, if might involve a fair bit of climbing on the bee’s part). A variety of flowers would certainly provide the best balance of nutrients and energy, but you could supplement with sugar water too.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Many thanks Elise, I sent my husband out for some potted plants last night inc lavender which we've put into the butterfly tent with him, and he's outside in it. He is still feeding well. Fingers crossed, we may just have a new little guest for a while!

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Claire T

  534. Today when I went out walking I found a tired bee on the floor. I moved it to a log, I did not have any sugar water but I picked a wild flower, which it scrambled onto and started to look like it was eating. Is that the right thing to do if you don’t carry sugar water on you?

    Many thanks

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Hannah

    1. Yes, it is definitely helpful to do so. If there’s a next time, I’d suggest moving the bee onto a flower that’s still attached to the plant (ideally a type of flower where you see other similar bees foraging). The reason I say this is that there’s a “time limit” on the nectar that will be available from a cut flower. It should still have enough for one bee, but when I’m out, and if I don’t have sugar water on me in a small vial, then I carefully move the tired bee onto an open flower, one located at an angle that looks most likely to support them (i.e. not easy for them to fall off clumsily while they’re still regaining their energy). Ideally in full sunlight too. In this case, though, it will definitely have been helpful for your bee to have a cut flower rather than simply being left on the ground, especially as it sounds as though your bee responded immediately, which is an excellent sign! One cut flower’s worth of nectar should have easily been sufficient for your bee to get going again :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  535. Hello, so I found a little bee (honey bee I think) in the pool yesterday afternoon. I got her out and put her on a flower in the sun to dry out, evening came and she was still there I offered some sugar water she didn’t drink it, so as it got I put in a shoe box over night with leafs and grass and some holes in the box. This morning she’s on the top of the box so had climb out some how but still hast flown away. What should I do next she’s not very active. But still alive and moving occasionally. Hope you can help many thanks Chermaine x

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Cher

    1. I apologize for my late reply, I’m on West coast U.S. time, and it’s getting late now where you are. Is your bee still with you? When they’ve been rescued from a pool, it often takes them quite awhile to recover… between hours and sometimes a couple of days. In these cases, keeping a close eye on them, and even keeping them for a second night, seems to be the most effective thing to do. Each day, I would offer sugar water and place the box open in the sunlight. If your bee seems not to touch the sugar water, another thing to try is to add something like a cut dandelion to the box in the morning (a nice easy-to-reach flower for any size bee tongue) and “lace” it with a little extra sugar water.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  536. I do hope you don’t mind but as a landscape design and construction company we are very focused on pollinator protection and planting for pollinators (amongst other things). I love your website and hope you don’t mind but I have just shared it on our Instagram and Facebook accounts. Hopefully it will help the cause. Keep up the fantastic work! Carol@ Alchemy

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Alchemy gardens

    1. Thank you so much for sharing my website, I so appreciate it! The more people who take just a few steps to help pollinators, the better… and truly anyone, anywhere, can do something to help them :) And I am very happy to hear that your company is so focused on pollinator protection and planting for pollinators (among other things). Bees need all the help they can get!

      I also apologize for my late reply, I haven’t been feeling well recently, but I’m buzzing about again now :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  537. I found a bee on the floor put it on a flower in my table it's still there next day the back end is moving up and down so I presume it's still alive . What's going on x

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Pat Grady

    1. I am so sorry I didn’t reply sooner, I have not been well. I realize my response will come too late, but I still thought I should follow up. One thing to try in the future is to place your bee in direct sunlight, but you may well have done that. If it doesn’t revive with sugar-water in direct sunlight, then there is very likely something else going on with your bee (they suffer from a variety of internal parasites, bee diseases, and of course pesticides can give them both acute and chronic problems too).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  538. It’s 11 pm here in Tulsa OK. We had a “cool front “ come through at 1 pm which did drop the very toxic heat by 16 degrees. No serious winds or rain, but it was a front from the north.

    Earlier I (around 10pm) came upon a average honey bee on the patio under the light and walking fast and around in circles unable to fly.

    Now it’s curled up on the ground not moving.

    What could have happened to cause this behavior?

    I don’t know if I should intervene as a large wolf spider is or might have already caused harm?

    Curious AnnMarie

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to AnnMarie

    1. It could honestly be any number of things, including physical damage (from a spider or bird). If a wolf spider is nearby, then it could certainly be a result of being bitten, and there’d be no point intervening if so. It could also be the result of unseen factors such as internal parasites, one of several bee diseases, or pesticide poisoning. I you see its tongue out, then it is certainly near the end. I would say that if it were still standing on its legs, it’d be worth intervening, but if it’s not even on its legs, then it will be too far gone to save at this point, and very likely there would have been nothing to do anyway for it, given what you described seeing. They are purposeful creatures, and the behavior you describe is not normal for them.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  539. Hello my wasp I rescued rom my pool and only the tail is moving I gave it sugar water and it’s now dry what should I do

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sophia

    1. I apologize for replying so late. Usually my advice would have been to put your wasp in the sunlight to recover, but it was late when you wrote, so I’d probably have put her in a sheltered spot where she’d be safe from predators during the night. Then in the morning, I’d expect her to make a full recovery in the sunlight (with maybe a little more sugar water if needed).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  540. I've found a bee in the park, and carried him gently back to my office, as his legs were moving. I've put him on my desk with some sugar water and placed him almost on top of it. But he doesn't seem to be drinking, His legs are becoming more active but the rest of his body isn't moving and I'm worried he's in pain. How do I know if he's damaged and whether it might be kinder to put him to sleep?

    Thanks

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jess

    1. I am so sorry to be replying so late, sometimes I am unable to get to these questions right away, and my advice is not always helpful unless it’s immediate. Nonetheless, I thought I should reply anyway to you.

      Just the other day, I heard of someone who’s a keen bee observer mistaking a live bee that they fished out of their pond for dead, and being so surprised when they found it had revived. So I always err on the side of helping them as though they’ll make it. My first instinct would be to put a bee like this in direct sunlight or somewhere warm, to see if warmth might change your bee’s behavior. Sometimes they don’t drink the sugar water, but warmth is something that they all should respond to.

      It’s hard to determine with certainty about damage, but carefully inspecting your bee can help point to problems sometimes. Other times, it can be internal problems that we’ll never be able to determine without lab testing. To judge the relative age of your bee, take a look at the edges of the wings to see if they’re smooth (a young bee) or ragged (an older bee).

      If it were me, I’d try the bee outdoors in the sun or warmth, and if it grew late, but it was still on its legs, I’d bring it in for the night, and try again with sugar water and warmth in the morning outdoors. Sometimes dropping sugar-water on a flower like a dandelion can work better, since they’ll recognize it as food easily, and you can simply “boost” your cut flower this way.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  541. Aloha, so awesome I found your site. I just found a bumble bee literally flying with all its might onto my leg. She looked very fuzzy and confused raising her front legs like in help me! I saw she was very exhausted. No buzzing. So I went to get a bit sugar water and a drop of honey on a spoon. She wouldn't want the sugarwater but put her tongue out immediately to suck up all the honey. She rested and I tried again some water and honey. She drank the honey. It was getting late so I decided to take her in. I let her rest for a while on a thyme pot. I made new sugar water, regular water and honey and offered it to her. She drank again only honey. But looks a bit better from a couple of hours ago. Moved a bit more and buzzed her wings several times. But she is weak. Thanks to your advice I provided her with some flowers and thyme in a shoebox. I don't know if bumble bees need food at night. So I put in the spoon with a tiny bit honey at the end and some water on a small shell so she won't drown. Any other tips? I hope she is doing better tomorrow. I guess it's a bumble bee queen. I keep finding dead bees.. It makes me so sad. They keep on mowing the grass and flowers. I wish they'd stop. How can the bees survive if the flowers are gone? Thanks a lot for your work on bees.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Makanaola

    1. I am happy your bee found you, and I hope the morning finds her well tomorrow, with more energy. They don’t typically need food at night because they slow down naturally with cooler temperatures, but it doesn’t hurt to make food available (so long as she can’t fall in, as you ensured). In the morning, don’t worry if she seems very sluggish, they do not move much when they’re not warm. Assuming you have a sunny day, I’d put her in the full sun in the morning, and try her with more honey if that’s what she’s drinking already. Put her box out in the sun with the lid off, near to where you found her, so that she still knows where she is when she’s ready to go. Sun and warmth should work the rest of the magic to revive her along with the honey, and even if it takes a few hours, you should see her buzz off happily, so long as she is healthy. I am very sad to hear of your mention of dead bees, it is such a problem, people taking away their food sources, and poisoning those that are left :( I try to keep up my hope though, because anyone can help provide habitat for bees, and the more people who do, the more possible life will be for our buzzy friends, upon whose wings the world as we know it depends.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  542. I found a bumble bee inside my house, which wasn’t moving much. I offered some sugar water and was fascinated to see its tongue ‘lapping’ it off the spoon. It wasn’t able to walk on my floor, and after moving it to a lavender bush where it crawled around apparently looking for some nectar (out of the way of over-interested toddlers) I noticed it seems to have some of its rear leg missing, as though it has been scraped lengthwise. There are no fuzzy hairs, the ‘thigh’ is visibly thinner/flatter than the opposite leg, and there is clear fluid on the remaining structure. The poor thing is still clinging to the lavender. Not sure if it’s hopeless or whether I should pop it in a box overnight in case it’s can recover. Any hints? Thank you

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Ally

    1. I am sorry to hear about your bee’s leg. Did you take a picture, by chance? You can reply to this email if you’d like so that I could take a closer look. Her ability to survive will depend on the extent and location of the wound. It’s unfortunate it’s a rear leg, as those are the most important. That’s a good sign that she’s drinking sugar water though, and otherwise showing signs of energy (it is fascinating to watch them drink, I agree)! I’d be tempted to bring her in for the night if it were me, as she might otherwise be easier prey in her current condition (especially since it’s late in the evening where you are). But I would say her chances of recovery are very much up in the air, depending on the nature of her wound.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  543. I live near a lagoon. I just moved here a week or so ago and I've found two bees in as many days while kayaking in the middle of the lagoon water. There are strawberry fields across the lagoon if that is of particular importance.

    The first bee I found was struggling and moving about in the water. I was able to lift her out of the water on my kayak paddle. She sat there for a while and moved about a little bit while I drifted to shore. She fell a few times into a bit of water and then into the sand. But by that time she was able to clean herself off. She just took off and flew and it was a wonderful moment after so many emotional ups and downs.

    Now I'm sitting here with my second bee. Consider her story the same except that she wasn't moving at all in the water. She's inside with me right now because it's dark and she's finally moving around a bit but not enough that I'm comfortable taking her outside just yet.

    So, my official question is what I should do with bees that fall into saltwater like this? Is there something special to do for these bees?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Rae

    1. There’s nothing particularly special to do for bees that fall into saltwater. Interestingly, honey bees (and I’d guess other species of bees too) are attracted to salt water, since they require salt for their own metabolic processes, and for their larvae. All bees “taste” with their feet, incidentally… which can get them intro trouble if the water is choppy at all.

      So the best help you can give them is just helping them out when they misjudge the water and get stuck!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  544. Okay so basically I saw a bee in my pool and naturally took it out and put it in some kitchen roll, then made the sugar and water method and the bee drank it however it’s not moving now so I can’t tell if it’s dead or sleeping? Please help? I hope I didn’t kill it?!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to LillyCh

    1. An unmoving bee looks a lot like a dead bee, but there’s nothing you’ve done that would have harmed your bee (though it depends on how long they’re in a pool, in terms of their ability to recover). I would usually say to put your bee in direct sunlight next, if you have some, but it’s late where you are, so that advice will have to wait until morning. A wet bee is going nowhere fast until it dries out, and I assume it’s still fairly damp, even on the kitchen roll. I would keep your bee in a ventilated box overnight, somewhere not too warm and not too cold, and in the morning I would try your bee outdoors in direct sunlight as soon as it warms up a bit. It may take it a number of hours to recover as it warms up and dries out, but it’s a good sign that it drank some sugar water, and you’re doing everything right, it’s just a matter of the bee pulling through now, from its experience in your pool.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  545. I saw, and photographed, a bee with a bubble just behind its head. I've never seen this before - was it ill?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to David Jay

    1. Ah hah, it’s just a huge (relative to the bee) drop of water. That is one soaking wet bumble bee! She’ll dry off with time and sunlight. Usually I see them hiding underneath the flowers in the rain, hanging upside down… and now I see why that would be advantageous (the drops falling off them more readily, rather than gathering in a big ball on top).

      I think if you wanted to do her a favor you could delicately roll a bit of tissue to form a thin “rod” that you could touch to that drop to absorb some excess… but she should be fine left to her own devices too. Hopefully your bee will have an opportunity to dry off and warm up soon!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

    2. I have just sent you an email, I would love to see your photos to know how this bubble looks.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  546. Hi, I found a bee today and brought him/her home as I do quite often to feed them sugar water and release them, however this one has his tongue out constantly and doesn't seem to be drinking. He is very wobbly too. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

    Many thanks in advance!

    Catherine.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Catherine

    1. A tongue out constantly is a sign of a bee near the end of their life, unfortunately. It appears to be associated with either illness (bee diseases and parasites) or pesticide poisoning, most commonly. I’d still continue trying your bee with a drop of sugar water near the tip of its tongue, but I would doubt that any “flushing” of its system would help at this point. I fear that other than make your bee comfortable, there is little left to do, unfortunately 😢

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thank you Elise for sharing your knowledge!

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Catherine

  547. Hi. There was a bee that flew through the window yesterday, but spent ages unsuccessfully trying to get out of the window. I tried to help it out with a bit of paper, but it eventually ended up buzzing around the floor. When it was just sitting there, I decided to put it outside, unaware of exhaustion which can affect bees. After it did not fly away, I did some research and decided to feed it sugar water.

    However, when I came to check on it, I found it lying in the liquid (outside on my patio), although the liquid wasn’t deep, so I pulled it out and found it was still alive. It was turning to evening and it was cold outside, so I decided to bring it in to a shoebox and I kept it for the night.

    When I woke up this morning, I found it still alive, but struggling, and I think I saw some sugar granules stuck to it. I put a small amount of sugar water near it, but again, when I came to check on it, I found it lying in it. Unfortunately, I pulled it out and did not see any movement.

    Is the bee dead? I didn’t see it moving for a few minutes, but couldn’t stay any longer as I had to go out. Is there something I did wrong? In hindsight, I should have just caught the bee with a glass when it was trying to get out, and I should have prevented it from falling in the liquid, but is there something else I did wrong, which I can fix to save a bee next time?

    Thanks for your help, and I only hope I could have prevented my mistakes and saved it.

    Charlie

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Charlie

    1. I am so sorry to hear that. I think I should update my page to further stress how important it is to keep them from falling into the sugar water, which might happen if they’re especially weak or clumsy. Another thing to try if they do fall in is to drop slightly cooler than lukewarm pure water on them, to rinse away the sugar water so that it doesn’t crystallize on their wings. Typically they’ll clean themselves off if they fall in (and gain energy by so doing), but they won’t do that if they’re utterly exhausted.

      Did you try your bee outdoors in sunlight the following morning, after offering sugar water? I’m afraid that absolutely no movement is not sounding hopeful for this particular bee. Yes, trapping future bees in glass jars temporarily—in order to get them outdoors sooner, while they still have plenty of energy—would definitely be ideal.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. I’m afraid I didn’t have time to put the bee in the sunlight in the morning, as I had to leave the house. There was also no sunlight at the time, and it was still quite cold, as well as me having a cat that would love to kill it if it spotted it. I would have definitely placed it in sunlight if I thought it was most suitable.

        Unfortunately the bee is dead, but this information is very useful, and I’ll be sure to help the next bee with my newly-equipped knowledge.

        Thanks for your help.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Charlie

  548. Hi, I’ve just cycled along a stretch of road that is flanked on one side by some allotments and then verges teeming with wildflowers. However, in the space of about 250 metres I saw approx 60-80 dead bumblebees lying in the gutter. It is very hot here in Brighton today and exceptionally windy. Is it possible they have been blown off the flowers? I cycle this way often and have never seen this before. It was desperately sad to see.

    Thanks

    Hannah

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Hannah

    1. Bees don’t fly well at all in high winds. Roads are already especially dangerous for bees and other insects. I’ve heard of this happening before, and it’s attributable to bad conditions (like high winds) along with the pollinator habitat being right alongside the road. It’s still a net positive for pollinators to have road verges left for them, but it’s truly unfortunate that as a society, that’s the only strip of land some pollinators can rely upon for food, as it’s not a particularly safe area even when conditions are good.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  549. Hello, I've noticed a bee in my garden that has been in the same position for over a day now. It seems sluggish and has barely moved, only to change position. It is on a flower so I put a small bit of sugar water on a tray next to it but it still hasnt moved. The temp outside has been between 15-25 degrees Celsius, so not cold at all. Is there anything else I can do to try and help it? Thank you

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Becky

    1. Unless your bee is sitting in a very cold and shaded position (if so, I’d consider moving your bee to a sunny location by clipping the flower)… but assuming that this is not the case, I’m sadly not sure what else to advise. Can you see any visible damage to your bee? How do the wing edges look, are they smooth or are they ragged (this is a way to gauge their relative age)? Bees do “wear out” at the end of their lives, and occasionally we see them in their last days or hours, slowly winding down.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  550. Hi

    I have found a soggy bee she is still moving, I have given her some sugar water. Unfortunately the weather is damp and drizzly. What can do with her to help her dry out

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jo

    1. I would bring her indoors, and if she’s soggy she’s not going anywhere fast, so you needn’t worry about having an enclosure for her yet (or, you can put her in a box, but I’d leave the lid off so you can keep a close eye on her while you try to dry her out).

      If you have some source of dry warmth (such as a radiator), I’d put her box close to that for just a little bit, but carefully monitored, as that drying heat can be a bit dangerous for bees. You could also try putting her beneath a warm light, if you have any of the old types of bulbs that give off a bit of heat when they’re on (I don’t mean a heat lamp, just a regular old-style bulb that emits some heat).

      If the weather will be damp and drizzly all day, then I’d expect to keep your bee overnight… especially as it’s late there now (so I assume you were planning to do so anyway). When you’re ready to retire for the evening, I’d put a lid on a ventilated box for her, just so she doesn’t crawl and get lost in the night. I’d probably leave her box indoors, but not in a particularly warm room, as you wouldn’t want her to try to effect an escape during the night, and damage her wings in so doing. How’s the weather looking for tomorrow, any better?

      Even if she spends the night feeling a bit soggy, it’s not going to be all the world, since she’s safe with you (not easy prey). In the morning, if it’s not sunny, I’d try to warm her up more indoors near something that will dry her and warm her slowly but surely. A day indoors in her box might do this, if the weather is still awful; but ideally the weather will be good enough for you to set her box out in the direct sunlight with the lid off, which will definitely dry her well, and the warmth of the sun will also give her energy. Definitely offer her some more sugar water in the morning too, to make sure she’s as well fed as she can be before you see if she’ll feel good enough to fly off.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  551. I've found a bumblebee in our pool that I'm trying to help. It has now dried up a lot and it managed to stretch out the tiny wings and fold them again. But it doesn't look so happy and does not want to drink. It can move all legs but they are shaky and its head is on the floor all the time.

    Will it survive? How does the chlorine in the poolwater affect them? Is there anything else i can try?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Niels

    1. I realize it’s late in the evening where you are now. I think your bee most likely needs time to recover from its experience. I would place your bee in a ventilated box overnight, and put the box somewhere cool, similar to outdoor temperatures, but sheltered from the elements.

      Hopefully tomorrow you have a warm, sunny day. Bees recover far more quickly in full sun, but depending on how long it was in your pool, it can take hours more to feel itself and start moving normally and thinking of flying.

      I don’t think anyone would say that chlorine is good for bees, but it doesn’t seem to have too much ill-effect at low doses, like those you’d generally find in swimming pools.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  552. We found a bee ( we think it's a tree bumble bee worker!) He is missing his a wing and cannot fly, although he keeps on trying! We have had him in an open top box for 6 days now with lots of flowers (provided fresh and often!) And water and even little socks to sleep in. He seems very comfortable and healthy but because of his missing wing he just can't fly. Its very frustrating for him and it's sad to see so my question is how long can will he survive if we keep feeding and watering him? And what is the best way to make him happy without friends or flight? :(

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jenna

    1. Oh, I’m sorry to hear that, losing a wing is so serious. You don’t, by chance, know where their nest is, do you? Although, much as there’d be jobs to do around the nest that don’t require flying, I’m not sure how tolerant other bees would be, nor had research been done that I’m aware of in bumble bees. Honey bees have little tolerance for disabled bees, but bumble bee colonies are smaller, and so they might be different. I’m also not sure quite how one would go about introducing the bee, as they understandably get a bit defensive around their nests.

      I’m not sure the lifespan of tree bumble bee workers, and haven’t been able to find that information this morning, but I’d assume it to be around a month. It is likely that your bee is not freshly emerged, since they do work around the nest first, before becoming foragers.

      I am not sure there is a way to make a social bee like this happy without friends or flight, however I imagine that fresh flowers, water, and soft nesting material will help. Make sure that the flowers have some nectar still in them, or supplement with sugar water in a tiny dish. You wouldn’t want to keep your bee cold just to slow it down, but it will likely continue to try to fly whenever it’s warm.

      I wish I had more to suggest, or that there was some way to create a usable wing for your bee.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  553. I've had a bumblebee on my window screen for two days. We did just have a small storm the first day. I have noticed him moving around and sleeping. I was wondering if there was anything I can do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Gos

    1. I am sorry I did not have a chance to reply sooner. So long as your bee is in a relatively sheltered location, it should be able to wait out the storm, but if you’re concerned that it appears as though it might drop to the ground, or be exposed to the storm, I’d gently brush your bee into a ventilated box which I’d place in a location mirroring the outdoor temperature, but safe from the elements and predators. Then once the weather gets better, you could release your bee, perhaps offering sugar-water first. You likely would need no sugar-water while keeping your bee overnight, so long as you kept your bee as cool as outdoor temperatures, since they expend so little energy in that state.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  554. I often visit a community pool, and there are quite a lot of honeybees buzzing around! They usually land on little patches of water along the side of the pool, either resting or drinking, There are not many flowers nearby and the hive isn't visible from the pool area, so I'm guessing the bees are there for the water. Is it safe for honeybees to drink the pool water which has chemicals in it? As a side note, because bees often fall in, I started keeping a clean eye-dropper bottle full of sugar water in case I need to fish one out and help it dry off and get a little energy. Thanks! -Mylee

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Mylee

    1. That’s wonderful you’re keeping sugar water on you! Honey bees do need water (not just nectar), which they use in order to cool their hives (teams of bees also fanning their wings vigorously). Pool water isn’t going to be ideal though, since they are carrying it internally in their honey sacs, and I’d imagine they’d absorb some chlorine while doing so, before bringing it back up. Do you think you could place out a shallow dish (ideally some kind of glazed ceramic, or glass, or anything something that’s not plastic, which also exudes stuff in direct sunlight). If you filled it with pebbles of different sizes, and added water to it from time to time, maybe with a little note explaining why it’s there (at your community pool, that is)? I’m not sure if the bees would know to go there rather than the big pool, but with all the bustle of human activity pool-side, a shallow dish within sight with pebbles and uninterrupted drinking might just draw in bees, and tap water would be much nicer for them to drink from than pool water (and less dangerous too, in terms of accidentally falling in).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  555. Hi I’ve found a bumble bee but it won’t take any sugar water and keeps flipping onto its back... now it’s just lying on its back with its body pulsing... what should I do..? 😱 thanks rachel x

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Rachel

    1. I'm sorry to hear that (and I apologize for replying likely too late). I've not heard any good outcomes from bees behaving in this way. They should never go flipping on their backs normally. Is there any physical damage that you could see? Were they otherwise active, or sluggish?

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  556. Hiya, And here I thought I was being over sentimental when I helped out this larger-than-usual looking bee yesterday evening. I live in the Swiss countryside and had been accompanying my singing with my dobro guitar on this blues tune I had written, (strangely named "Hum-Song", believe it or not.., ) when I noticed a bee on the window pane. I have a deep resounding voice and the dobro also vibrates in a unique way, so I couldn't help thinking to my self whether my solo performance had indeed acted like some sort of beacon and made her land there. I kept playing and singing and looking up at her every once in a while, she wasn't leaving and I couldn't help but notice that the skies were a darkening as silent lightning forked it's way across the horizon. Suddenly huge drops of water started falling from the firmament above accompanied by big claps of thunder and a howling wind come hither, yet still Bee didn't move and I instinctively felt that she was going to be done for if she didn't get to safety. And if it wasn't the storm then some of the gigantic spiders that roam around the house would end up getting to her. So, on a whim, I decided Bee needed some form of saving and since nobody else was in the vicinity to do any sort of rescuing, I was going to have to be the chivalrous knight to do it. I went down into the kitchen and grabbed a plastic cup with some paper, opened my window reached out and entrapped her in it, covered the glass with the paper and then proceeded to build a makeshift house for the night out of a soft plastic box that had contained some basil leaves from the shop. I used a fondue fork to punch breathing holes into the plastic and I basically did everything you wrote about above, inclusive the little lid with water on it and added a knife's tip of honey too, so as to calm her wits down with something familiar-smelling, or so I thought. Then I put her into her home for the night and set it down upon a shelf near the radiator, lit a candle for Buddha and asked the infinite Universe/Multiverse to take care of her.. See, I had no idea what I was doing, I only wanted to help and was just hoping not to kill the poor thing. I woke up early (around 05:30...) and proceeded to go downstairs and see how she was faring, she seemed weak and I decided that it might be time to let her go, so I brought her back upstairs to the same window I'd found her the night before and opened up the plastic-box. At first she wouldn't move so I gently coaxed her on with a train ticket that I had found on my shelf and that's when she revved up full force and flew out of the box and over the garden below. I became emotional and told myself that I must be the only one in the whole wide world who does such things. I even spoke about it later on some dating site, the woman mockingly said that I deserve bee-saver award of the year, she'd rather talk of tanning and the summer to come and so I left it at that and the site too. The day went on by and the question remained in my mind; "are there people out there in the world who do such things, or is there something wrong with me?" So, that's when I typed 'saving a bee from the storm' and happened upon this your wonderful blog. That's like the coolest thing ever and all the reward I really need; to know that there are indeed kindred souls out there who are made from the same sort of "soul-wood".

    Thank-you for being you, 🙏🏽

    I wish you lots of light,

    be blessed.

    Namaste. 💨🌞⛩🍀🌻🐝😽

    M🐉

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Marcello

    1. Your story has made my week, and more 🤗 I thank you for describing everything as it happened and felt to you… I almost felt as though I was there as you were writing. Bees are delightful and I do cherish every interaction I have with each personally, I am happy to hear you felt the same about your bee too. It is a warm feeling, helping a bee in its quest to live its life well and happily. It is good too, to connect with similar souls… I agree that it can seem one has little in common with anyone else, depending on whom one happens to be around.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  557. Hi there, I have come across a downed Bee. The weather is cold and it has been very rainy today. She was sitting on the track outside my home. I brought her in to warm up, but on close inspection it seems that the hairs on her thorax are really stuck down, kind of congealed together. I have never seen this before and have no idea what to do to help. Other than this she is really perky (although not yet flown), and pretty fed up being held hostage!! Any ideas or suggestions? Many thanks for help. Really glad to find this website!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kat

    1. I do apologize for not having had a chance to reply sooner. It’s possible what you’re describing is just normal wet bee fluff… I’ve seen bees look like they have miniature all-over mohawks before, from having been out in summer rains. Once they dry, they fluff right back up again. If you were to suspect some substance besides water on your bee, you could try dropping tepid (cooler than lukewarm) water, just a very few drops, to dilute anything stuck to the bee. Though doing so will mean they’ll take longer to dry off, warm up, and get going.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thanks Elise, tried some water but the fluff didn't seem to change - had her for a couple of days as it has been so cold and rainy here. Day of sunshine yesterday so she was left in the porch on clover flowers (she's been feasting on them all weekend!) in the glass that she couldn't climb out of. When checked on a while later, she was gong, so looks like she has warmed up and flown away, phew! Hopefully she will be ok despite the odd fluff look she is sporting :-/ !!

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Kat

        1. (Gone, not gong!!!)

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Kat

          1. I'm happy to hear she ate well and took off once the weather warmed up! It's unusual, but sometimes they can get odd things stuck to their fluff.

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  558. A honey bee landed on me over an hour ago and I cycled home for 30 minutes with a bee on my hand. I didn't know what to do! It wouldn't get off my hand for flowers and has had a little drink of sugar water off my hand. It is getting late now and I don't want to force it! He is on my hand as I type this message. It seems to be more active now and wanders across my hand and cleans itself every so often. I want to help it but don't know how!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Will

    1. Oh my goodness! Is there any chance you can house your bee in a box for the night, and then cycle back with it to where you met it first tomorrow morning? She would be able to join another hive too, if she came with pollen and nectar, but releasing her where you found her would be ideal. I’d say to keep her tonight in a ventilated box, and then tomorrow morning, cycle back with the box to near that same spot, hopefully there are some flowers nearby and it’s a warm day. Maybe bring a little sugar water with you, and I think if she has a bit more, plus sits in direct sunlight, she should happily buzz off!

      In terms of getting your bee off your hand, if it’s still there, well, very gently nudging her in a non-aggressive manner would be ideal (honesty I suddenly had an image of you sleeping with your hand in a bee box all night! ;) But if you had some leaves or flowers in the box, and as it’s wandering across your hand, put a leaf in front of it and then transferred it to the box, that might work.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  559. We found a bumble in our flat this afternoon. She was on her back, could have been here since last night. We don't have sugar in the house, so we put some honey and water near her.

    We are really concerned because she is only walking in a circle.

    It's been 4+ hours. She doesn't seem interested or able to fly, either.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to L

    1. Have you seen her drink any of the honey water (her long tongue would come out like a straw if so)? Have you tried warming her up outdoors? I realize it’s late there now, so something to try for the morning would be to place her in direct sunlight ideally. They can be very sluggish when they’re cold, especially when they’ve spent awhile indoors, and it can take them hours to warm up and get going again.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  560. I found a Tree bumblebee yesterday morning I gave it some sugar water and let it sit on my hand for a bit to warm up , eventually I put it in a box with some tissue and sugar water and left it close to the door so it could fly away when ready but the little guy still hasn't left 24 hours later. The more I have watched him I have noticed he is rather active but is missing one of his front legs and has a what looks like a ripped wing. What should I do with the little guy?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Courtney

    1. I am sorry to hear about that… one leg missing is alright (though not ideal), but a ripped wing is troubling, as we can’t repair those. If you’d like to send a photo in reply to my email, I can take a closer look. I also don’t know how tree bumblebees feel about injured bees… you don’t happen to know where this one was living, do you? Because there are things it could do around the nest if it’s unable to fly, but otherwise healthy. Bumble bees are accepted into colonies other than their own too, but only if they come bringing nectar and pollen.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  561. I found a Bee that had been upside down all night; the floor was wet; think it got stuck. I saw it last night but mistook it for a bit of wood or something, anyway it twitched this morning so I turned it the right way up and put it on a leaf. I then found your site, and I made a little paper box for it; and put it near a hot air heater, with some sugar water, watermelon and some flowers. It started to come round, so I put it outside "not raining but overcast" I have gone back and it has flown off! Took about 2 hrs all told. Thanks!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Martin

    1. That's excellent, I'm so happy you were able to help your bee!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  562. Not a question just a thank you! I had a baby bumblebee stuck to my jeans when I got home and looked up how to rescue it and came across your wise words :) thank you x

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Filzzy

    1. Happy to help you help a bee!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  563. I found s bee in the ground and picked it up and took home as was cold and almost dark. I put in a little box on a leaf with some flowers that had pollen on and tried to feed sugar. I have not seen it eat with it’s tongue like other bees I have saved it moves some legs one side more than the other. It looks like it breathing but not moved it’s wings or moved very far at all. Legs are moving up and down and the end bits are moving. It’s been like this since I picked it up last night now but I can’t see any really good signs of recovery. Its just lying there - It’s a fluffy bumble bee. It it injured? And suffering what should i do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Tracy

    1. Has your bee responded to warmth or sunlight, or was it a colder, cloudier day? It must already be evening again there, so it’s had a whole day to recover. Would you mind taking a photo and/or short video and replying to the email I just sent you with those?

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  564. Saved a bumble bee from drowning last night gave some sugar water and kept out of cold. Okay this morning but wings are not parting anything I can do to help or do they need to dry off properly? Thank you

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to KC

    1. Bees take awhile to get going in the morning (an hour or two or three sometimes), so I wouldn’t worry yet. Your bee needs to be well-warmed before flying, so by placing it outdoors in direct sunlight, it’ll warm up the fastest.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  565. Hi I found a ground queen bee when I was out today working in a park and didn't have any sugar water to hand. I scooped it up and placed in on a flower by wasn't able to stick around and see if it perked up. Is this a suitable alternative to sugar water?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to MCV

    1. It's definitely helpful to put bees on flowers if they seem to be struggling, and if you're not near any sugar water. Try to pick flowers where you see other similar bees foraging, because different types of bees have different tongue lengths, which affects the types of flowers they can feed from. Dandelions are good because they have plentiful nectar and pollen available to a wide range of bees.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  566. It not a question is a comment. Yesterday was Heavy rain and late afternoon we had some very sad soggy bees on some chive flowers. The next morning there were found sad wet bees so I found your page and read it. I brought in the bees, still on the flowers put them in a container will a teaspoon on sugary water. I covered the container with a metal food closhe so they had air and were in the warm. About 3/4 hour went by and we watched them feed and preen themselves dry. When they started to buss and there wings were dry, the started to fly under the closhe so when the sun eventually came out we opened the window and flew out. In total we helped 8 lovely bees and were so very happy that they didn’t die. This was all down to reading and understanding what to do as I don’t think they would have survived another night in the pouring rain. Thank you.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Stoat

    1. That's such a lovely story to read first thing! It sounds like you've been having some very un-bee-friendly weather lately there. I am so happy you were able to give your bees a helping hand, and that they all flew off happily, with plenty of energy, as a result of your thoughtful care.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  567. Hello, I hope you can help. I have stayed at my boyfriends parents house last night. They have a big patch of scabious flowers which the bees love. The flowers are covered in a lot of very wet bumblebees, 50 or more of them who have apparently been there for a few days. (We have had rain all week). His parents assumed they probably just hunkered down and waited out the rain so have left them to it. It is still raining this morning but is supposed to clear up by the afternoon with partly sunny weather forecast. I have gently stroked a few of the bees and they have all moved, so are still alive but otherwise sit completely still. Should I try to bring them all in and feed them? Or will they dry out with the better weather later today and be ok on their own? Many thanks, Freya

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Freya

    1. They’ll be alright where they are, so long as they’re all clinging well to the plants :) If any fall to the ground, I’d bring them in though, since they’re not as safe from predators or other hazards on the ground. But so long as they’re all clinging well they’ll be fine, this happens naturally sometimes, getting caught out in unexpected summer rains. I’ve seen large gatherings of bumble bees caught out in similar circumstances, and when checking each following day (even if a few days elapse), they all still seem safe and sound exactly where they were clinging, and they’re all waking up to a nice breakfast on those same flowers, once they warm up and dry out in the sun!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  568. Help, weve had awful weather where i love for 3 days. Constant rain. On one day we had the same as a months rainfall in a day. I found a bee in my lily plant, hes been there for 3 days, and I realised he wasnt okay. Weve brought him indoors as its late now and still raining, weve given him sugar water but he doesn't seem to want to drink it. Hes not moving much at all, only a sudden burst of energy now and again. When hes walking around the box hes in, he seems to he dragging his behind a fair bit. I've put a lamp over the box for now to try and dry him off but sadly he doesn't seem to be improving. What can I do? Thanks so much. Ps, weve named him Barry. I don't even know if there are boy bees .... but we liked the name.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Laura

    1. Be careful not to leave the lamp for too long, as artificial heat can dry bees out a bit too much. Do you have any bee flowers that aren’t wet? Dandelions would do nicely, as they have a nice open surface accessible to many types of bees (or another flower you have where you’ve seen similar bees foraging). My thought is that since it’s been days since your bee may have eaten, you can put a few drops of sugar water on a dry flower, and see if your bee will drink those up, thinking they’re drinking from a flower, and thus boost your bee’s energy.

      I wouldn’t worry too much about dragging behavior if your bee is still wet from the rainfall. I would remove the heat lamp tonight and simply put your bee’s box in a cool, dry location. Put some dry leaves, maybe even a folded paper towel, in the box to give your bee something to cling to and help them dry off a bit. In the morning (since it’s late where you are), I’d hope for some direct sunlight to warm your bee up, otherwise try warming your bee indoors, perhaps with the lamp (so long as you’re they’re the whole time monitoring changes to your bee’s behavior… if it looks like its not responding to that kind of heat, I’d simply keep it in a warm room instead).

      It may take your bee quite a while to get going (hours), given its recent experiences. I do hope it’ll take a bit of sugar water from a flower; if not, try placing it gently on a stable flower outdoors once the rain relents (ideally late morning tomorrow, assuming the sun is out, or at least assuming it’s stopped raining and it’s not too chilly—ideally above 15C—outdoors).

      At this time of year, by the way, your bee is most likely a girl… but she won’t mind the name Barry :)

      If you get worried, reply to the email I sent you with photos and a short video if you’d like, so that I get a better sense of your bee’s condition.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  569. Hello! I found a little bumble bee this morning who was completed soaked on my path... I scooped him up and popped him in a shallow pot and moved him out of the rain. I've just checked and he's still there. I've offered sugar water but I don't think he's interested. I've now put him in a bigger tuppaware box with holes in the lid. He's walking a little but not much. Is there any thing else I can do? Also, I've seen another bee on my foxglove, who has clung to the same flower all day and is also soaked. There's other bees flying around but this one is not, should I rescue him for the night or leave him put?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Stacie

    1. I would put something inside the box for the bee to dry off on a bit, maybe a folded paper towel, though dry leaves would work too. Not that your bee will dry off too quickly in the night, but it might well appreciate something dry to cling to. Since it’s evening there, I’d definitely keep that bee in a ventilated box, and hopefully tomorrow morning will be bright and sunny, and your bee can warm up and finish drying off in the sunlight before buzzing on its way tomorrow. For your other bee, so long as it’s clinging on well to your foxglove, I’d leave it where it is. This does happen to them naturally (getting caught out in unexpected rains), but they get into trouble when they are washed off flowers and onto the ground, exposed for any predator to find, or be accidentally trodden on.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thanks for the quick reply! I have put a paper towel in and a few leaves, so that bee will set up camp in there tonight :) hopefully this rain will ease and tomorrow I will release in the morning. He is very wet, poor thing, but seems to be moving around a bit more. Would it be worth offering sugar water any more today?

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Stacie

        1. I would wait until morning before offering sugar water again, if the bee wasn’t interested when you first offered it. I don’t like to risk them falling into sugar water at night clumsily, and also you want your bee to go to sleep soon. It’s still a good idea to have offered sugar water earlier, as you wouldn’t want your bee hungry, but since it didn’t want any then, I’d imagine it fed well in the day and simply got caught out unexpectedly in the heavy rain.

          Bees aren’t exactly early risers, but when the sun hopefully comes out tomorrow, just put your bee out in the warmth and offer a bit more sugar water then, in case it needs a top up in order to get going in the morning!

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

          1. I found him about 10am but it seems to be ok, waking around a bit more now, no buzzing though as the back is still quite wet. I will keep the bee safe tonight and do as you suggest in the morning :)

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to Stacie

  570. Hello! I had a bee on my door step this morning weak and not moving possibly the bad rain I’m not sure, since reading this website I have give him some sugar water and he’s now buzzed his wings a few times and is moving around lots!! I’m worried to put him outside again as it’s still bad weather will he be ok in a shoe box or will he die? I’ve put lots of holes in so he’s not able to suffocate thank you x

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sophie

    1. Since it’s late there, I would place the box somewhere coolish (like a sheltered spot that is still near outdoor temperatures). Your bee will slow down naturally once it’s cool, and should be safe inside the box you have. Tomorrow morning it will hopefully have stopped raining, and you can then warm your bee up (in direct sunlight if you have it, or by placing its box in a warm room) and offer more sugar water. Don’t be surprised if your bee takes a little while to get going tomorrow, it depends on the bee (and the weather)!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  571. So about 6 hours ago at around 6:30 p.m. I found a tired bee, I gave you a little guy some sugar water when she drank up and then hunkered down on my outside table. We were checking on him periodically and assumed he would leave when he got the energy but the sun went down so we kind of fell asleep on the table anytime we would check on him he would move around a little bit but not fly or get up.

    Sorry, your website and you recommended putting him in a small box with some grass which I did, but as soon as I did that now he's buzzing around the box and climbing on the grass and trying to get out, but it's 12:30 at night or rather in the morning and I can't let him go now because it's gotten chilly.

    We have a lot of birds in this area and they leave them on the table he's sure to get picked up. I warmed him up with my hand and picking him up and bring him inside and I'm sure that's why he's feisty. Am I doing the right thing by keeping him overnight?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jane

    1. I’m sorry to be replying so late, yes you are doing the right thing keeping your bee safe. The key would be to cool your bee down since it’s so late at night. You’re right that it’s warming your bee up that got it buzzing at such a late hour of night! As soon as your bee gets chillier, it’ll naturally slow down. You can cool your bee fairly quickly by placing its closed (ventilated) box outdoors for a short time. Then move it somewhere outdoors-ish in temperature for the night (either actually outdoors but sheltered, or indoors but cool in temperature).

      First thing in the morning, warm your bee up again ready for the day, offering another drop or two of sugar water too!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  572. I found a bumblebee with a broken leg it seems. She drank some sugar water and while she was crawling, she got her wings wet. I'm not sure on what to do. I have her in the sun right now

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Antho

    1. If you could reply to my email with a photo, that might help me take a look at her leg. Has she tried to clean her wings (is it sugar water on them)? If she drank some sugar water she should have more energy, and a little sugar water on her wings shouldn’t hurt as long as she cleans it off fairly soon. If you are worried it might dry on them and stick them together, you might try very gently dropping just a very few drops of tepid (cooler than lukewarm) water on her wings to rinse off the sugar water, but ideally it’s best to let bees clean themselves off, as getting her wet will delay her recovery, and she’ll gain energy by cleaning herself off too.

      Now that she’s warmer and more energized from the sugar water, has her behavior changed? Is she buzzing at all, or looking ready to fly off? She should be alright with one broken leg, but it does depend on the nature of the injury (and having been physically injured at all may point to other less visible physical injuries).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  573. It’s quite a miserable day today, really wet and the rain just isn’t disappearing at all. I have a fluffy looking, very strong pollen plant that’s grown off of another plant in my front garden and the bubble bees love it. But there’s about 10 bees left on there not moving and stuck to the stems of this weird fluffy plant. Almost just hanging on and have been there most of the day. I’ve saved a bees life before but not 10! Do they need help or will they just stay there until it’s stopped raining? X

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Dani

    1. They’ll be alright there, so long as they’re hanging on well to the plant! The days aren’t freezing at night anymore (I assume), so they’re all just very wet. I’ve seen countless bumble bees in one garden in a similar state, drawn to some particularly irresistible flowering plant, and then caught out in summer rains. I checked on them the next morning and watched them all slowly waking up as the sun rays hit them, then drying off and going about their days after a few hours! If you see any that have fallen, you might want to help those (since they’re not as safe exposed on the ground), but so long as they’re all attached to the plant stems, they’ll hang on tightly (easier to do on fluffy plants)! and they’ll all be buzzing around those same flowers again once it warms up and stops raining 😊

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thank you for replying so quickly! That’s great news. I panicked there not sure whether I was going to be a bee hotel tonight or not😂 yeah they’re all hanging on very well. I’ll keep an eye out though incase any drop. Thanks again😍

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Dani

  574. I found a bee on the side of the road as I was comming back from school and a had a tub from my lunch so I got some leaves and some flowers and I’ve took it home and I made a little bed for it and I think it has a broken leg what should I do ???

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Chantal

    1. How is your bee behaving other than that (is it active or moving very slowly)? Bees can survive the loss of part of a leg (perhaps even a whole leg), and so long as its other legs are alright, and so long as it still can fly, it should be able to recover. Has it responded to sugar water?

      I realize it's late there, so I think it's best to wait for morning to try warming your bee up. Ideally it'd be best to release it near where you found it, if that's possible. If you'd like to take some photos or a short video to send me, that might help me diagnose its condition a bit further.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  575. Hi,

    I found a bee struggling on the ground yesterday so I picked it up and put it on a flower. Later, I found the same bee still just sat in the same flower and I was worried so I brought it inside to warm up/eat sugar water. It livened up a little and was walking around but at this point it was night time so I kept it in a box overnight (with holes in, access to sugar water and some leaves etc). This morning I found the bee just lay on its back at the bottom of the box and seeming weak again. Is there any more I can do than release her?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Hannah

    1. I would try gently helping your bee back onto its feet, then offering some more drops of sugar water, ideally while it’s also sitting in direct sunlight. Is it a bumble bee, a honey bee, or another kind of bee? How do the edges of the wings look? (that helps indicate age, as the older a foraging bee gets, the more ragged its wing edges look)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. I don’t know much about bees, but I would guess a bumblebee? It is almost entirely black with faint stripes on its abdomen. The wings don’t look ragged at all. I put it outside although there’s not a lot of sunlight, and it crawled about a bit until I put it on the ground. Then it froze again and doesn’t seem to be going’s anywhere. I put drops of sugar water around and a flower but it’s not eating although the tongue is out.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Hannah

        1. I'm sorry to hear that, as it doesn't sound good if it's not responding to sugar water and warmth. You mentioned it's not sunny, but was it a warm day otherwise (I realize you're getting my message late, because I'm on west coast U.S. time)?

          Unfortunately, if the bee is continuing to leave its tongue out, that's not a good sign (and typically indicates they don't have long left). When they don't respond to sugar water and warmth, there's usually something else going on internally. They do suffer from various bee diseases and internal parasites, and pesticides have been shown to weaken their immune systems, making them more susceptible to illness.

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  576. Hello. I found a fluffy small bumblebee which sat on the ground and did not move. It had intact wings and looked overall not injured. The only thing was that it wouldn’t fly, or move at all, just sit and pulse with its abdomen. Sometimes it shook some of its legs but just minimal. In addition to that the tongue was out pretty far (about one centimetre in total). I tried to help her, offering sugar water. After it didn’t take any of it, I decided to take it with me and try to feed it at home. It did not take any of the fluid and didn’t really react to anything I tried. (No movement no fleeing, no drinking) So in the end I decided to freeze it, as this was what I read on a different page, a “gentle” way to end it. So the thing here is: I found already two bees with this behaviour and not a single clue on the internet. Everything i could find regarding the tongue behaviour was that in hives numerous bees die due to pesticides with their tongues out. As an important note on the weather and the time of the year: it was early June and around 5pm with full clear sky and a temperature of around 20 degrees Celsius. If necessary, I could provide images and a short video. Please help me help them better as I can’t stand nature’s cruelty... Thank you!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Pascal

    1. If you’d like to reply to the email I’m sending you with photos and a short video, that would be helpful.

      Having a tongue “hanging out” for long periods of time is not a good sign, you’re right. Sometimes I believe it simply indicates an exhausted bee (which should then revive quickly if you can get the tip of its proboscis into a drop of sugar water). Other times it can be indicative of being at the end of its life for a variety of reasons. All the dead bees I’ve seen have had their proboscises out.

      Do your bees respond to warmth? That’s another thing to try if a bee looks uninjured. I realize it’s a warm day there, but have you tried putting them in direct sunlight? Pulsing their abdomens is a normal behavior for them, which I’ve often seen while they’re warming up.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  577. Last night I brought a bumblebees inside it was wet and very exhausted. I had put a piece of card board with a piece of kitchen roll on also a small piece of tin foil with a mix of sugar and water. Placed this on my table in the conservatory. I put the tied bee on it and covered it up with a clear orchid plant pot (ideal as it has lots of air holes at the top. and u can see what is going on without disturbing what's in there) . Before I went to bed I looked in on it, I could see it had moved slightly and it was on the edge of the foil, think it was having a drink. I made the pot dark by putting some paper around it. This morning it looked a lot livelier, so I took the top off, it fluttered its wings walked round a bit then flew toward the glass doors. Then just slid to the floor still flapping it's wings, I got a glass and put it back under the pot. The thing is it is almost ready to go out, but because the weather is so bad I do not no what to let it out. . Have u any suggestion as I do not what it to fret or do u think it will go to sleep under its cover.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Marjorie Topping

    1. I apologize for replying so late, I’ve been traveling, and my thoughts likely come too late as a result.

      In the end, I try to leave it up to the bee, but it also depends on how bad the weather is. If it’s raining and around or below 12C, I’d definitely keep your bee inside. It has no idea (being indoors) of how bad the weather still is outdoors. And it certainly sounds as though it needed a safe haven when you found it. You don’t want it attempting to fly much, possibly damaging its wings inside a container though. So if it is looking almost ready to go, and starting to fly around, you can move your bee in its enclosure to a cooler area, and the cool will naturally slow the bee down. Then you can warm up your bee and offer more sugar water again the next morning.

      If the weather were to continue to be unfavorable, you could keep your bee for a few days, warming it slightly each day and offering small amounts of sugar water during the day, then putting it somewhere cool each night. Once the weather clears, you’d then warm you bee up well with sugar water in the mid-morning before releasing it, ideally in direct sunlight, and as near to where you found it as possible.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  578. Congratulations on launching the new site!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to David Colgan

    1. Thank you, it's so much buzzier now!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  579. I realize this is a bee topic, but I can't find any info online and need help. I found a wasp in my house and went to go capture it and put it outside, when I noticed it was injured. It is trying to crawl, but keeps falling on it's back. In desperately trying to do anything I can to help him. And yes, I realize most ppl will think I'm crazy, but I am one of those ppl who believes that all living things matter alot. Is there anything you can think of that I can do to help or is he probably not going to make it?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lauren Thompson

    1. I love wasps too, and I’m so sorry to hear about yours. It depends on the extent of the injury, honestly. If it keeps falling over, that’s unfortunately not a good sign. Exoskeletons can heal, but only very small wounds (and wings never heal, though they can sustain a fair bit of damage before being useless for flying).

      I am afraid that physical damage isn’t possible for us to repair, though I wish we could. Wasps do drink sugar water (they drink nectar, and only gather meat as protein for their young), so potentially you might be able to keep your wasp alive by feeding it, but I’d worry about its quality of life if it’s injured to the point of being unable to stand up or crawl.

      Bees are descended from wasps, by the way; it’s just that bees went vegetarian and became fluffier as a result (for gathering pollen). Wasps are still good pollinators too though!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  580. Hi, is there someone who can answer a question I have please?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Paula Anderson

    1. I apologize for replying so late, I’ve been traveling. What is your bee question?

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  581. We have a honey bee in our garden. It wasn't able to fly yesterday, but was walking, albeit looking weak. We gave a bit of sugar water, but unfortunately the bee fell in it.....I think maybe my young daughter was trying to help. Its still here today, I've given it some more sugar water, which it was drinking at for a long time - but it got some on its legs. Its back sitting in a box, in the sun - is there anything else we can do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to ali gale

    1. Sorry for my late reply, I’m on west coast U.S. time, so I only just got up. I hope that by the time you receive this, your bee has buzzed off! They’re pretty good at cleaning themselves off (and they get extra energy too, while sipping all that extra sugar water). But if they’re really covered in sugar water accidentally, and seem to be drying before cleaning it off, I advise gently dropping tepid (cooler than lukewarm) water, just a very few drops, over them. This will help wash them off, and it doesn’t hurt to get a bee a bit wet, but it does take them longer to get going afterwards, because they have to dry off first from the “shower”.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  582. We have a tired bee, looks like a small bumble bee maybe, and its tongue is bent backwards under itself. Is this normal?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Josie

    1. Do you mean the tongue is folded beneath the bee along the length of its body? If so, that’s perfectly normal. They do not “roll up” their tongues, instead they fold them beneath their body when they’re not drinking. Bee tongues are quite long too, reaching up to 2cm when fully stretched, depending on the bee (they have an elastic aspect, so they’re not quite as long when tucked beneath their bodies. Has your bee tried drinking from the sugar water mix (if you’ve offered that)? Is it late in the day where you are?

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  583. I have a big bumble bee in my garden for 2 days now yesterday she feed from some flowers I pick and some sugar water this has worked in the past but today she doesn't want to feed and is just walk around on the ground although very quickly shall I just leave her or can I do any thing else.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sandra

    1. If your bee appears energetic I wouldn’t worry about her. A very large bumble bee might well be a queen bumble bee, and if so, it would be normal behavior for her to be walking around on the ground… they nest underground, and they like to search for abandoned mouse burrows to begin new bumble bee colonies. It’s a bit late in the year for that to be going on (usually they find places to live in early spring after emerging from their winter hibernation), but I’m still getting some reports of queen bumble bees searching for nest sites, and it does depend on your local weather conditions too. If it’s been a cold/wet start to your year, that makes it more likely to be the case (a queen searching for a suitable place to live). So long as there are flowers around to boost her energy when she needs, she should be fine, and it’d be perfectly natural not to be flying off in such a case.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  584. I have a bee on my house walk was there this morning and still there tonight ! What do I do? Obviously strong enough to cling to wall!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Karen

    1. I apologize for responding so late, but if your bee looks comfortable enough on the wall, I’d leave it there overnight, since at this time of year, it will not be unusually cold. It is surprising that it was there all day long, so if your bee is still there in the morning, it might be good to move it to some flowers (ideally ones with other similar bees) in full sunlight. If it appears to be unusually sluggish, you might first (in the morning) gently encourage it onto something like a leaf with a few drops of sugar water right below its head (not too much that it might fall in and get sticky!). If you see a long tongue protrude when it smells the sugar water, then you’ll be able to see it drinking too.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  585. I love fluffy bumblebees. One was on the ground. 7pm Toronto. Sluggish, not moving away from danger. I scooped him up with paper and placed him on a flowering bush. He buzzed his wings and moved to a spot he preferred. I watched him for an hour not moving. He wiggled his butt. (his buddy is buzzing all around the garden. )

    I read this article. Thought I should put him in a shoe box inside with sugar water. He was not amused. Buzzing. Trying to climb out. Falling in the water. Now all wet , desperate to get out. So now I felt horrible. I bring him outside and let him crawl on me for a bit. Then encourage him on the ground where I put a lid of sugar water. Nope. Back to me. And then I put him back on bush.

    So night. Not feeling well. Not thirsty. And now all wet..... Whatda mess I made...

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sarah

    1. I am sorry to hear of your experience. Is your bee back on the bush now? Your bee will likely be fine outdoors at this time of year, and I’d imagine your bee will also clean the sugar water off itself, especially as it sounds as though it has its energy back, with all the buzzing you described. I would simply leave your bee to itself if it is outdoors on a bush.

      For the future: sugar water is an excellent way to revive a sluggish bee, but it’s important not to put your bee in a situation where they might fall into any dish. Which is why I suggest simply placing a few drops below their head, so that there is no risk of falling into any of it. That said, they will gain energy as they clean it off themselves, however it will take them extra time to do so, and if they don’t do so in time, it can leave a sticky residue on them.

      It is also important to pay attention to their behavior… a sluggish bee caught out late at night, especially in bad weather, will be thankful of shelter within a shoebox or similar, but if a bee is buzzing about, then there is no need to offer them a place to stay. I always advocate “listening” to their behavior.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  586. Hi,

    I found a bee on my floor last night, around 7pm. Not sure how long she was there for. I've had several bees visiting my flat the last 3 weeks, probably due to my neighbour who keeps the most amazing garden downstairs and also, there's a big blossoming tree nearby that's attracting a lot of bees.

    Anyway, back to the bee: I picked her up and put her on my kitchen counter, she was barely moving, and acting very weird, her legs were twitchy, and it looked like she was barely supporting her body. She actually fell on her back, all of a sudden, several times I was watching her. I offered her sugary water, and fresh flowers from the garden but I didn't get much answer from her. I tried to warm her up by slowly blowing warm air on her, that seemed to help a little, because she started trying to move.

    It was raining outside the whole night (and around 10 degrees), so I decided to keep her indoor, especially since she doesn't seem to be able to move (walk or fly). I left her on a dish with fresh flowers and sugar water and I slept like hell for 5 hours. I swear I could hear buzzing around my head and woke up several times thinking it's the bee feeling better and trying to find a way out. It wasn't. She's barely moving at all now, she's trying to move one of her back legs very very slowly. She's shrivelled up and I think her tongue is out, and I think she's dying :(. It's heartbreaking to watch her suffer like this. Is there anything I can do to help this poor soul? I've never seen a bee act this way and it looks like she's slowly fading out :(( I have heard that pesticides attack a bee's nervous system and maybe the weird twitching and falling on her back was because of that?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Diana Giurghita

    1. I’m so sorry to hear that… I’m afraid none of the symptoms you describe are good signs at all. I wish there was more I could suggest for you to do, even simply to ease her suffering. Curling with her tongue out is a sign that she’s almost gone, I’m afraid. Twitching as you describe is, sadly, a likely result of acute pesticide poisoning. I’ve seen footage that I’ve wished I’d not seen showing the effects of acute pesticide poisoning, both in the vast almond orchards of California, and in “bee kills” where flowering linden trees have been sprayed to protect cars in parking lots from sap falling on them, and hundreds of bees have rained down from them. There are other issues that affect bees, including internal parasites, but I am not aware that any parasites or bee diseases cause the twitching that is so characteristic of poisoning.

      I do wish I had some better news for you :( It makes me so sad to hear this sort of thing, and it’s even harder to be there like you, witnessing it. All I can say is that the end is certainly near for her now if her tongue is extended and she has started curling up. I hope you find no more bees in a similar situation, because it’s not a good sign if someone is using pesticides nearby at levels high enough to produce acute symptoms (compared with the more typical chronic, slow-acting exposures).

      I do find it heartbreaking, and I sympathize with you so much. Scientific research is showing how bees are capable of various types of learning, including passing information on between generations depending on the type of bee, and also including at least primitive emotions. Honestly I believe each bee is an individual capable of thought and emotions of their own, and so it is especially hard to see them suffer so without being able to help further. It is so important that we eliminate pesticide use, but it seems so difficult to do, as existing food systems have come to depend on agrochemicals. Like so much going on right now environmentally-speaking, there are clear paths forward that would preserve both our natural world and humanity with it, if only we’d change our ways as a collective species.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  587. I have found a bumble be on the ground this morning and it couldn't seem to fly I think it's hurt it's wings so I placed it on my lavender plant when I went out but I have just come back and it was still there so have brought it in as it was starting to rain. It's now on my window sill in a box with some flowers and sugar water. I'm not sure what to do as it can't seem to fly.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kathryn johnson

    1. Could you reply to my email with a photo of your bee, showing her wings if possible? What kind of day was it today, overcast and cooler? Still, even if it had been a cold day, she should have been able to get some energy from the lavender and fly home. Was the lavender plant in the sun or the shade? If the weather had changed today (becoming much cooler), or if she was in the shade all day, that might explain it, without it being wing damage… I hope so, for her sake, as we can’t fix wing damage.

      What’s her behavior like on your windowsill, relatively sluggish? On cold, wet days in spring I have seen bumble bees unable to fly for a few days, instead spending their nights inside closed flowers. So it’s possible she might just need to warm up more, and a combination of sugar-water and warmth tomorrow morning might help her, so long as she’s not physically injured.

      They take awhile to warm up (often hours), so you might want to take her out mid-morning tomorrow, and try some drops of sugar-water below her head. Or since the flowers are out, you could try placing her on a flower bees love, in direct sunlight.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  588. Hi, I have a queen bee that visited my back patio yesterday and she kept following me around and trying to get under a bag of potting soil...I moved the bag and then her...to under a sunny bush. she was then crawling back to me! So I put down my glove and she hopped on and I found a more protected area of the lawn where she spent the night. Today she is back with three small bumble bees on her back she is not moving and will not drink its going to get cold and windy soon...what do I do???

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Ann

    1. It sounds as though she’s searching for a new nest location, but that she’s already started one somewhere that she had to give up for some reason. They often nest in abandoned mouse burrows in the ground, or sometimes under sheds and in compost heaps. Most are ground-nesting, although some (like tree bumble bees) are not, but it sounds as though yours is very interested in locating a new nest underground.

      One option is for you to place her and her young in a shoebox temporarily while you sort out a new place for them to live. If she’s desperate, it strikes me that she might readily accept anything you have to offer her home-wise. You can make a bumble bee nest with a plant pot that’s about 20cm in diameter, a bit of old hose pipe, some chicken wire, and some straw or similar cut-up dry materials. There’s a pretty good PDF here outlining how to do this: https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Making_a_bumblebee_nest-1.pdf

      Would you mind replying with a photo? Also, where are you located? It would be helpful to know what type of bumble bee you have there! And it’s quite unusual to see them carrying around young bees!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  589. Hi, I just saved a Carpenter Bee from my pool and dont know what to do since the sun isnt out anymore. Its only 12:34 pm for me so Im hoping the clouds go away.

    I tried offering sugar water and I believe that the bee took a little of it but now they are resting on my table cloth.

    A small section of the wings seem messed up and Im scared that they are torn.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Baily

    1. Nevermind about the wings, I believe they are just a little ragged from age. I am wanting to move the bee to a box but Im a little wary since I cant tell if they are male or female.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Baily

      1. It is most likely your bee is female at this time of year. She’ll let you know if she feels threatened, by lifting a leg to ward you off, or trying to move away, or other signs of wariness. That said, a cold wet bee is unlikely to be in a position to sting, but it’s still a good idea to keep a close eye on her behavior if you move her, as it’s hard to explain that you’re trying to help :)

        Since it’s close to midday still, I think your bee may air-dry quite well wherever she is. She won’t be able to fly until she’s dried, but she should be fine recovering on your tablecloth. If you see a long tongue stick out into the drops of sugar water, that should mean that she’s drinking some and taking in some extra energy.

        You are right that torn wing edges simply indicate age most of the time, so you likely have an older carpenter bee. They’re lovely large bees! I hope the clouds pass soon as that’ll help; but even on a cloudy day, so long as it’s a decent temperature (mid-60s F and above, ideally), your bee should be able to dry off in good time. Carpenter bees also fly when it’s a bit cooler, and I’ve noticed they stay out later than many other bees, so she should be fine even if it’s early evening before she’s ready to buzz off.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  590. Hi there,

    I am very worried for a little bumblebee that I found on the sidewalk at 5:45 pm today. (It is now 10:15pm) It was lying on its back in the sun, twitching it’s little legs and antenna. I picked it up and brought it home, and we put it in a dish with sugary water, and a couple dandelions. I had to leave and when I came back late tonight it’s head was somewhat in the dandelion—which had closed—and wasn’t moving, and the sugar water has become like syrup and was all over the dish (and I’m also worried that some is on the bee, I didn’t mean for that to happen ) and so I brought the bee inside and now it’s still on it’s one side, twitching it’s legs and occasionally it’s antenna.

    I tried to give it some honey water but idk what good that’s doing; I basically just have it laid in a dish that has honey water in it and the water has moved to be under its little head.

    I’m so upset for this poor thing, and I have no idea what to do for it. It’s really moving it’s legs a lot, and I really really don’t want to give up on it. I am hoping you are able to help me, I have never cared for a bumblebee before and I’ve never even really seen one up close. The weather has been warm but not hot, and I found the bee laying on the sidewalk in the sun, so I don’t think temperature is what caused this but I don’t know.

    I really feel for this sweet little bee.

    I thank you so much in advance for any help or time you can give me! It warmed my heart so much to stumble upon this page and see all the good and kind work that you do! ❤️❤️❤️

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Maiya

    1. I’ve made a little shoebox shelter for the little bee, but am still very worried for it. It stretched it’s legs taut when I placed water in the box, but is now back to twitching it’s legs and antenna. I really hope things turn around; I feel like this bee is really fighting to get better please let me know anything you can for how I can help, and what this bee might be going through! Thank you

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Maiya

      1. I’m so sorry I didn’t reply to your message sooner, I always feel so bad if I miss someone’s message though overnight!

        It’s a bit hard to diagnose the twitching, but it might point to internal problems. Sometimes bees suffer from internal parasites or bee diseases, and twitching may accompany those. Twitching can be a sign of pesticide poisoning too. But on the other hand, it does depend on the nature of the twitching… bumble bees “tremble” to warm up too.

        Let me know if your bee still seems alright this morning. Other than trying to get some energy into her (through the sugar water), and warming her up, there is sadly nothing else I can advise. I cared for a bee recently for whom all I could do was keep her safe from predators (the ants were after her) until the inevitable (it was a honey bee with deformed wing virus).

        I do hope your bee is not suffering from something more severe. Sometimes it’s hard to tell if a bee is alive or not, but so long as she’s standing firmly on all of her legs, and a gentle nudge shows some change in leg position, she’s still with us. In which case, I’d place her box in bright sunshine to see if that helps. If she drinks, you should see a very long tongue poke out (almost as long as the bee herself).

        I do wish I could suggest more, it is very hard when they don’t respond to the usual treatment and get better quickly. It’s wonderful to hear that you care so much about your bee.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  591. I like bees-one sunny early March morning me and my brother came downstairs and found a huge bumblebee, Mum called her beekeeper friend who said it was a rare species of stuck bumblebee queen. She flew out soon enough..

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to I told you, I'm beegirl

    1. Excellent! Yes, bumble bee queens are surprisingly large fuzzy bees, it's always lovely to see them up close :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  592. We have a wonderful bee nest in the eaves of next doors house. The elderly lady was asking me today what kind of bees she had been invaded by? I told her how lucky she was and they’d be gone soon. (They have white bottoms) But anyway, I have two bees that can’t fly? They’ve landed in my garden and been there all day. All day they’ve been trying to fly. One has a very small from leg that it seems to be holding up. Is it possible that we have disabled bees. I don’t know what to do for the best?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Emma Bonney

    1. You might look on this page to help determine which kind of bumble bee you have, these are the most common ones with white bottom: https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/white-tailed-bumblebee-species/

      You’re quite right that your neighbor is very fortunate, and they’ll only be there for the season. Bumble bee nests disperse in fall, with young queens going off on their own and hibernating underground for winter.

      I’m sorry to hear about the two that can’t fly. Is it a warm day there? Have you tried placing them in direct sunlight, and offering them a few drops of sugar water mix? If that isn’t helping them, then yes, it’s possible the bees have been disabled, likely by an encounter with a predator that they narrowly escaped. Simply holding up a leg though (especially a middle leg) often means they just feel you’re a bit too close!

      I realize it’s late there, one idea would be to try to get them back to their nest, but given that we can’t talk to bees to tell them what we’re doing, you’re unlikely to receive a warm welcome from their nestmates! If it’s not freezing or raining, they should be fine outdoors overnight, but I’d check on them in the morning and see if moving them into sunlight and offering them sugar water might help them fly.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  593. Just saved a love queen bumble bee. Found her in my shower in water when I got in from work. Picked her up out her in the sun give her some sugar water and put her outside to dry off.

    Started to get later with the weather going slightly colder so brought her in and put her in my back room in a little box with a bit more sugar water.

    5/10 mins later she had crawled out the box to the window. She started to buzz started flying and flew straight out the window.

    I've done my best so lets hope she's ok.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Amy

    1. I'm so happy to hear she revived so quickly! That's always a good sign :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  594. I FEEL SO BAD...TODAY AND 2 WEEKS AGO I FOUND TO STRUGGLING BUMBLES. I DODNT KNOW WHAT TO DO SO I PUT THE IN SOME FLOWERS...I WISH I WOULD HAVE FOUND THIS WOMDERFUL SITE. WE HAD A THUNDERSTORM LAST NIGHT AND MY DOGS FOUND THE STRUGGLING BUMBLE THIS MORNING...I HOPE SHE IS OKAY....NEXT TIME I WILL KNOW BETTER....THANK YOU!!!!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to TAMMY MICHAEL

    1. Thank you for caring so much about your bumble bees, and I'm so glad you have this information for the future!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  595. I found abumble bee yesterday on the pavement and bought it home, been feeding sugar and water solution which it took but not much movement, I really thought it would be dead this morning but it has hung on all day, the tongue has been out and not feeding much, I have bought him inside tonight and given more solution, I don't know what else to do

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Helen

    1. I’m sorry to hear about your bee, it’s kind of you to take your bee in and try to help it. To be honest the tongue hanging out is not a good sign, it tends to be the last thing they do :( If sugar water and warmth don’t help your bee, then there’s likely something else amiss, either internally or it may simple be an old bee near the end of its life. I wish I could suggest something else for you, but if sugar water and warmth don’t help, there’s little else we can do for them unfortunately.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  596. I found a bee in the garden yesterday, and gave it sugar water, which it seemed to drink. It was walking round, but wouldn't fly. I left it for a good while, but it didn't look any better, so I put it among flowers. It was struggling, and I didn't know what else to do, and thinking it would probably be dead this morning, which really upset me, the thought that it was suffering. This morning, it was barely alive, so I gave it some more sugar water, which it seemed to drink. I don['t think it will make it, but I can't kill it. Any more suggestions as to what I can do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to polly

    1. Is your bee a big fuzzy bee (like a bumble bee), or a thinner striped bee (more like a honey bee)? Have you seen a long tongue come out and poke into the sugar water (their tongue is almost as long as their body)? How’s your weather there, in terms of rain and daytime temperatures?

      So long as there’s nothing else wrong with the bee internally (and so long as it’s not an old bee at the end of its life), warmth and sugar water should effect a cure (and there’s really nothing else you can do besides try to warm your bee and give it sugar energy). The weather ideally needs to be close to or above 15C (60F), and placing your bee in direct sunlight is ideal. To tell how old your bee is, one way to check is to look a the condition of the wing edges: if they’re frayed and uneven, it’s an old bee, whereas if the edges are smooth and unbroken, it’s younger.

      If the weather is cold and wet, you could try warming up your bee indoors in a ventilated box, and offering a bit more sugar water, to see if it becomes more active. Bees certainly can look barely alive simply when they’re cold.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  597. Hi. I found a honeybee hanging on for dear life on the window of my car when I left work today. It's chilly and rainy. The bee wasn't moving. She was obviously sluggish from being cold and wet. I stopped at a store and found a bottle to put her in and got her off my car. Now, she is in my house, following your instructions. I have her in a box with holes, a small dish of sugar water, a small dish of regular water, and a small branch with leaves. The thing is, I live about 20 minutes from my work. I was planning on taking her back there with me tomorrow evening when I got back to work and releasing her there. But I read above that honeybees need to return to their hive each night, which obviously won't be possible. The weather is also supposed to be even worse tomorrow. I'm not sure if I am doing more damage, since it's a honeybee and not a bumblebee. If you email me, that would be great. Thank you!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jessica Allison

    1. Hmm, yes it’s ideal that honey bees make it back the same day… but yours already likely wouldn’t have survived by the sounds of it, had you not taken her in. Once they’re cold and wet, they have real trouble recovering… they’re simply easy prey at that point for birds, ants, and such.

      Releasing her in the evening isn’t ideal though either, especially if your weather is bad. Where are you located roughly-speaking, is it evening there already?

      There are several options here I think. One thing to note is that although it’s certainly best if you take her back to where you found her, it’s not impossible for her to be taken in by a new hive in a different location. I’m not suggesting that’s ideal, as there are guard bees who like to prevent those from other hives from coming in; however, the guard bees often let in honey bees from other hives if they come bearing nectar and pollen.

      If there’s a possibility you could drive to where you found her earlier in the day (tomorrow I’m assuming), that’s another idea. You could try her with sugar water before taking her there, and then you could simply put her in an open box in a somewhat sheltered spot and leave her so long as it wasn’t raining, or perhaps gently tip her onto some flowers if some are nearby (I wouldn’t recommend leaving the sugar water, as it attracts ants, and they’ll take advantage of a weakened bee too if they stumble upon one). This way you wouldn’t have to wait possibly hours, which is about how long it often takes bees to get going from a slow start. She’s definitely far more likely to be able to fly off earlier in the day, although if it’s still cold and rainy, this is not really a good option. Honey bees avoid flying in the rain, and they’re not good at flying below 55F (12-13C), especially if the sun isn’t out to warm them directly with its rays.

      The other thing to do is simply to keep her fed in her box until the weather improves (basically until it’s not raining, and above 55F or 13C). This isn’t ideal either, as it’s an unnatural situation for her, but there’s no real reason she wouldn’t survive it, and I think if you turn her out in the cold and wet there’s little chance of her survival then. This happens to bees sometimes when the weather changes; they do in fact try to predict the weather, but if some foragers get caught out when it suddenly changes to cold and rain, their lives are at risk and they often don’t make it back to their hives.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  598. Hi! I found a bumblebee in my house last night so I put her outside. She has been buzzing around my yard for a few days. I guess she figured she would like to spend the night inside! She was in the same place this morning so I brought her in after reading your posts. She is moving around a bit. She hasn't opened her wings. I put sugar water in with her but not sure if she has ate any. It was cool and rainy last night. The temp is + 9c ... may warm up to +15c if the sun comes out. Should I wait for her to get moving more before I put her out. And where would be the best place to put her? In some dry leaves?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Marybelle White

    1. I’m sure she appreciated the shelter overnight if she was caught out in the cold and rain! I would wait until sometime mid-morning to put her out, but you needn’t wait until she’s moving about… in fact, she’s more likely to start moving about more in direct sunlight outdoors, so she’ll probably need to be outdoors before she warms up enough to fly off. If she drinks, you should see a very long tongue poke out into the sugar water… it’s almost as long as the bee when it’s out. In terms of where to put her, anywhere close to where you found her is good, I like to put them near flowers where other bumble bees are foraging.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  599. Hi please can you help?

    This afternoon I found a relatively small bee on our bedroom floor. The bee was moving but only just. I picked him up gently and fed him drops of sugar water from a spoon intermittently, whilst sitting in the sunshine for a couple of hours. He has made attempts to walk and does appear more mobile but has made no effort to fly. He is currently resting on the outside hot tub lid, as it is warm ish, as the sun is dipping in the sky. Other than cleaning himself he has made no further attempts to move for approx 30 minutes.

    I’m referring to him as male as I think he must be a worker bee and I’m also presuming he is quite young as his torso doesn’t have much colour with only a halo of yellowy fuzz on the middle section of his body. What else can I do to help? My husband thinks he is dying and I am merely prolonging the inevitable.

    I hope you are able to reply soon.

    Kind regards,

    Helen,

    Lincoln, UK

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Helen

    1. It sounds as though your bee is a honey bee (and if she’s a worker, she’s female; most of them are female, and it’s only later in the year that the males come out, with huge eyes compared to normal bee eyes… though bee eyes are generally large to begin with)!

      I wouldn’t give up hope, because a cold bee that’s out of energy often looks like a dying bee. I don’t usually encourage folks to house honey bees for the night as they’re better off getting back to their hive. But if they’re caught out and can’t make it back, they’re easy prey when they’re moving slowly and not flying.

      How warm is warmish, in terms of today’s afternoon temperature? I agree that it’s not the best of signs that your bee has been sitting in the sunshine for a couple of hours, drinking sugar water intermittently, and is still not making an effort to fly. Can you see any visible damage to your bee? If you’d like to reply to my email with a photo, feel free, though in this case I don’t think there’s going to be much more that I can tell from a photo.

      So long as your bee isn’t twitching or falling over, I’d say there’s definitely hope of making a full recovery. Some individual bees just take more time than others; we have no way of knowing what happened before she ended up on your bedroom floor. I’d be tempted (if she hasn’t gone by the time the sun has gone down) to encourage her gently into a ventilated box in order to keep her safe for the night, because she won’t be going anywhere then if she hasn’t already left. Then in the morning you could place her box outside in the warmth and sunlight, and offer her more sugar water to increase her energy levels. That might be all it takes, or it might be something internal that we can’t cure, but I think it’s worth trying to help (since they really can look half-dead when they’re cold and low on energy).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  600. Hello!

    I found a bee 3 days ago getting blown about by the wind on the pavement and it was about to be blown out onto the road. So I picked it up and set it on my windowsill, hoping it just needed to get its energy back. It kept trying to walk off the window sill which I tried to stop because there's a big ant colony at the front of my house and I didn't trust that they wouldn't try to attack the bee. The bee couldn't fly, and still can't. Even after being offered sugarwater (and not drinking it) and regular water with the same effective. Dandelions it loves so have been scouting for them every day. The last two days i've gone to work and i've put the box outside so she could fly away if she needed. Everytime I find her about 30 cm away from the box on the ground. First day she loved all the flowers and went mad for the them, second day was pretty into them. We lost her yesterday and thought she'd buzzed away somewhere. I found her on the floor by the door today. And now she isn't even interested in the flowers. She can't fly at all, wings buzz and won't lift her off. Don't really know what else to do, cause there aren't many flowers in our back yard and she can't fly to any more...Don't know what her wings won't carry her, already put some warm water on them to help if they were sticky.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Chloe Lopez-Colclough

    1. Still have her but she just keeps doing that waving thing...Dunno if I scare her now cause when I open the box she automatically moves more and tries to fly but her wings are still not lifting her off. Do I just put her outside and let her die?

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Chloe Lopez-Colclough

      1. Yes, the photos are large enough for me to see her. I don’t see any visible damage to her body, which is good. What I have noticed in the past is that bumble bees, especially large ones (it’s a bit hard for me to judge her relative size, but she might well be a queen) have to be very well warmed before they’re able to lift off the ground. It doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with her wings necessarily, or anything preventing her from flying other than the ambient temperature and possibly a lack of energy.

        If you were to put her out to “take her chances,” I think she’d be less likely to survive than if you held onto her until the weather warms up. I say this because if she’s sluggish and can’t fly, she’s easy prey. She looks healthy to me though, and I think the weather simply isn’t good enough for her yet if it’s right around 10C… that’s cold for a bee, and although some will be able to fly at that temperature, it’s still much harder than say 15C.

        I realize you’ve tried her by the radiator, but bees also take several hours to warm up in my experience. Radiators can be quite drying too, so one has to be careful leaving them by one. The sun is such a good source of warming them up, but this time of year often makes the weather unpredictable. It is a bit concerning that she’s become less active over the days with you, but if she hasn’t taken any sugar water, she’ll likely just have had what she could get from the cut dandelions, and if she’s cold too, she’ll be conserving her energy… a cold bee can look a lot like an almost dead bee, but in the right conditions they can make a good recovery and “spring to life” as one watches them over time. I’ve seen perfectly healthy bumble bee queens at temperatures around 12C, unable to fly and falling about a bit even though they buzz their wings as if trying to fly. In these cases, it’s simply taken time, energy from flowers or sugar water, and some additional warmth from the sun before they’re slowly able to lift off and take to the air again.

        So, what I would do is keep her in her ventilated box while the weather is cold and rainy. The small dish of sugar water you have there looks good, and if she’s really hungry, she may well go to it. On the next day when it gets above 10C and hopefully closer to 15C, as well as having some direct sun, I’d put her box outdoors later in the morning. The day you plan to release her, I’d also scout around for a few more dandelions, and try placing those in her box laced with a little extra sugar water mix so that she has an opportunity to fill up on some easy energy. Make sure the sun is directly on her if there is sun, she’ll warm up faster that way. If you want to warm her up first (the morning you plan to release her) in a warm room, that might help as well. At night while she’s in her box, keep her cool even though she’ll be sluggish, so she won’t waste her energy or get too out of sync with the temperatures outdoors. Do let me know if you have other questions, or if something changes with her that you’re concerned about.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      2. I was just writing to you… I wouldn’t give up on her just yet. How warm have your days been? Has it been sunny? Would you mind sending me a photo in response to the email I just sent you?

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  601. Hello! I found a bumble bee last night on the ground looking very cold. Took the wee one inside, and gave it sugar water and popped it in a box to warm up. It seemed to come right before we went to bed - it was climbing up a fabric covered container I had in the box and generally exploring (never flying though!). But this morning the bee only moved around for a bit when I offered it sugar water and has since stopped moving. I've noticed as well that the wings were colourless yesterday and much darker, almost black tinted today. I'm worried I've mixed the sugar water wrong (Originally I didnt know the ratio and had too much water, then I didnt know not to use boiling water!) and killed my poor bee with kindness. Is there any chance my bee is just sleeping?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sarah

    1. How is your bee now? That’s very strange about her wing color appearing to change, I’m not quite sure what to say about that, as it shouldn’t be possible, at least not in my experience… but I believe you that you saw it, which is why I’d love a photo to identify your bumble bee and see if her wings differ from the color typical for her species. Are you in New Zealand, by chance?

      If you still have her, would you mind sending a photograph in reply to the email I've just sent you? I think it’s quite unlikely you’ve done any harm, and yes there’s a good chance that if she’s not moving much, she might just be cold. Have you had a chance to put her in full sun for a few hours to see if that helps get her moving, along with a bit more sugar water?

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  602. Hello, thanks for this great website. I found a bumblebee on my lunch break today on the walkway in front of my apartment and moved her into the flowerbed for safety. She buzzed her wings a little.

    But when I came home from work, she was still there.

    I offered her sugar water as instructed but she simply slowly walked away from it. I believe she is missing one of her left legs. She seemed even more listless. Eventually I took her inside (I'm on Long Island in southern New York, and the weather today was an unseasonably cool 50-55F) and she's in a box on my dresser right now. I left the top of the box open and put a mesh strainer over her with a shallow tray of sugar water.

    She climbed up the side of the mesh strainer and has now been hanging upside down there for awhile. I'm assuming there's nothing more I can do for her, but...is there anything else I can do for her?? I love animals and want to help her live.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Emily

    1. It’s tempting to say that you should just let her “hang out” for a bit, since she’s likely still upside down hanging from your strainer :) Seriously though, other than sheltering her for the night, there’s nothing else you can do tonight. In the morning, I’d warm her up indoors before placing her box outdoors in the flowerbed, in direct sun if you have it. If she’s still dangling, then just turn your strainer over so she can leave when she wishes.

      You might try again offering a few drops of sugar water in the morning too… often they’re quite attracted to it, and it gives them energy fast. But it depends on the bee, and sometimes they’ll never have anything to do with it (my guess in these cases is that either they don’t feel hungry, or they don’t see it as food, but I think generally it’s most likely to be not needing it, since sugar water seems to be quite attractive to bees).

      Although it’s not ideal to lose a leg or two for sure, they can still manage without one or two, and the wounds do heal over time (even though they’ll never regrow a leg). Don’t expect her to buzz off first thing though, it often takes bees a few hours to warm up before starting their days.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. FYI Elise, when I came home for lunch our tiny patient was gone. :) Wishing my little friend a healthy and happy life. <3

        Thank you again for your advice and the great resource of your website.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Emily

        1. You're welcome, happy to bee of help!

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      2. Thanks very much for your response, Elise! Our wee patient made it through the night and, as you predicted, is still "hanging out." :)

        It is supposed to be a bit warmer today, but also windy and rainy later, so what I'm going to do is put her and a sugar water dish out on my terrace under a table. I don't want to put her back in that flowerbed because the grounds of my apartment complex are very "manicured" and I never know when the gardeners are coming. I don't want her to be distressed or killed by them.

        I'll check on her progress on my lunch break and then again after work, and take her inside again tonight if necessary.

        My terrace does get tons of sunlight until the afternoon, so hopefully even with the cloud cover our small friend will warm up!

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Emily

  603. Good morning, I found a bee yesterday which looked listless so I brought it to my drive and offered it sugared water. I wasn’t interested in it at all. After reading your page I thought it could be cold. We have had a lot of rain and temperatures as low as 1 or 2 degrees. I put it in a shoe box and after a little while we heard it buzzing. Hoping it would be happier now warmer, then it would have some sugared water but it isn’t. It will move and crawl away from the water into a dry area and just sits there. It can move it’s wings to open and close. It is pouring with rain again today so don’t feel I can put the box outside just yet. Any advice?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Virginia Stone

    1. Sometimes bees decide they want nothing to do with the sugar water offered. It may be that she’s not hungry, or it may be that she doesn’t recognize it as food. If the latter, you can trick them sometimes by sprinkling a few drops of sugar water on a flower (dandelions work well since they’re out quite early in the season, and the shape of their flowers makes them very good bee plants). That way, it’d be something she recognizes as food, and you’d simply be topping off the nectar supply, which otherwise wouldn’t work for long, having been clipped from the original plant and placed in her shoebox.

      If it’s still pouring with rain, then your bee will be going nowhere far even if you let her out (she’d simply crawl somewhere and try to wait out the rain safely). So I agree, she’s better off with you in her box. I’d just keep her box somewhere cool today so she doesn’t damage her wings at all being warm and attempting to escape her box before it’s a good time to go.

      Hopefully your temperatures will be warming soon, as 1-2C is far too cold for a bee! Do you think it is a bumble bee (large and fuzzy), or a honey bee (smaller, less fuzzy, and striped), or some other kind of bee? If she’s very large and fuzzy, she might well be a bumble bee queen.

      Basically, I’d advise you to keep her safe until the weather is more favorable (keeping her relatively cool during the day; basically matching outdoor temperatures, or close to those, but keeping her from freezing). It’s worth noting that bees taste things with their feet, and so just a very tiny drop of sugar water near one foot might work if she stepped in it. Just make sure to avoid her getting sticky by putting down too much sugar water. If she doesn’t want sugar water now, she may well be interested later too as she gets hungrier, so it may simply be a matter of trying her at different times of day.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  604. Hi,

    I found a bumblebee while out and it was crawling on the ground and not flying. She kept falling onto her back. I scooped her up and tried to give her plain water and then tried to warm her but she still wouldnt fly. After an hour of seeing if she would fly off, she hadn't, so I brought her to my house (about 1.5 kilometers away from where I found her). Is it ok to release her from my house or should I bring her back to the place I found her once she is ready to fly again? She is rather large and fluffy and since it is early spring I believe she may be a queen. Any help is appreciated!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Aurora

    1. Generally speaking, it’s good to release bees where you found them, but if it’s early spring where you are weather-wise (in terms of days steadily above 60F or 15C), and if she’s likely a bumble bee queen (particularly large as well as fuzzy), then it’s likely alright to let her go at your house, rather than taking her back to the spot you found her, because it’s most likely that she has not started a colony yet. Bumble bee queens do a little foraging once they start a colony, but they’re most often out and about soon after emerging from hibernation, and while they’re still searching for the perfect spot (usually underground) to raise new bees (once they’ve raised a few bees, those new bees do all the foraging, while the queen stays safely in the colony).

      She certainly needed help if she kept falling onto her back, and it’s very kind of you to have scooped her up! Keep her somewhere coolish and safe overnight (if it’s nighttime where you are), then try her with sugar-water in the morning (or later today, depending on your timezone; just a few small drops of sugar water below her head). Depending on your weather (how warm it is, as well as if it’s sunny or not) you may want to warm her up indoors and release her mid-morning (so long as it’s near or above 50F or 10C, ideally with the sun out, but at the very least not raining, snowing, or extremely windy). Ideally release her somewhere there are good bee flowers (even dandelions work, in fact they’re wonderful bee plants). If you happen to know of an area nearby where there are abandoned mouse burrows, so much the better, but she’ll find them otherwise (unless she’s a tree bumble bee, but most bumble bees live underground, and love to use old burrows).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thank you so much! It is early morning right now in my time zone and I kept her in a container over night, I'm going to attempt to release her in a fee hours once it is warmer out! I'm not sure if she is a queen or a worker but I was assuming queen because it is early spring currently and i don't think too many worker bees are out yet! Your advice is very helpful and I'll update you on if she flies away when i release her!

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Aurora

  605. We've suddenly got lots of bees in our bathroom on the window sill. Have no idea how they're getting in or why they are all on the window sill. The problem is they are all have dead and some already dead when we return home and find them. They happily crawl onto a piece of tissue if I hold one next to them and then I put them out of the window. But they don't fly. They look dizzy. I will try the sugar solution now I've read this website.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Polarjo

    1. I’m so sorry to hear that. Do they look smallish with stripes, and not very fluffy, like the honey bees pictured on this page? Or are they very fuzzy, more like bumble bees? Either way, that’s strange behavior that you’re witnessing, and my first thought (when you said they had appeared suddenly and many were dead and some looked dizzy) is potentially acute pesticide exposure. Not that I want to jump to that conclusion necessarily, but it’s an unfortunate possibility.

      What’s your weather like there? Have any responded to the sugar water solution? Are they still showing up? They shouldn’t be dying simply from being inside for a little while, it’s very strange. Could you reply to the email I sent you with a photo of them?

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  606. Helped me as i have bees bumbel in my front step .so gonna leave them and use side door.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Diane Mbende

    1. I'm happy to hear you'll be leaving them bee :) They'll simply be there for the season, and then come autumn, the new queens that hatch then will disperse to hibernate in the ground individually.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  607. Hello. I have fed my sleepy bumble bee sugar water and placed her in a shoe box for the night. When the sun comes out tomorrow it will probably be warm enough for her but tomorrow night is supposed to be cold again. Should I keep her until Monday when the nights are supposed to be warming up? Thank you for your help.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Christina Wheeler

    1. I’d be inclined to leave it up to your bee by setting out her box once it’s warm tomorrow, with the lid open. If she’s ready to go, she’ll go for sure, and she should be fine tomorrow night even if it does get cold, since she’ll have the day to find where she wants to be, and you’ll have given her a good start with sugar water for energy. If she’s still in her box as late afternoon turns towards evening, then I’d keep her safe for another night before releasing her the following day once it’s warmer.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  608. Found a slow bee on the ground caught out in the rain when I was walking earlier so I took it home for some warmth and sugar water. Its begining to dry off but not interested in the sugar water. After a while I began to notice something small and pale yellow hanging off off the back left side of the abdomen which at first I assumed was pollen but upon closer inspection it has a worm or noodle like appearance. I thought it might be some debris from outside and tried to gently remove it but after feeling resistance I stopped, not wanting to hurt the bee. I'm a bit worried it's actually part of the bee, does anyone know what this might be?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Stuart

    1. Without seeing your bee, I have no way to say for certain, however it’s possible that it is part of the bee (especially if it has a somewhat gooey appearance). How is your bee behaving otherwise, does it seem alert and active, or is it still sluggish? If you’d like to reply to the email I’m sending you with a photo, that might be helpful (unless you’ve already released your bee by the time you receive this)?

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Unfortunately it turned out to be a wound, which it did not received from. The bee was okay for a while but began to twitch a lot, once the tongue came out for a while I knew it didn't not have long for this world. Hopefully it passed comfortably in the warm tho

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Stuart

        1. I’m sorry to hear that, though I had feared it would be the case. It’s kind of you to care so. Bees face many challenges to survival, and it’s always nice to try to help them, even in cases where ultimately we cannot.

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  609. I’m nursing a bee right now. It got really cold yesterday. Poor thing. It’s snowing and raining now so he/she’s been here for 24 hrs already. We’re sitting in the sun in my kitchen. I only have honey unfortunately but it seems to love that. Hope it gets warmer!! It’s only 7 Celsius now the sun is out.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Paul

    1. I think I’m getting attached haha it’s so cute. It knows when I walk in the room and maybe I’m crazy but it knows I’m here to help. Ok I’m definitely crazy cause we just sat looking at each other for about 15 mins... so cute.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Paul

      1. Aww, that sounds adorable :) I hope your weather warms up soon so that your bee has an opportunity to fly back into the world… though I bet you’ll miss your little friend when that happens! That’s wonderful you care so much, snow and rain is no fun for bees, but it sounds like you’ve given your bee an excellent safe haven in the meantime.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

        1. She flew away after 24hrs of hanging... bless her... i wish her the bee-st life! <3

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Paul White

          1. Aww I’m so happy you two enjoyed your time together, and that she’s off on her buzzy way into the world, after having been kept safe and warm and well-fed by you in the meantime :) It’s so heartwarming to hear these stories, and I’m glad my page provided a little information to help you both out in her time of need!

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  610. So I found a tiny guy in my basement! Idk

    How long he was there but he was just on the floor of my pantry at nine o clock at night. It’s been raining on and off New England for weeks now. I gave him some

    Sugar water and set him in a box with huge openings on both ends. I let him be for a bit and found him ok

    His back legs spread out like he was possibly trying to move. Should I wait till morning then set the box outside. I’m afraid it’s rain again for the next few days also. He’s a pretty fuzzy guy too with no visible injuries and he was moving ever so slightly when I found him. I’d feel awful if I didn’t at least try.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Margarida Gale

    1. I would definitely keep your bee in tonight. If it’s raining for the next few days that might be a bit of a problem, as bees don’t really fly in the rain. If it warms up a bit during the day and stops raining, try setting the bee’s box outside. But I wouldn’t be at all surprised if your bee stays with you until the weather is better. If that’s the case, keep the box somewhere safe from mice, ants, and such. Offer small amounts of sugar water during the day. Wait for better weather, and as soon as it stops raining and the temperature gets closer to 60F or so, place your bee out, ideally in direct sunlight, with the box open. A combination of warmth and sugar water usually works wonders! But cold wet weather is no good for bees, so if you can keep your bee safe in the meantime that’d be ideal. Don’t expect your bee to move much until it gets warmer. Keep your bee somewhere cool at night though. If your bee seems very active tomorrow, you can always try removing the lid and placing your bee outdoors in its box, but it’s unlikely to want to leave until it’s not raining!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  611. I’m here for bee rescue! Found a chubby fuzzy little dude this morning in the cold. Thought he was dead but his feet wiggles when I touched him so I scooped him up to bring him inside. Looks like he took a bit of damage- a bit of internal ‘goo’ on the outside of his body but his body seems mostly intact. Don’t know if he got chomped by something. One wing is at a weird angle but after some sugar water and warmth he started to move his legs a bit and now he is very gradually shuffling around. I wouldn’t call it walking though, just kind of dragging himself millimeter by millimeter. He seems a little tucked in, like he can’t get the weight off of his face. He is much more responsive now (flips me off a bit with one leg if I get too close haha) but his tongue has been permanently out for several hours and he’s not drinking anymore. I’ve got him on a heating pad on its lowest setting, with several layers between him and it. That seemed to give him a bit more energy, and hes dragging himself around with a bit more purpose now. Overall though his wings don’t appear to be working and his head being tucked down and dragging on the ground is rough. He’s not using his two front feet very well- he seems to be mostly covering his eyes or chest with them. Anything I can to do give him a better chance?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Casey

    1. It’s kind of you to try to help your fuzzy little rescue bee. I’m not sure in this case if there’s a way for your particular bee to recover fully though, with the damage you’re describing. I’m particularly concerned about the wing at a weird angle, and the internal goo you describe, as well as the tongue dragging on the ground. This may be a case of simply keeping your bee comfortable before the inevitable.

      Do you see an open wound? I ask because one could try to seal a wound with something like liquid bandage, though I don’t know if that’s been tried on bees before. Insects can repair small wounds over time, but larger wounds won’t knit together easily given their exoskeletons. Does it appear that you can nudge the wing back into place (to match the other side)?

      The tongue being out is, I’ll be honest, often one of the last things I’ve seen them do before they pass away, so it’s never a good sign. It is, however, a good sign that your bee has energy enough to lift a leg… you’re quite right about the intent there, it means the bee feels you’re too close, and is somewhat equivalent to “buzz off”!

      I wish I could suggest something further to help. I think it’s unlikely your bee will survive, given the damage. But if your bee perks up a bit more, and pulls its tongue back in, you might see if it’s possible to nudge the wing in case it’s “out of place” rather than broken, and it’s possible that sealing the wound temporarily might help, but I do doubt it, sadly :(

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  612. Please help! I just found a bee, she’s very very small, and a little fuzzy, with no markings I’m pretty sure. She moved a bit, and I gave her a bit of sugar water, which she drank. However, she hasn’t flown away, and is simply sitting there. Is she dying, or just weak?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Amelia

    1. Likely she’s just weak. That’s good that she drank some sugar water! What time of day is it where you are? If the sun is still out and it’s above 50F/10C, try placing her in direct sunlight. Often it’s just a matter of warming up before being able to fly.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  613. We have the bee in a shoe box for a couple of days now, we let her outside in the sun but she just immediately burrowed in the grass and then crawled around for a few hours, she showed no signs of flying and the weather started to get worse so we felt the need to bring her back inside in the warmth and away from predators. She has a few flowers in her box that we refresh and also sugar water, but she is not showing any signs of wanting to fly away when she has the opportunity to. It is now bad weather (cold and rainy) should we continue to keep her inside of set her free in nature? We are just worried she might not make it if we let her go...

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Emily

    1. So if she’s a queen bumble bee (very large and fuzzy), which I think we thought she was, then it makes some sense for her to be crawling around on the ground when you let her out. Most make their homes underground, and early spring (depending on where you’re located) is the time of year when queen bumble bees emerge from hibernation seeking to start new colonies.

      That said, if she was still crawling around visibly and night was getting on with bad weather coming, it makes sense to bring her in so that she can try again on another day, staying safe from predators and with sugar water for food in the meantime.

      I’ve known bees to stay with people for up to a week or so, and especially in early spring, it’s a time when bumble bee queens are waiting out the weather if they’re outdoors, so I wouldn’t bee too concerned about keeping her for a day or two longer, since she’ll be safer with you. Rain is really no good for bees, nor cold either, so I’d be inclined to let her wait out the bad weather with you rather than letting her go. I’d keep trying her outdoors at the beginning of any day that’s warmer and sunny, and she’ll likely wish to go in the end, even if she decides that crawling around looking for a spot to burrow is the first thing to do! If you’re releasing her near your home or in your garden, then you may end up with a happy colony of bumble bees too :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  614. I need help! I found a bumble bee yesterday morning on the ground hardly moving. So I gave it some sugar water and kept checks on it all day. It perked up a little by night time, but still seemed really lethargic so I brung it inside for the night. This morning the bee has a lot more energy, but keeps trying to fly and ending up on its back. I've helped it outside, but I don't know what else to do?!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kieran Shilston

    1. It flew off! I put daffodils around it and it got its fill and eventually flew off! So happy!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Kieran Shilston

      1. That's excellent news! She likely just needed a bit more energy to get going... bees aren't particularly early risers :)

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  615. This is great information I found a little busy yesterday in the mailbox it was freezing outside and she couldn’t move I don’t think she’s a queen I have named her Pete she was doing really well yesterday but today she is not buzzing around happily like she was after coming around I put her in a jar with holes gave her some sugar water and she recovered in about an hour but it was too cold to release her it is not supposed to get above 50 where I live until Friday so I was planning on waiting until Friday to release her but I want her to be happy until then and I don’t think she’s happy in the jar I want to try the shoebox idea so I just wanted to ask since it’s going to be so long should I get a flower for her I would have to go to the store and buy some which is fine but I don’t know what kind to get that would provide her with some nectar or will sugar water suffice until Friday I don’t want her to go hungry also should I put regular fresh water in there for her as well please help me keep her alive and happy

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Tawnya

    1. How close to 50F will it get before Friday? You could probably try releasing her outdoors sooner if it’s close to 50F, so long as it’s sunny, though otherwise I agree that waiting until Friday makes the most sense. Do you think she’s a bumble bee worker (fluffy, though smaller than a bumble bee queen), or is she thinner/striped and less fluffy, more like a honey bee?

      Yes it’s hard to communicate to them that what we’re doing will help them, and research does show that they experience emotions (in a bee-kind-of-way) so it’s important that she not feel too confined or unhappy, I agree!

      Sugar water will be sufficient to keep her alive, but she might like flowers in her box too (except that they’ll run out of nectar fast if they’re picked). One solution to the running-out-of-nectar issue is to put flowers in, but drop sugar-water on them first in order to ensure she doesn’t get frustrated looking for food where there is little.

      Honestly I’d look around for some local dandelions, those are excellent bee plants at this time of year. The issue with buying flowering plants at a nursery is that often times they’re fairly high in pesticides (not always, but more often than they should be). If you do go to a nursery, ask for good bee plants for your area, and also check with them on the pesticides; organic would certainly be the thing to look for, I would worry otherwise in case her food might be contaminated.

      So long as you keep the mixture of sugar to water at around 50:50 (half and half), she won’t need a source of water separately.

      I wish you and Pete all the best, keep me posted and feel free to ask if you have any other questions as time goes by!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. The weather keeps on changing hair when I leave in the morning for work it will be 40° but when I return home from work it says that it will be 50 that will be at 6 PM in the sun will be down I don’t want to take her with me to work because I don’t want to keep her away from her colony I want her to be close to her colony when I release her I will get the dandelions we have some dandelions that’s the only flower we have growing right now I will put them in there tonight so she will have Them if it is 50° tomorrow when I get home from work and the sun has gone down already would it be OK to release her then will she be OK thank you for your help it is very kind of you to answer these questions

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Tawnya

        1. I forgot to mention she is big and fluffy not as big as a bumblebee she is very fluffy

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Tawnya

          1. You’re right to want to release her close to where you found her if she’s not a bumble bee queen. Feel free to email me a photo of her if you’d like (wish I could accept photos on my website… I’m going to try to get that to work at some point, but I need to some upgrades to my website first to make that happen).

            I would feel a little hesitant releasing her so late in the day (when you get home from work), because by then it’s cooling off, and so she wouldn’t have as much time as she might to reorient herself before night falls. I see your point about it being far too chilly early in the morning before you leave for work. One thought is that if it’s forecast to be a warmer and sunnier day, you could leave her outdoors with her container open somewhere that appears safe. That way she could go if she felt warm enough and had the energy, or she’d simply be waiting for you when you came back from work.

            A shoebox would be safer than a jar in that respect, as I wouldn’t want her to be cooked in the sunlight accidentally if left.

            I’m happy you have dandelions, they’re really excellent bee plants, and far too often maligned as “weeds”. They’re such good bee plants because they’re out early in spring, and last throughout most of summer and into fall. They offer plentiful nectar and pollen compared to some other flowers, and they make their nectar and pollen easily accessible to a wide range of bees (bees have different “tongue” lengths, and so some flowers are much easier to feed from than others, depending on the bee).

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  616. Our bee is home now, she has livened up thank god, however she is moving around a bit, should we keep her in the box until the morning still? I imagine Letting her out at night as it’s cold, is the wrong thing ? Or if she’s moving around is it best to let her out ?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Emily

    1. It depends on your bee, I like to take my cues from their behavior, but I would probably still try to keep your bee overnight and release her in the morning (you mentioned your weather would be favorable tomorrow). It won’t hurt her to spend the night in a ventilated box, and if she’s sluggish still it would keep her safer from predators… otherwise she might get cold in the night air quickly, before being able to make it to somewhere safer.

      That said, I never want to keep them against their own will, and if she’s very active and flying inside her box, that can be a reason to release her earlier than tomorrow morning. Still, my inclination would be to keep her safe overnight, putting her box somewhere cool right now (such as a garage or other sheltered area with outdoor-temperatures). Being somewhere cool will naturally slow her down, and then you can warm her up and offer sugar water in the morning when it’s a good time for her to go (she likely won’t be an early riser either).

      Perhaps try placing her box somewhere cool and listening for buzzing noises over the next hour or so. If she seems quiet, then I’d leave her bee inside the box, and plan to warm her up and feed her in the morning so she has the whole day to decide where she wants to spend the night tomorrow. As a bumble bee queen, she’ll be searching for a place underground (such as an abandoned mouse burrow) in which to start a colony, but it often takes quite a bit of searching (a week or so, depending) before finding a good place.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Our bee is still in a shoe box and moving around but still no signs of flying, she stops and starts! It’s not rainy and cold, she loves bluebells, and sugar water, but doesn’t seem to get any better! Help

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Emily

      2. Our bee is determined to stay in her box! She has a few leaves she keeps hiding under, every now and then she will buzz around, she doesn’t try to fly and I don’t know if that’s because she can’t? I wonder if she is still in some form of her hibernation ? She has plenty of access to sugar water and has been out in the sun, but keeps, what is appears, falling asleep. Should we keep her in the box overnight again

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Emily

        1. I think you have a choice here. She should be able to fend for herself with the help you’ve given her. If you leave her box out (or tip her out) near some flowers and a nice bit of ground, she may well burrow under leaves there for the time being, and go about her next day as she would usually in nature. Alternatively, if she is still looking unstable on her legs, and as though she won’t fare well outdoors, you can keep her another night. Recently I chatted to some folks who dropped a comment here, and their bee just took a few days before deciding to buzz off, for whatever reason. It’s unusual, but it’s not unheard of. She won’t come to any harm if you keep her another night, but she might be just fine if you “push her out” into the world too, since that’s where she’d usually be, and you’ve helped a lot just by making sure she has plenty of energy, and placing her in a good spot.

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      3. So our bee is in the box and every now and then buzzes lots like it wants to get out but then it crashes and sleeps again, it’s sunny and warm out and she’s got sugar water, should I tip her out the plastic box or let her come out in her own time ? She keeps doing this thing like she’s humping the leaf

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Emily

        1. I’m only just awake on my time zone here, sorry for my late reply. Hmm, I would just let her go on her own time. Often it can take bees a good hour or two to “wake up.” Hopefully by the time you receive this she’s buzzed off, but if not, just leave her near flowers with an open box in the sun with a little sugar water, and she should be on her way, assuming there’s nothing else amiss. Just occasionally they seem to want or need to stay with folks for an extra day before buzzing off, for no seemingly apparent reason, but I’d still expect her to get going today given some more time.

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      4. Yeah you’re right I have put her in a cool room and she is keeping still and is happily sat on her leaf, we will keep an eye on her and intend to let Aher out tomorrow, bless her, has quietened down! And is just sat still, we have added a small amount of sugar water to her box, again thank you so much for the help , will let you know how she is in the morning, I will video it !

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Emily

  617. Hello, I just found a bee (well 40 mins ago now) and im at work, it was just sat on the concrete floor tipping over, not really moving much so i gave it a bit of sugar water and it moved a bit, but then went back to still and tipping over, im going back out to check on it in 30 mins, what should i do if it is still there? it will be dark and cold soon

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Emily

    1. Is it a large fuzzy bee (like a bumble bee) or a smaller thinner striped bee (like a honey bee)? If it’s still there when you get back, and not looking as though it’s doing well, you might take it home with you in a small ventilated box to keep it safe overnight from predators that would otherwise target a bee that’s in trouble. If it’s a very large fuzzy bee (like a bumble bee queen), then you wouldn’t even need to worry about bringing it back to the same spot tomorrow to release it; but if it’s a smaller fuzzy bee (a bumble bee worker) or a honey bee, then you’d need to return it to the same spot to release it so that it can find its way back to its colony.

      The reason I’d suggest keeping it overnight is mainly to protect it from predators, and also so you can feed it more sugar water in the morning before releasing it (hopefully in the sun and near some flowers that other bees are visiting) in order to give your bee the best chances for survival. Tipping over doesn’t sound too good, but it might just be out of energy. If you do bring you bee back with you, keep it somewhere coolish overnight, and then warm it up in the morning in direct sunlight, or indoors if it’s not too sunny. If it doesn’t respond to warmth and sugar water in the morning, it’s possible something else might be wrong with it, but let’s hope not; it’s amazing the recovery that bees can make simply with warmth and energy from sugar.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thank you i am going to go and check now, i live about 40 mins from work, if i can bring it back i will, do i need to put anything in the box?

        it is a large fuzzy bee with a red spot/mark on the bottom of its body, large bee, very sweet.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Emily

        1. For the trip home you wouldn’t need to add anything to the box, but I do think it’s nice to put things of interest for them to clamber over (which you can do once you’re home), just so that they’re not sitting inside a bare box wondering what happened to them! If it’s a very large fuzzy bee, it’s very likely to be a queen bumble bee, since it’s that time of year. They emerge from hibernation in early spring, but because the weather can be variable, sometimes they get caught out in cold/rainy weather, or simply run out of energy if they don’t find more flowers quickly enough.

          If you can provide her safe shelter overnight, as well as some more sugar water for energy, that will help her out. Just make sure to keep her cool overnight, and she won’t need much food tonight, but in the morning it’d be good to warm her up and make sure she takes as much sugar water as she can drink, before releasing her ideally in a sunny spot near some good bee flowers. Don’t be surprised if she seems lethargic though for awhile, even in the morning. It takes them a few hours to get going in the morning, since they’re rather large and need a lot of energy and warmth before they can fly well.

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

          1. Thank you, she was still there so we have put her in a box with a bit of sugar water on a leaf, we will take her home, will keep her in a cool room as well and see how she is in the morning, she really looks half gone :\\ i wish there was something else i could give her to boost her up! can it take a while for sugar water to work then? she doesnt seem to be drinking/consuming much of it... poor thing

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to Emily

            1. If she’s cold, the sugar water will appear to have a delayed effect compared to the instant effect it would have on a warm bee. Since it’s getting late there anyway, we would expect her to slow down in response to the coolness of night coming on. So I wouldn’t worry if she’s quite inactive tonight, it’s a natural state for bees when they’re cold, and they save energy that way too. In the morning, as I mentioned, don’t expect her to get going fast. If it’s sunny, I’d place her box open in direct sunlight and offer more sugar water then; if it’s not sunny, bring her box indoors where you can warm her up with your house’s heat, and between the warmth and sugar water she should make a full recovery so long as nothing else is wrong with her.

              Reply

              Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

              1. Ok that is good to know, hopefully she will just stay snoozing til the morning then!I didnt know what to expect, i really hope she makes it! its cold and dark now outside, and checked the weather for tomorrow and it looks good, we have a nice space we can release her in if she makes it. Thank you so much for your help and rapid response, it's helped us understand and take action otherwise not knowing what is ok to do and not do. 5 stars!!!

                Reply

                Leave a Reply to Emily

  618. Thank you for your helpful advice as we've had to come to the rescue of a queen bee this evening. We've had 2 in. of snow this afternoon here in southern Wisconsin. With the sudden fall in temperatures and the sudden snow cover, a queen bee literally showed up on our doorstep between the screen and back doors. She was pretty dazed and half frozen. It appears she literally was trying to get into our house. We gave her sugar water and placed her in a well-ventilated box in the garage. As the evening continued and fearful of freezing temperatures (its dropping to 22F tonight), we've now moved her into the lightly heated breezeway and she's making quite the buzz in the shoebox. Any suggestions on how to make her more comfortable? Reduce the stress of being in a box? It's supposed to warm up tomorrow afternoon (50F).

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Carol

    1. I’m sure that sudden drop in temperatures along with snow surprised your queen bee! I’m not surprised she was trying to come indoors :) If you’re going to keep her overnight, and if you currently still hear her buzzing about in her box, then I’d place her box somewhere very cool, matching night time temperatures, to slow her down a bit so she doesn’t damage her wings buzzing about in an enclosure (since she’s likely confused about being there too). Even with the temperatures so low, she’ll be fine (and safer than outdoors) if you move her back into your unheated garage, because she’ll be protected from any frost there. Then I’d rewarm her in the morning in your breezeway or indoors, and offer her more sugar water at that time, before releasing her tomorrow once the sun has been up enough to warm things up a bit outdoors for the day.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Happy to report that she settled down in the box for the night. We gave her more sugar water this morning, waited for the snow to melt and temperatures to warm up before opening the box outside and she happily flew off!

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Carol

        1. I’m so happy to hear that! It’s wonderfully heartwarming to hear that you cared about helping your bee, as a queen you’ll have helped many more bees that just one too :)

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  619. Hello, we live in Oxford UK. Yesterday was very wet and I believe down to 13 degrees. At 6pm yesterday I found a honeybee on our patio, it was moving slowly. I gave it some sugar water and it drank straight away. At about 7.30pm I expected it to have flown off but was sadly still there, moving but not going anywhere.

    With it being fairly cold we took it in last night in a container with holes to stay warm.

    This morning I opened the lid outside and it was very active and we thought it might be ready to fly off. Having checked throughout the day, it’s now 4.40pm it still hasn’t gone anywhere but moving in the open container.

    I’m not sure what else to do, if you could offer any advice I’d greatly appreciate it?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Nyiesha

    1. Hmm, that is strange, I’d have expected a honey bee to fly off by now, especially having drank the sugar water you gave it. Can you see anything that might prevent it from flying, physically speaking? Was it a sunny day today, or cool and rainy? I realize it’s getting late there now, but my thought would be to place your bee in full sun tomorrow morning (assuming you have a sunny day), after once again offering sugar water beforehand. There should be no reason that your honey bee would not fly off in those conditions, unless there’s something else that’s ailing it, such as physical damage or internal issues.

      I wouldn’t give up hope yet, especially as you indicate your bee is quite active. One other thing you could try, especially if it’s still cool tomorrow, is to warm your bee up first thing in the morning indoors (as well as offering sugar water). So long as it’s not rainy (she won’t fly in the rain), that would give her the best chance of flying back to her hive safely.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  620. Last evening around 6:30 pm I found a bumblebee on the sidewalk of the parking garage. It was still alive, but there was no safe or sheltered place to move it to and the rain was coming and it was cold outside. I am in southern Ontario Canada and our spring this year is cold and wet, there are not many flowers out yet and only the woodland flowers are starting to bloom. I decided to bring her home with me. After reading your site I realized she probably is a queen out from her hibernation. I debated whether to keep her in last night because of the cold rains expected today but she got more active and i didn't want her to expend her energy so I put her out in the garden along side the house that does not get as much rain usually as the rain tends to come down on an angle. I had made some sugar water but she never took any. When I put her in the garden she climbed under an exposed plant root and stayed there. I left the sugar water nearby. I checked on her this morning and she was in the same place a little wet so i put some straw and leaves over her and a piece of wood angled over thd area to protect better from the hard rains that had started. I worried about her all day and now that I am home I decided to take her inside again to see if i can get her to take some sugar water. The weekend is still going to be cold and wet with the possibility of snow flurries. I don't know what to do, she move more when i first brought her in but is quiet now out in our garage. it s connected to the house but not heated so a little cooler out there. We just had a news story how the bumble bee in Ontario is on the verge of extinction s i really want to save this girl.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Donna Johnston

    1. It sounds like you’re doing all the right things so far. Do you have any dandelions out, by chance? I was thinking that you could place a dandelion near here, first dropping some sugar water on it to “boost” its remaining nectar, and that might fool her into taking a little sugar water for energy.

      If the weather is unseasonably cold and wet (with snow flurries), I wouldn’t expect her to go anywhere anytime soon. Since she won’t be expending much energy, she won’t need much food, but it’s still important that she not starve of course. Sometimes a drop of sugar water (just a small drop) right below their heads can help, since they smell the sugary substance.

      I’d either establish her somewhere sheltered outdoors, or keep her in your garage in a ventilated box with things of interest (anything natural, really), and a tiny little bit of sugar water nearby (not enough for her to accidentally fall in). Though I’d also be cautious about ants and possibly rodents being attracted to the sugar water, so if you can place her somewhere where that’s unlikely, that would be ideal.

      Basically the idea is just to shelter her from the weather and from predators while she’s still moving so slowly and unable to fly. She’ll need more favorable conditions (warmer weather, a bit of sun, a lack of rain) before she’s in a position to go about founding her bumble bee colony for the year.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thank you. She is more active inside so now i am worried she is using more energy than she has. Dandelions are not out yet. What if i go to the garden center for some flowers? What would be the best to buy, tulips? pansies? daffodils? We have rabbits and mice outside so I am concerned to put her back in the garden.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Donna Johnston

        1. Be careful with plants from the garden center, because they’re often laced with pesticides in greater amounts than usual. Not always, but too often. Though if you have a nursery that sells organic flowering plants, that would be alright; I would just ask them which are the best bee plants, because they’ll know which ones for your area. Tulips and daffodils (and other “showy” flowers) aren’t very good bee plants, because they’re bred mostly for us rather than pollinators, and often have very few floral resources nectar/pollen-wise.

          Also honestly, she should be able to take sugar water from a small dish like a bottle cap or similar size (though the smaller the container, the better, in terms of her not accidentally falling in it and getting sticky). If I were you, I’d continue to keep her in a cool location (like your garage) in an enclosure (a shoebox with holes for ventilation that aren’t too large for her to crawl through), with some natural twigs/leaves/etc. so that it’s not a bare box.

          I’d continue offering her sugar water, though I might take it away at night and then keep an eye on her during the day off and on when she has the sugar water available in her enclosure. I have heard from a reliable bee person that it may (no guarantee here) make it more likely for her to extend her long tongue ready to drink, if you stroke her thorax (the middle part of her body, in between her wings). I have not tried this myself, and I always hesitate to recommend it as bees are so much more delicate than us, but I thought it would be remiss of me not to say that I have heard from a trustworthy source that this can work on occasion, if you’re truly worried she’s active but not getting enough food to replace her energy.

          As soon as it gets slightly warmer (without rain/snow), and ideally on a sunny day (even if it’s still cool, say around 10C or 50F), I’d try placing her outdoors with her container open, ideally after managing to get some sugar water into her. If you find you’re unable to get her to drink, then on that first warmer day, I’d place her directly on a flowering plant if you can find one. If she’s a very large fuzzy bumble bee, and thus a queen as you think she is (which is likely), it will not harm her to release her further from where you found her (since if she just emerged from hibernation, she will not yet have started a new colony).

          So you could drive her somewhere to some flowering plants, and try placing her directly on a flower in the sun, which would give her the best chance of survival if she hasn’t taken any sugar water before then. Dandelions are excellent because their nectar and pollen are so accessible; if not dandelions, then I’d try to locate flowers in your area that you’ve seen bees visiting before, or where you see bees active, and place her either on or as near as possible to these.

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  621. I found a queen bee in a terrible state this morning. Wet , bedraggled in the muddy grass and half of one antenna missing , I thought it was about to die . I picked it up and put it on my hand where it stayed for the whole of my 45 minute walk. Took it home, put in shoe box, made sugar water and still expected the bee to die. However 6 hours later with the sun popping out, put out shoebox and after about half an hour she flew off. Not sure how long a bee can survive with one of its antennas half gone. Anyone know?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Tracey

    1. I’m so happy to hear that your bee responded so well to your help, and that you felt comfortable picking your bee up to warm her and take her back with you :) They can indeed survive just fine with half of one of their antennae missing (I’ve seen it before). While I’m sure life as a bee is better with a full set of antennae, she should still live a good bee life thanks to you!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  622. Update on our bee: she had some sugar water this morning, sat in the sun outside in her box and has flown off! :) and there are dandelions open this morning! Thank you for helping us save a bee!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kate

    1. I am so happy to hear your bee flew off happily after you helped her, that’s so wonderful to hear! I am happy too that you learned a bit from reading through these comments; I’ve been astonished that so many people have reached out to me, and it’s so heartwarming to speak with folks who care about helping bees in need. I think every bee life saved is important :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thank you, Elise, for your reply and for sharing your information!

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to kjlamoureux

        1. You're welcome :)

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  623. Hello Elise, so glad I found your page. My son and I found a very lethargic bee on a daffodil during our walk after dinner. We are in SE CT and our daffodils are starting to bloom in earnest. I believe she’s a queen, as she looks almost exactly like the middle queen bee photo. It was around 50F but was feeling cool with the sun setting so we brought her inside and tried to give her some sugar water. She seemed confused, and I did not see her tongue, but she stepped in the water and then groomed her leg so perhaps she got some. She seemed a bit more lively so we tried putting her back outside on the daffodils, and she had nectar from one flower (we saw her tongue that time!), but when we returned a bit later she hadn’t moved far and seemed quite lethargic again. Forecast was calling for showers tonight, so we brought her inside and put her in a box with some leaves and a daffodil bloom (I did read that you don’t advise that for overnight but she seemed happy with her daffodil, I thought it might help her feel more comfortable - I did also put a small shallow lid with sugar water in a corner of the box). Sadly we don’t have any dandelions blooming yet but we will try taking her outside and get her more daffodils once it warms up tomorrow. I read down a ways in the comments and have learned quite a bit!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kate

  624. I hang all my laundry outside and recently heard that bees do not like laundry detergent. I do not own a dryer. Is there a bee-friendly laundry detergent I can use?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Gabriele Finn

    1. I have not heard that about bees particularly. I think dryer sheets are likely to be the most problematic for bees, but if you happen to hang scented laundry up, that might be a slight issue. I think bees would likely just avoid it though, rather than it being detrimental in any significant way (such as having an impact on their foraging).

      I’d recommend looking up homemade laundry soaps, which are better for the environment, and typically far less scented (depending on your choices). I happen to make my own laundry detergent out of borax, baking soda, and handmade soap; so long as you use soaps that are unscented or lightly scented (ideally with natural oils), I’d say it’s better all around for the environment.

      Bees of all kinds rely on their sense of smell in order to find flowers, and it has been shown that exhaust and pollution interfere with their sense of smell and make it far harder for them to find flowers, especially flowers slightly further afield than their immediate area.

      For those with dryers, I would recommend unscented dryer sheets, or better yet, you can buy “wool dryer balls” that go in your dryer instead of dryer sheets. When dryers push scented air out into the environment it can go a surprising distance, and hang in the air for quite a long time. Considering that bees are even more sensitive to scents than we are, and depend a great deal on their sense of smell in order to locate good food sources, I think that the more people who avoid using scented dryer sheets, the better.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  625. Hello -- I live in Phoenix AZ and the last couple of days rescued about 5 bees in the pool. After getting them out and setting them in a safe location, I've noticed about 10-15 bees show up acting aggressive. Did pulling them out somehow trigger an alarm pheromones? Wonder since they were fighting for life swimming, that pulling them out somehow released the pheromones.

    I want to help them, but if I risk a swarm attack in the process, Ill have to revaluate.

    Also, I'm pretty sure they are African based on size, color and aggressive.

    Thanks for any insight here!

    Joe

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Joe Deromanis

    1. I do not think it’s likely that pulling bees out of a pool of the water would cause other aggressive bees to show up in response. I have not had any personal experience with the Africanized honey bees though, and I think in Arizona you may have some. I did watch a documentary that indicated they’ll fly for a mile or so to pursue you in order to let you know to keep away from their hives. However, they’re also important bees I think, with stronger immune systems than European honey bees, and our domestic honey bees need infusions of fresh genetic material in order to combat the many challenges they face. So if you’re not too averse to helping them, I’d pull them out of the pool and then simply stay out of the way for awhile afterwards.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  626. I just wanted to thank you for posting this. It helped me save a bumble bee last night.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Caryn Downing

    1. Wonderful news, I'm so happy to hear I could help!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  627. We have had a bumblebee in out garden for the last 6 or 7 days. It has been sat on the same flowers barely moving. This morning the bee was on the floor so we gave it some sugar water and it did perk up for a while (walking around a bit etc) but it couldn't fly more than a inch off the ground and only for a couple of seconds. I carefully placed it on a dandelion in the sun and 7 hours later it has barely moved. I've moved it inside into a container (as my dog was trying to eat it) with some soil and leaves and have been feeding it sugar water. Is there anything else I can do for the poor thing? I can't see any obvious reason why it can't fly. Thank you

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Adele

    1. I cannot see a reason why your bee would not respond to sugar-water, warmth, and flowers and still be unable to fly, so I can only imagine that there was something else wrong internally with the bee, if there was no obvious damage to its wings. I am sorry not to have any more advice for you, but they do suffer from other problems (parasites, illnesses, and such) which affect their behavior like this, and for which there is nothing to do other than to make them comfortable for their time left (keeping them safe from predators and feeding them).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  628. Last night I found a honey bee that wasn’t moving and had flown indoors somehow. I gave it sugared water and it drank but after trying to put it outside (as I know honey bees are supposed to go back) but it defiantly did want to inside, probably because of the warmth. So, I kept it in a shoe box, with air holes, leaves and sugared water and left it open in case it wanted to go out. In the morning it had come out and had moved and flown out. I tried to take it outside but I kept flying around. Finally, got to outside on a flower, got pollen on it but stopped moving although it is alive. Fed it some more sugared water and it drank it but still isn’t moving. What should I do ?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Ann

    1. I’m sorry I was unable to get back to you sooner. It also sounds as though you did everything you could for your bee. I would think it would just be a matter of time after that. I would have continued to observe her, but sometimes they just take some time (I’ve known it take an hour or two) to fully recover, warming up and reorienting themselves outdoors.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  629. I’ve just found a bee and have it some auger water and brought it inside, he keeps walking around and trying to fly but every time I put him outside he doesn’t get very far! What should I do i want too save him.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Amelia

    1. If sugar-water and warmth doesn’t help, then there may be something else you can’t see that might be wrong with your bee… but it might simply be that your bee is out of energy too. Did you see your bee’s tongue come out to drink some sugar-water? Is it staggering, or falling over when it walks? When it tries to fly, does it come down with a bit of a crash, never attaining much height (and how far does it go)? And do you know if your bee is a bumble bee (particularly fluffy and large)?

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Yes he was drinking it his tonge was out and he kept cleaning his tongue too, he did come crashing down and flying in circles, he’s definitely a honey bee, ive got him back inside now in a shoe box, ive put holes in the shoe box and leaves and found some dandelions and put it in the box with suger water, is there anything else I can do? He’s much more active now

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Amelia

        1. It might just be a matter of time. Dandelions are a good idea! If it’s a honey bee, it’ll definitely want to get back to its hive before evening. Feeding your bee and warming it up should give it the energy it needs to fly off, assuming there’s nothing else (something internal, for example) that’s wrong with you bee.

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

          1. Should I not keep it over night? As it’s 9 at night here now and it’s pretty dark?

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to Amelia

            1. Sorry I should have checked with you about what time of day it is where you are. Yes, if it’s late and dark, your bee is likely better off with you. It’s just that honey bees like to get back to their hives if they can, but it should be fine kept overnight. Just keep your bee somewhere cool, as if your bee is gaining more energy and feeling better, it might try to escape and hurt its wings in the process. How is your bee acting now, more normally?

              Reply

              Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

              1. He looks like he’s sleeping but he’s still alive, he’s got lots of pollen on his legs from the dandelion, but he’s just sat on a leaf.

                Reply

                Leave a Reply to Amelia

                1. That sounds good then, just put the ventilated box somewhere cool for the night (but not too cool, since honey bees are used to begin warm together). The idea of being somewhere cool is just to slow your bee down so it comes to no harm while you’re asleep. In the morning, hopefully you’ll have a warmer day, and you can put your bee’s box open in the sunshine. If there’s no sun, then place your bee’s box in a nice warm room indoors in the morning. And before releasing your bee, offer more sugar-water in the morning too, so your bee has plenty of energy for the day ahead. Don’t be surprised if it takes a few hours to “wake up”, especially if it’s a cool morning.

                  Reply

                  Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

                  1. Thankyou so much I will let you know how it goes tomorrow

                    Reply

                    Leave a Reply to Amelia

  630. Hi, I found a very dozy bee last night in my house, I have followed the above advice as the weather wasn’t very nice so put her in a box, gave her a little sugary water to sip on but this morning she seems soaking wet. I think she may have got herself covered in the sugary water and is now too sticky and wet to fly. She hasn’t buzzed or tried to fly yet but it’s still early in the morning, is there anything more I can do for her? The sun isn’t out and it’s quite chilly too. Thanks, Emily.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Emily

    1. I am in Oregon, so I apologize for my late reply. My answer may therefore come a bit too late, but if you think she’s absolutely doused in sugar-water, you might try drizzling a little slightly-warmer-than-room-temperature water on her to wash her off. You’d then end up with a wet bee, but at least not a sticky bee. Though bees are pretty good at cleaning themselves off too if they get sticky, but they do need to be active and warmed up to do that. As to her not buzzing or trying to fly yet, bees get going surprisingly slowly each morning, so it’s likely just a lack of warmth and sunlight causing her to seem so inactive.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  631. I found a smallish bee on its back struggling and waving its feet around. I picked it up but it doesn't seem able to hold onto anything or stand right-side-up. It looks like it has its tongue sticking out so I tried to give it sugar water but I couldn't determine if it was able to drink any or not. It's still struggling and can't stand on its own. It was dry when I found it but might have gotten a bit of sugar water on it when I put it on the plate to try and feed it. I moved it onto a napkin to try and help it dry it off some. It's in an open jar on my desk at work so I can keep an eye on it. Is there anything I can do? I love bees and hate to see one struggle like this.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to DJ

    1. If its tongue is out, it likely needs more sugar water still. I wouldn’t worry if it ended up with a little sugar water on itself, as once it has a bit of energy, it should be able to clean itself off. However, it is concerning that your bee is struggling even to stand. What time of day is it where you are? Is there any sun with which to try to warm your bee outdoors by some flowers?

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. It's the afternoon. It's cloudy out but I can put it by some daffodils outside. It's 62F out currently, is that warm enough? I just tried giving it more water, it had stopped moving a lot but when I picked it up to try and feed it it did move a little so it's still alive. I have a meeting but will check on it again when I get out and try some more sugar water

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to DJ

        1. See how your bee looks after your meeting. I’d try your bee with more sugar water and also see if warming it up a bit helps. Are there any dandelions flowering nearby, by chance? They’re easier to put a bee on, and their pollen and nectar is far more readily accessible than daffodils. And yes, 62F is definitely warm enough for your bee. Assuming there’s nothing else wrong with your bee that we can’t see, a little more sugar water (and perhaps warming your bee with your breath a bit once it’s on a flower) should do the trick.

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  632. I have found a large bee in my garden which seems in distress. It has a small bee attached to its leg. I have brought them indoors as very cold outside, and given the large bee some sugared water, which seems to have revived it. However, not sure why the small bee is attached, and seems to be dead? Can you please advise?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Garry Peat

    1. For anyone else who reads this thread, we decided on a plan of action over email, and the good news is that the queen bee was freed from the dead worker bee clamped to her (a highly unusual situation, but one that would have cost her life had she not had Garry's kind help at just the time she needed it).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  633. Only recently have I started saving bees. This happened a few weeks ago. We opened our pool early, and the wasps have been terrfible since we got our pool. I will kill them in a heartbeat. Even before I never really thought about killing a bee anyway, I had killed about 15 wasps with a afly swater, then this bee went to attack a wasp and the wasp hid behind the cracks of the deck, then started to emerge and there was the bee trying to get a hold of it. Then this bee suspends itself in my face, like only 12 inches from my eyes as if to stare at me. i looked it in the eyes, and she flew off. Two weeks ago I emptied our pool basket when I saw something move in the grass. It was a bee to weak to do anything, without thinkig I picked her up with my finger and put her on a plant. Still nothing she was too starved and cold. I looked this sight up and made room temperature sugar water, and honey water. She was moving a little bit, but the next day she had fell to the ground, not moving till I petted her. I brought her back in and fed her again only to realize I had made her wings and body sticky from trying to nurse her. This was my first time, I put a little bit of Dawn dishwashing liguid in some warm water and i let her fall into it, the bee went crazy when after only one second in the water. I thought ok she is going to sting me now. The second I made it outside, she was gone. I would like to think that's the one that looked me in the eye. Found one yesterday in the same condition, this time I was sparing with the sugarwater. I just stucke a straw in it and let her lick only one drop, I watched her eat that drop and she tried to climb on the straw but i pulled it back and gave her one more drop, she fell in the dirt of that plant and started buzzing, I put my finger on her stinger (bottom), her front legs grabbed that top of the plant and she flew away, I will never harm a bee ever even if one stings me, they mean to much to us, and it hurts me everyday when I get home and I dump out 2 or 3 that didn't make it. People that need to read this never will. They just want to exterminate. I'm the one that shouldn't care because I am gay and 56. But I do because God put this creature on this Earth to feed us. Some people have children and should be thinking of their great great great grand children and will they die because we were scared of the bees. Sorry this was too long!

    Keith Tackett

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Keith Tackett

    1. That's wonderful that you are saving bees from your pool! I'm surprised about the Dove, but so long as it's just a quick dunk, I imagine it might be quite effective for unsticking a very sticky bee. Typically if they're just a little sticky, they can get a quick energy boost while they clean themselves up. In some cases, dropping slightly warm water over them helps wash them off too.

      You are right that many people who'd benefit from reading this never will. But I'm thankful that it does reach a surprising number of people searching for ways to help struggling bees they find. I hope it helps build connections between people and the individual bees they meet, as well as helping save the lives of quite a few bees in the process.

      In the end, I feel each bee matters. And yes, our world (and that of generations to come) depends on them. Bees are keystone species, supporting many other pieces of the interconnected ecosystem that forms the web of life on this planet. Humans are a highly adaptive species, but to the extent we might adapt to a world without bees, it would be a highly impoverished world, both in its colorful flowering beauty, its ability to support such a wide range of life on earth, and in terms of the food we eat.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Yep the dove was a mistake we had warm soapy dishwater (fairly clean) it was crawling all over me and doing her stinger as with a rhythm, then she accidentally fell off my arm into the water and immediatly took a quick bath, i grabbed her as sson as she started perking up, i let her fall one more time for a second in the water, she was so frisky that I was scared she was scared and would start to defend herself. But as soon as I started to put her on a flower she flew right off. I never knew these creatures were so gentle. If you arrive on this situation and try it console people on it, the secon one I saved I only gave it a drop or too, people need to know that you can't get their wings sticky.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Keith Tackett

  634. I just found a bee on the street an hour ago and I took her in, gave her some sugar water which she refuses to drink so I let her be. I thought she might be cold which I think was the case because now she is moving around a bit. Before she was not moving at all. I don't think I should let her out yet because she seems weak and it's night time plus it's cold outside (9pm) My mom though is very angry with me and tells me she won't survive if I let her stay the night.

    As I type she is cleaning herself (because she got some sugar water on herself). Ok now she's back to not moving at all. I don't know, she is just weird.

    What should I do? Please help ASAP

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Hanna

    1. A spot od Dawn dishwashing liquid, she may have gotten sticky, her wings have to be dry and not sticky! trust me I went through this with my bee, you're a great person for doing this, I am gay and married to a guy that gets pissed and me for saving them. If people keep exterminating these creatures their offspring will die, we won't be alive to know how many generations. We have a are kindred spirit that would only do this. Read my experience it explains it all. Keith Tackett

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Keith Tackett

    2. I wrote that last reply in rather a hurry, so now I’ll explain a bit more. If she’s large and fuzzy, she’s a bumble bee (most likely), and those are particularly alright to keep overnight without any harm. Honey bees, on the other hand, do want to make it back to their hives at night if at all possible, though they too can survive somewhere else overnight. But I’ve known folks to keep bumble bees for several days during times of severely inclement weather, and it simply keeps a stranded bee safe. Since it’s evening, I’d keep your bee relatively cool to mimic cooler night time temperatures. In the morning, try warming up your bee in a warm room, in direct sunlight, or even gently with your breath (they like the warmth of our hands/arms too, but not everyone—nor every bee!—is comfortable with that, so try other ways to warm her first).

      If she’s not drinking sugar-water, that’s fine. In fact, cleaning some off of herself will give her some energy anyway! In the morning, after you warm her up, try putting a drop of sugar-water near her again. It may well be that simply warmth will do the trick and get her buzzing on her way in the morning. If at all possible, release her once the day has warmed up a bit, rather than first thing. If you can warm her up and let her out mid-morning, she’ll have her best chances of making it where she’d been planning to go before she was stranded on the street without any energy left. If she still doesn’t want any sugar water, then find some flowers to put her on in the morning, ideally in direct sunlight. It’s kind of astonishing to think about, but bumble bees are only ever about 40 minutes away from starvation, according to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Hey Elise! Thank you so much for your reply. Yes it's a bumble bee, sorry about not saying that earlier.

        I'm relieved now, I'll let her stay the night :) Should I keep her in my room (where it's warmer) or put her in the kitchen? Problem is my sister has cats and they have access to every room except for mine. Also should I let her out tomorrow? It's gonna be around 8 degrees for the rest of the week. Is this too cold? :(

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Hanna

        1. Possibly your room, from the sounds of it, assuming it’s not too warm (is there a coolish spot, near a window)? The reason to keep her coolish (besides mimicking the outdoor temperatures) is that way she doesn’t get all “buzzed up” as it were and damage her wings in an attempt to escape her enclosure when it’s not actually a good time of day outdoors to be flying. Your bee doesn’t sound as though she’s wanting to go anywhere fast right now though, so she should be fine in your room.

          And yes, I’d let her out later in the morning (mid-morning-ish), after it’s warmed up for an hour or two, near where you found her, and in direct sunlight on some flowers (that other bumble bees are on, ideally). Try her with sugar-water again too first. 8 degrees is definitely on the colder side (closer to 10 would be better), but it should be good enough for a bumble bee, since they can generate their own heat too (by decoupling their wings from their wing muscles and ‘shivering’ themselves warm).

          If possible, keep an eye on her in the morning after you put her outdoors. Bees can take a few hours to warm up enough to really get going too, I’ve watched it happen before… they just soak up the sun and clean themselves, and if they’re on a flower have a few sips of nectar, while waiting to warm up enough to be able to fly well and begin their day.

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

          1. Thanks a lot for your help! I'll keep her near the window then and release her late morning. She was sipping some sugar water actually a few minutes ago :) She also got more active. That makes me happy! I'll keep you updated on how it goes with Beeny.

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to Hanna

            1. So she doesn't fly away...It's 7 degrees out today a bit too cold. She is also not moving much. Her booty is throbing though. Why does she do that? To keep herself warm? Also are her wings sticky from the sugar water is that why she won't fly? Can't she clean it off?

              Reply

              Leave a Reply to Hanna

              1. Sorry for my late reply, I’m in another time zone (US west coast).

                She pulses her abdomen in order to circulate air and warm herself (she breathes through little openings for air called spiracles, located along her abdomen).

                I’m not surprised she’s not moving much. It will take warmth and energy to get her moving. That’s too bad about your temperatures. If it’s sunny out at all, you might still try her outdoors in the direct sun and see how she responds.

                Otherwise you may end up with a bee friend for a few more days, while you both await better weather!

                Without seeing her it’s hard to say about the sugar water, but they’re pretty good at cleaning themselves off. Bumble bees (especially if you have a large queen there) are heavy, and they’ll walk about at cooler temperatures rather than even trying to fly. So just because you don’t see her wings opening, doesn’t mean they’re not in good shape for flying. Similarly, just because she’s lethargic doesn’t mean she’s not doing well; she’s just cold, and probably a bit confused… they like to be warm in the day!

                Observing her should tell you about the condition of her wings in the end, because you’ll see them move at some point. If you believe they’re stuck together, dropping a small amount of slightly warmer than room temperature water will dissolve the sugars without any harm to your bee. But then you’ll have a wet bee, and it’s harder to warm up a wet bee, so I’d not do this unless you think there’s a real problem.

                What I would do is try releasing her when it’s sunny again, but it’ll take her a couple of hours to warm up in all likelihood, enough to be on her way. And if it’s too cold, she won’t go, and you may simply end up bringing her back in for another night to keep her safe. Try her with very small drops of sugar-water, or try bringing her a few flowers and add a drop of extra sugar water in their centers for her to find.

                If she’s a very large bumble bee (a queen), then helping her out will help a large number of future bees (several hundred)! Ideally she’ll bee on her way soon, and if you warm her up and manage to get a bit of sugar-water into her she may well be on her way once it’s warmer (or once the sun comes out, even if it’s still cold). I’ve seen bumble bees out at 7C, but they don’t fly as easily at low temperatures, so they often simply crawl from flower to flower (I find them sleeping inside flowers that close up at night here, like crocuses).

                Reply

                Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

    3. Is she large and fuzzy? If so, there’s no harm to keeping her in, and possibly some help, because a weakened bee won’t be able to get back to where it needs to bee easily if it’s cold and late in the day. Keeping her in keeps her safe from predators, and there’s no reason at all that she shouldn’t survive if she’s in an enclosure with small holes for ventilation overnight, as described above. If she didn’t survive, it would mean there was something else wrong with her, and that she would have died outdoors anyway. I’ll send this now and then follow up with some more advice about sugar water.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  635. We found a bee yesterday 1730 very wet and cold. Have tried sugar and water and he spent the night under a shelter. Still lethargic today and still doesn't drink the sugar water, we think he probably flew into window and knocked himself out and maybe hurt quite badly. It's warmer today with less rain but he doesn't move much can we do anything else! Where we are we have bad Asian hornet prob so want to try and save him and the hive.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Fiona

    1. Bees can appear very lethargic for a time, while still experiencing a complete recovery. I’ve seen them take surprisingly hard knocks from windows and still be alright (even though they have exoskeletons, they can still heal). Do you know what type of bee you have (large and fuzzy like a bumble bee, or small and stripe-y like a honey bee, or something else)?

      I would keep trying the sugar water in the form of small droplets right below the bee’s head. Assuming the weather is half decent to where your bee could go out if it was feeling better, I’d also try warming your bee up in a warm room, or even with your breath gently, if you feel comfortable doing that. Sometimes they like to crawl on people’s hands for warmth too, but I don’t advise that unless you’re completely comfortable doing so… and the bee has to be comfortable too, rather than feel it’s a threat in any way, so it’s always wise to proceed slowly and look for signals from the bee (the most obvious signal is a middle leg, or two middle legs, raised by a bumble bee, which means they feel you’re too close). But if you can just get your bee warm and energized, it should be all set for flying.

      I think while your bee is very lethargic though, especially with predators about, it’s wise to keep a close eye on it and continue to shelter it. With warmth and, ideally, energy from the sugar-water, your bee should recover, which you’ll know once it starts to return to its fast-moving, buzzy self. One thought is to put a flower or two (ideally ones you’ve seen other similar bees on) inside your bee’s enclosure. Perhaps try a few drops of sugar water near the center of the flower as a “top-up”, in the hopes of helping the bee discover the food source.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  636. So we found a wet bee yesterday arvo, gave it sugar water but this morning it was still on the patio, bought her in in a box this morning but she looked like she wanted to escape, now just sitting on the patio again. I feel she may die, what can we do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Abby

    1. My first thought is to warm her up, but it’s getting late into the evening there, so this would be something to try tomorrow morning. I’d try her again with sugar-water in the morning, then warm her either by placing her in the sun, bringing her indoors in a box into a warm room temporarily, or by gently blowing warm air on her where she is with your breath for a few minutes (if she holds a middle leg up, it means she feels you’re too close; two middle legs, even more so).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  637. I'm happy to have found your website for advices :-) Just now I saved one bee worker. It took less than an hour to recover and then flew back to the flowers.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to David

    1. That's excellent!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  638. So pleased I found your site...I found a queen bee a couple of days ago, that I felt sure was on the way out, tried giving her sugar water, but still she looked awful, soaking wet and barely moving. Found your page and took your advice about bringing her inside and putting her in a shoebox...she had an amazing recovery and a couple of hours later, she’d got out of the box through a big hole I hadn’t noticed...was buzzing around the room and flew off...thank you for your advice!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Alison

    1. I'm so happy to hear that!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  639. I have found what I think is a buff tailed bumblebee 2 days ago crawling on the floor I decided to do some research and help her get back to health as she could not fly. I have warmed her up and fed her sugar and water solution which she has been licking up nicely. It’s not day 3 and she isn’t showing any signs of flying she buzzed her wings but can not get off the ground and was wondering why this is happening she is very lively in every other way.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kealy

    1. It might simply be a matter of spending some time in direct sunlight (on your next warm day) to get her buzzing properly again. Bees take a surprising amount of time to warm up, but warm direct sunlight is one of the best ways to do so. Otherwise, they may appear lively in other ways, but simply not have sufficient warmth and energy to get off the ground (which takes a fair bit of effort for a bumble bee)!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  640. I found a huge fuzzy bee floating on its back in a water bowl yesterday, so scooped it out and followed your advice, put it in a box with some sugar water and put it inside till it was dry and wings weren't saturated - released in garden, seemed much more energetic and happy

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Cathy

    1. That's wonderful to hear!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  641. Hello, I watched a bumblebee fly slow & low into my pool (faceplant!) I plucked her out & shes been sluggish, but perked up when I had her inside near my (not hot) furnace... She started crawling around... I don't live at this house & don't want to leave her ourdoors with the snow/rain coming over the next 24 hours... I'm on the north shore in MA & was wondering whether I would be detrimental to take her with me about 20 miles west where I can watch her & keep her warm... does she need to stay in her original vicinity?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Erika

    1. I’m sorry to be replying so late, I’ve been far too busy, but I think your email was fairly time sensitive. Still, here are my thoughts:

      For the most part, I’d advise never moving bees far from where you originally find them. If she’s an early bumble bee queen, it might be fine to move her though (assuming she hasn’t yet started her colony this year, but there’s no way of knowing for sure if that’s the case or not). But 20 miles is too far for bees, generally speaking, if they hope to get back somewhere. As an alternative, you could take her with you and then, a day or two later, drive back to this spot where you found her and release her?

      On the flip side, I’ve definitely read that honey bees and bumble bees can join other, different colonies if they’re moved, especially if they land at the colony entrance bearing nectar or pollen :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  642. I'm currently trying to revive a Red-tailed bee (not sure if it's a Queen or worker) but the bee crawled into the sugar water I placed out for it and now I'm concerned the sugar water has dried on the bee and is causing the bee problems in trying to recover as its fur on the top of its back looks matted. It's not moving much and I've sheltered it indoors overnight and today is still not moving much at all. It no longer seems to want to feed on sugary water either. Do you have any advice on what I should do going forward? I hate to think I'm prolonging any pain it might be in.

    Thanks

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to James

    1. Even if a bee isn’t moving much, it’s not necessarily a sign of anything other than being cold and/or tired. Also, bees are pretty good at cleaning themselves off. In unusual cases, where they really appear to have something sticky on them that’s making their life difficult, you might try dropping room temperature droplets of water on them gently, to help dissolve any residue.

      If you do get them wet, you’ll want to dry them (by warming them up well) before releasing them. Ideally your bee will simply clean herself off though, once she’s warmer with a bit more energy.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  643. I rescued a bumblebee that fell in my pool. I’ve been giving sugar water and it seemed to work yesterday. I monitored the bee closely all day, but I think there’s something wrong with her wings. They move quickly, but she’s not flying. I fully expected her to pass over night, but surprising she was there again this morning. I fed her again today and found some dandelions. I now got a box and she’s coming inside tonight because it’s going to be cold. What else can I try?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Amanda

    1. I wouldn’t necessarily conclude there’s something wrong with her wings, just because they’re moving while she’s not flying. It takes quite a bit to warm up a bumble bee, so she may well be moving her wings without taking flight. She may also appear to “tremble” as she warms herself up. To speed up the process, I advise warming her up during the day (especially just prior to release), as well as continuing to offer shelter and sugar-water to tide her over (especially if it’s likely many days before favorable weather conditions occur again).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  644. Thanks to your site I saved a queen bee. She was on my path late at night hardly moving. I found your site and put her in a shoebox and fed her, she stayed the night and happily flew away the next morning thanks to you I could help her xxxxx

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kay

    1. That's wonderful to hear!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  645. Enjoyed the read I have a bee that's been in my garden for 3 days now. It was walking around on the patio I placed it on some flowers in sun light but it's just moving around now and again I check on it every day and through the day I've offered sugar water each day but doesn't seem to take it. Really want the bee to survive.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Tom

    1. I’m sorry to hear that your bee isn’t responding to warmth or sugar-water, but it may simply still be a cold bee that will be revived when the weather changes. How’s the weather in your area currently? Sometimes bees can look very slowed down for days at a time, during chilly weather at this time of year (and they don’t need much in the way of food if they’re in a state of torpor from being cold).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  646. Hi I have just found two Queens.. One is red tail bb.. I have given suger water.. But her tongue it stuck out.. She is tryn to get it back in and is dragging it around...

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Muma bee

    1. Hmm, that’s concerning. Has she responded to warming her up in (hopefully you have some) direct sunlight outdoors? I have seen this behavior before, and I believe it’s either a sign that something else is amiss, or a sign the bee is totally exhausted and out of energy. Warmth and sugar water should help if it’s exhaustion and a lack of energy, but it may take a bit of time too for her to recover.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  647. Hello,brought a bee in last night from the pavement (it had been there a couple of days in temperatures of 7-11 degrees C.

    Put in in shoe box on kitchen roll, with a little water/sugar.

    Doesn’t seem to be responding.

    Moved on its back and seems to be panting heavily.

    Not been on it’s front much and never opened its wings.

    Any ideas on what do do please?

    Thanks

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Honky

    1. There are times when bees can really look quite poorly off, and yet still recover with time, warmth, and sugar-water. The main things you can do to help an individual bee would be offering sugar-water, sheltering your bee overnight, and warming your bee up prior to releasing them on your warmest upcoming day.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  648. Hi. I have a sickly bee. Found on its back and looking rough. Have tried to give sugar water but it doesn't extend its proboscis. I've brought it inside in the conservatory. It's moving its legs and rolling about but stays curled up slightly. Any suggestions please. I can't tell which bee it is as it's colours are quite a lot darker than the images you show.

    Thanks. Gwen

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Mrs Gwendolen Spencer

    1. I’m sorry to hear about your bee, that doesn’t sound like promising behavior :( Internal parasites affect some bees’ behavior before they die (as does acute pesticide exposure).

      If it’s an unusually large and fuzzy bee, then it’s likely a bumble bee queen (common to see at this time of year, emerging from hibernation).

      If your bee is simply cold and out of energy, warmth and sugar-water should do the trick. If she’s not showing signs of drinking (even when placing a small droplet of sugar-water right beneath her head), it’d be good to know how direct sunlight (or how warming her up) affects her (if it’s still daytime there). If it’s already evening, I’d leave her in the conservatory and check on her in the morning to see how she’s behaving.

      There may be nothing you can do though, that does happen sometimes, depending on the reasons the bee is struggling. I don’t like the sound of rolling and curling, that’s unusual.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  649. Hello, I have a bubble bee worker who was unfortunately caught by my cat, I managed to save it before any damage done I think. I've had the bumble for 3 days now, it has a little clear ventilated box with natural bits in like grass, leaves and bark. It roots under a piece of bark every night and takes sugar water from a flower that I feed it, there is also a little lid with extra sugar water in the box. There has been no sun and it's been col every day and bee is showing no sign of wanting to go anywhere, ice tried a couple of times to let it go, but it won't have any if it, we had partial sun one day and it was getting all excited and strutting about, but no buzzing and no wind movement going on. I can't see any damage to it's wings, it moves them fine to clean them etc. Is this bee just sitting it out until nicer weather do you think? I've not seen any other workers about, just the odd large queen. This bee sits on me to warm up a couple of times a day and likes to sleep in my hand when it is snoozing, snuggles into my fingers. So worried it can't fly, but hoping it's just because it's too chilly? It drops off things rather than buzzing or flying. Any advice? We don't have many flowers in our garden at the moment, we are moving and it's very sparce and obviously time of year, but I do find the bee dandelions and I have some rosemary flowers too which it seems to like.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sophie Holden

    1. I don’t think you have to worry yet about your bee, from what you’ve said. I would imagine she’s simply waiting out the cold weather somewhere comfortable (that being your enclosure, complete with sugar-water). I do see them “bumble” about this early on in the year… not even flying from flower to flower, but simply walking and often times falling off when a petal gives way. I would imagine that, given a warm day and full sun, your bee will once again fly, and be happy at that time to be set free and make her way back to her colony. That’s adorable, that she warms up on your hand… they love our warmth :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  650. I found a bumble bee upside down late last night in my washing up bowl inside the house, no idea how he got there? After a sad, “oh no” I scooped him out and left him just there. I got up this morning and went to put him in the bin and he’s alive. Moving very slightly. I’ve tried sugar water. He now sat on a piece of kitchen roll in my lounge near the fire. I’m running out of ideas. I desperately want him to pull through.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Bonneygirl

    1. I would keep warming your bee up and offering sugar-water. If it’s at all warm today, try putting your bee in direct sunlight. Some times it just takes time to recover, depending on how long they struggled especially. I hope your bee pulls through!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Hi Elise and thank you for your reply.unfortunately I had to leave for a meeting and left her out with some sugar water. I found her upside down and quite dead when I arrive home 3 hours later. I’m very sad. I know you can’t help them all. But it’s still affected me all the same. Wish I’d noticed some signs of life last night now. Could of kept her warm.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Bonneygirl

  651. I have just been outside and found a large bumble bee on my patio. It's really struggling and the wind is really harsh. I put the bee in a really sheltered spot in the garden, gave it some sugar water and then read up on what else to do. I ventilated a shoe box, put some grass in it and went back to the bee but they had flown away. The sugar water had done the trick

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to karen payne

    1. That's wonderful to hear!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  652. I found a bumblebee sitting on the pavement last night in the rain. She's been quite loud, on and off, in her box with her sugar water, so I think she's ok, but I'm not sure whether to release her yet. The forecast says it's warm enough, with only intermittent rain expected, but 40mph wind all week! Will the wind make things too difficult out there for her, or is it still better than staying in a shoebox for days?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Zeph

    1. Usually bees can handle windy conditions, but 40mph is intense. 20mph is hard on a bee, and honey bees (to take an example I know of) don’t usually forage when winds are above 12mph or so.

      With winds like that, I’d keep your bee in if possible, placing her box in as cool a location as possible (which will slow her down). But I’d take my cues from her to some extent too; if she is buzzing around her box a lot, that’s a concern. If it’s warm enough that she thinks she wants to leave, placing her in a sheltered spot outdoors in her open box might be another thing to try. Then I’d just keep a close eye on her right afterwards, in case I could do more to help.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  653. Hi, I have picked up a very tired and cold juvenile queen (I think) bumblebee; she was clinging onto the wire of my rabbit's cage in the wind. She picked up on sugar water, put her back out yesterday morning but she was still in the same place last night so I've brought her back in. Not sure what to do as the weather is going to be so bad this week, it's stormy and wet. I've put her in a pop-up butterfly tent with sugar water and some fresh flowers picked. I can easily give her new flowers and keep her topped on sugar water but I don't know if I should put her back yet outside, even though the weather is so bad, as she has her work to do. Any advice please?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to ctallers

    1. I would take my cues from your bee (and yes, at this time of year, she’s likely to be a young bumble bee queen). She will be fine in a butterfly tent with sugar water and fresh flowers, even for a week if the weather is awful. If she were outdoors, she’d be huddled somewhere trying to wait out the bad weather too. If she shows signs of buzzing around, as though she seems, in your opinion, to want to be let out, then I would do so, but I’d also keep an eye on her in case she didn’t get far. You’re not keeping her from anything other than huddling somewhere outdoors though, awaiting better weather. This is a hard time of year for new bumble bee queens, as the weather is so unpredictable, so having a safe place to shelter is a very good thing.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thank you Elise, your advice is much appreciated and a bee lifesaver! Should I put her directly on to drink the sugar water/put her on the flowers in the butterfly tent, or will she find her own way? I don't want to move her about if I don't have to. She's currently in the conservatory as I read down that you should keep her relatively coolish as central heating may confuse her and we want to warm her up before release. If she is not moving, does that mean she is hibernating again?

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to ClaireT (@CTallers)

        1. How is your bee now? I am so sorry to be replying so late once again, I hope my message still arrives in time to be helpful. I think she will find her way to the sugar-water, they always seem to do so. Placing bees close to the sugar-water does help, but they’ll explore too, and they’ll know it as soon as they find it. The conservatory should be a perfect place, temperature-wise. If she’s not moving, it’s not hibernation, it’s more likely a period of inactivity brought on by the cool temperatures. She should be moving around a bit from time to time though. I’d place the sugar-water as close as possible to her, and then just keep an eye on her from time to time.

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

          1. Hi, she seems in no hurry to go anywhere! I tried warming up today in our house as the weather was ok. Her wings didn't open further nor did she do any buzzing around. She seems to just walk a little bit around the butterfly tent. Not witnessed her having any sugar water as yet so a little worried that she may be hungry - don't want to touch or force her though. We'll try again tomorrow if weather is good. Should I put her back in the rabbit hutch where we found her (the rabbit has been moved!) or somewhere else in the garden with flowers? Also, when I do open the butterfly tent, sometimes she buzzes at me, and sometimes she goes down and lifts her legs up at me - defence mode?

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to ctallers

            1. These are all great questions :) I would try her again tomorrow when the weather is good. I’d try placing her near the flowers and in direct sunlight. Perhaps, too, she’s sipping her sugar water while you’re not looking (I do hope so!) If she raises a leg, she’s telling you that you’re a bit too close, and she’s concerned. If she raises two legs, she’s getting really concerned at that point ;) Bumble bee communication, they do it with other bees too, but I’ve seen them do it when I get to close with a camera lens as well!

              Reply

              Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

              1. Further update - I have identified him/her as a tree bumblebee, but he/she doesn't seem large enough to be a queen

                Reply

                Leave a Reply to ctallers

                1. It’ll be a “she” at this time of year, but yes. We don’t have tree bumble bees here, but looking at those queens, I think you’d know it if you had one, as they’re much larger than workers.

                  So if it’s a worker, then she ideally needs to find her way back to her colony. What happens when you put her in the warm sun with her enclosure open? Have you tried placing a few drops of sugar-water almost directly under her head, to see if that perhaps gets some energy into her, if that’s the problem?

                  I once heard someone who was fairly experienced with bumble bees in England suggest very gently stroking their thorax (middle section) to stimulate drinking (you should see a long proboscis extend from the bee). I almost never advise this because it’s important to be very gentle, and for all the advice came directly from someone trustworthy, they still weren’t certain if it worked enough to recommend, it just had sometimes for them.

                  Reply

                  Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

                  1. Hi, I think the problem we have is that the weather has just been awful and cold over the past week and the poor little thing hasn't had the opportunity to warm up in direct sunlight outside. She did yesterday with a sunbeam in the house all morning and didn't move. Thankfully she did respond to sugar water last night which I fed her, but she's hardly moved at all now from her position two days ago and is clinging onto the butterfly tent netting. I've checked the weather forecast and it should get to about 12 tomorrow, it's not been above 8 - 9 for days. I think she is confused and disorientated? But I'm also worried if we keep her in any longer she may die. We have three options as I see it 1) keep her in until weather improves and hand feed her sugar water, but that's been over a week now she's been in, 2) pop her back in rabbit hutch, 3) pop her in bird box which we've prepared for her with bed of moss and rabbit hutch material (tree bumblebees nest in bird boxes so may be a goer), 4) pop her onto flowering area. Sorry to keep messaging you and I really appreciate your advice; most insects I have saved before have perked up in a day or so, but this little one doesn't seem to know what to do.

                    Reply

                    Leave a Reply to ctallers

                    1. Hi - I hopefully have some good news! Over the last two days the weather has perked up and she seems a lot more alert. I left her in her butterfly tent this morning outdoors with roof open. It's currently 14 degrees at home. Let's hope she has done what comes naturally to her when I get home and she is better and flown off.

                      Reply

                      Leave a Reply to ClaireT (@CTallers)

                    2. Yes, most do perk up given some time, this one in particular sounds like she’s really been struggling. I’m honestly not quite sure what to advise. I don’t think there’s a risk of her dying because of keeping her, but I know what you mean, and it’s something I would worry about too. I think it’s likely important to keep getting sugar-water into her, and that’ll be harder to do if she’s out… especially if it attracts ants, which will also kill a weakened bee. If the weather improves as you hope tomorrow, I’d try getting her out there as soon as it’s warm and seeing what direct sunlight unfiltered through a window does for her. Otherwise, perhaps your idea of the little nest box is a good one… you could always keep checking on her, offering sugar-water from time to time, then taking it away again so that it doesn’t attract other critters that might harm her.

                      Reply

                      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

              2. Hi, still no signs of her wanting to go and we're getting a bit worried. We are considering building her a brief nest in an old bird house and putting her out in it to give her a chance; she can snuggle down then if too cold - any thoughts on this please?

                Reply

                Leave a Reply to ctallers

  654. My son and I were out walking our dog on a public footpath and cycle way when we came across a bumble bee right in the middle of the path. My son managed to tempt it onto his hand with the intention of putting it somewhere safe but the bumble bee had no interest in getting off his hand. I will add here that for whatever reason the bumble bee was unable to fly and seemed very sluggish with no energy. We did have very strong winds here yesterday so possibly it was too strong for the bee. Anyway my son then kept it on his hand as this footpath is very busy with dog walkers and cyclists and the bumble bee was more in danger of staying in the middle of the path. We kept on walking with my son still carrying the bumble bee. He did find a small flower which the bumble bee did start to feed from. While walking up our local main road there was a strong gust of wind which caught the bumble bee and blew it off my son's hand and it didn't even attempt to fly. My son tempted it onto his hand again and we decided to take it home in order to give some sugar water to hopefully strengthen the bumble bee as well as to warm it up before letting it go. Gradually the bee started to get more lively and my son put it in our back garden in a safe place so it could fly off when it was ready. Would it be able to find it's way back to it's colony?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Christine Elsey

    1. At this time of year, it’s very likely your bee was a queen bumble bee (did she look quite big?) It sounds as though you saved her little life, as being a cold bumble bee on a frequented footpath is not a safe place to bee.

      Assuming she was a queen bumble bee, your garden is a nice safe spot for her to begin her colony, or find a place nearby to start one. In very early spring, bumble bee queens are emerging from hibernation, and foraging during the day while they look for a good spot underground (often abandoned mouse holes) in which to start a new colony of their own. It’s quite likely she wouldn’t have started her own colony as of yet, and so moving her to another place shouldn’t matter.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  655. Thanks just what I and more importantly the queen bee needed.... every day is a school day thank you x

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Ayse

    1. That's wonderful to hear!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  656. Hi, I just found a bee on the path, put it in a shoe box with holes with a few drops of sugar water on a spoon, unfortunately it stumbled and rolled on the sugar water. I am worried her wings will not 'work' tomorrow if she does recover some strength overnight inside & tries to fly. is it Ok to drip tiny drops of lukewarm water on her back tomorrow morning if she seems to have recovered and see if she wants to fly away? (only if it is sunny & warm'ish).

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Pat Whitwam

    1. Yes, it is alright to drop some (not very warm, perhaps just above room temperature) water on your bee. Though she’ll need to dry off somewhere warm before she can fly after that, and be very conservative about it, just enough to help dilute any sugar. But see if she doesn’t clean herself up; so long as they have the energy, they do a pretty good job of it themselves.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  657. Hi Elise, what a lovely website :-)!! I just have a question about a bumble bee I found today. I always pick them up - love them so so much! Today it’s been stormy weather and I found a bumble bee in a pile of water. Luckily when I checked if she was still alive - she was but only barely. I first put her on a near flower but on the second walk I saw she had fallen so I took her home to dry and warm (gave some hunny - didn’t realize it should’ve been sugar water! But she didn’t want it) but soon became very active and didn’t really want to stay in one place so I decided to bring her back to the place I found her in case she had made a home already! But now doubting if that was the right decision as not sure if they can survive a stormy rain?! She didn’t fly yet but kept buzzing at home and just seemed to want to be active. Once outside I placed her on a flower that she was eating from and just kept hanging there. But can bees hang on well in storm?! Just feel so bad I didn’t decide to keep her inside now I’ve read they can stay away from their home a few nights! So to make a long story short :-)! Can a bumble bee survive storm? Thank you!!! Steph

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Steph

    1. I’m so happy to hear you always pick up struggling bees… and putting them back, re-energized, right where you found them is an excellent thing to do. Yes, they can survive storms… I’ve seen bumble bees here hanging, dripping wet, their fluff all in spikes, beneath flowers. Even when they’re cold, and go into a kind of torpor, their little feet lock onto what they’re hanging onto. They typically hang on just beneath a flower to shield themselves from the worst of the rain. I do take my cues from them too… if they really want to go, I feel they should go, and so long as they leave warm and full of energy, I would imagine they’ll fare well. One of the reasons I suggest bringing them in, but keeping them some place cool and sheltered, is so that they aren’t inclined to leave until the conditions are more favorable. But plenty of bees manage out in bad weather, even if they spend a night getting soaked; so long as there’s sun in the coming few days, they’ll warm up, and putting her on a flower is ideal in this case, since she’ll have an easy food source nearby to build her energy once the storm passes.

      In fact, the photo of a bee on this page up above is after a late summer’s heavy rain, and there were numerous bumble bees I discovered that morning looking like this beneath all the flowers. I turned the photo above upside-down so that it looks right when you view the page, but actually the bee was upside-down, holding on beneath the flower!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Hi Elise, thank you so much for your kind reply and the lovely work you do :-)! I did go back to look for her but nowhere to be found, neither on the ground or anything so I think/ hope she took off and found a good place to rest! Though on my way back found another little buddy that had a broken wing! Have been housing him for a few days now and seems happy with the flowers I got him! Unfortunately he can’t fly anymore so I guess I have a little addition to the family!!!

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Steph

  658. Hi, Elise. This site is amazing and Ive learned so much. Yesterday I found a little bee inside my house, so I put it in a little container with holes at the top and named him Gideon. Then I gave him some sugar-water to eat. Today Gideon seemed healthy and ready to go, he was buzzing inside the container and walking around, so I tried to take him outside. I live in Norway so its a little cold here now, around 3-7 °C, and when I brought him outside and tried to lay him down on the ground he stopped moving. I know I he is alive but he seemed so cold, so I decided to bring him back inside.

    My question is, when can I release him without having him die of the cold? The temperature the next days is going to be 8 °C at the most. I really want Gideon to survive and I hope you read this!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Caroline Olsen

    1. I am so so sorry I haven’t replied sooner… we’ve been snowed in without power here. I hope Gideon is alright still! 8C would probably be near enough, so long as Gideon is a bumble bee, since they can generate their own heat in a special way (decoupling their wings from their flight muscles and then vibrating—which looks a lot like shivering—to us). I would take your cues from Gideon… you did the right thing trying to take your bee outside when buzzing and seeming ready to go. But if it’s too cold out, it won’t hurt to house Gideon for a few days with sugar water. Just keep your bee in a relatively cool location if it’s still very cold out, only because you don’t want your bee to be buzzing around a container, that might cause wing damage. It won’t hurt if your bee is “in sync” with the cold outdoors, protected from predators and freezing temperatures within the box you provide, and with food as needed. I hope my message is not too late, again I’m so so sorry I wasn’t able to reply sooner!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  659. Hi Elise, Thanks for the wonderful site :) I've managed to save the wet wing bumble. It was getting dark and he wasn't a good condition, I've covered him with alstroemerias but little chilly tonight. I've googled and found this site and I've put him into a shoebox and followed your instructions then cover the box with warm clothes in outside + pray. Next morning, thanks that he is still alive, I put him on the flower petal with lots sunshine and he started buzzing the wings and off to the sky.

    I am so pleased that I've found your site :) many many thanks !

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Noriko Botting

    1. I’m so pleased to hear your story :) Yes, it turns to have been important to share this information here, I’ve talked to so many different people as a result, and many bee lives have been saved in the process! I think it also helps folks build stronger connections to all bees too, when they take care of an individual bee :) Many thanks to you for caring about your bee, searching the web, and releasing your revived bee happily!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  660. Thank you so much. ❤️❤️ Bumble

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Natali

    1. You're welcome! :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  661. Hi Elise, thank you so much for this website. I have a strange situation right know and was hoping your advice could guide me. I don't know if this happened to anyone else here in the comments but here I go: Thursday 14th, around 10 pm and 3° C outside, a honeybee appeared in my room. I didn't know anything about bees at that point so I thought I'd just put it outside, on my balcony table, so it can fly away. Few minutes later I went back to the balcony to throw a plastic bottle in my recycling bin and noticed the bee was still there, on its back, not moving. I felt so bad, guilty, horrible. It was just fine when it was in my room few minutes ago. So I took its little body back inside my apartment and warmed it up with my breath. Hallelujah, it was alive! I searched for infos on the web and found your fantastic website. I followed all your instructions and learned a lot about these fragile fellows. I fed it water with sugar, placed it in a big shoebox. It was Valentine's day, I had flowers so I put them inside the box too, with drops of sweet water on a miniature plate. I waited until the weather would be kinder and fed her until then. I released the bee today, Saturday, in the middle of the afternoon. It was 15°C outside. I was happy to see it fly away, strong and pretty. I went back to my beeless life...

    It's 10pm now, still Saturday and the bee came back to my room! It's 5°C outside and it's pitch black. I've just put it back in the box and fed it sugar water.

    I don't understand why it came back. I'm sad it couldn't find its hive. I guess it memorized my place and came back so it wouldn't freeze. I hope it won't end up dying here, under my care :(

    Sorry for the long story. I'm going to release it again tomorrow when it'll be 14°C. But it might come back gain. Do you have any advice or just insights about this ? Hope you'll read this! You've already helped so much, thanks !

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Elizabeth

    1. That’s a very unusual story. She should be able to find her hive just fine, since you’re releasing her where you found her. I’m keen to know whether you have a reappearing bee in the days that follow tomorrow’s release.

      Could it have been another bee? Perhaps that’s just as unlikely as it being the same bee. Definitely, she could have memorized your location as a resource, though I’ve never in all my time of having given this advice (and followed it myself) heard of bees returning after being released!

      Do let me know what happens. I do hope she leaves you strong and happy once more, and returns to her hive, leaving you to your otherwise beeless life once again :) I would hope all is fine with her hive, but even if there is some issue (or if it’s a managed colony that’s been moved by a beekeeper), she should be able to join another hive (so long as she comes bringing pollen or nectar… which she would know to do, I’m sure).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. I'm sad to hear this is unusual. That would mean things are not looking good for the bee. I've just released her, it's 13°C and very sunny here (in Geneva, Switzerland). Crossing my fingers she'll find her way home. I considered the idea of it being a different bee, but I too believe it would be even stranger. Could it be that there's a beehive in my walls or around the building and this bee is a scout bee that just gets trapped by the sudden change in weather and can't return. What is it do you think I should do if it comes back tonight ? Would a reappering bee be a sufficient reason to alert some competent authorities ? I doubt it though...

        I'll tell you if she comes back, or hopefully doesn't!

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Elizabeth

        1. Ah, sorry, I think I worded that badly (tell me if I’m still missing your meaning though)! By unusual, I meant I’ve not heard of bees returning to their rescuers for food and shelter… I didn’t mean that it’s unusual for folks to find them in trouble and in need of a helping hand. Though things are still not looking good for bees, overall.

          If you were to see many bees near your building, then yes, it’s possible there might be a hive in the walls. They do tend to make their presence obvious though, since there are tens of thousands of them!

          I don’t think one reappearing bee would be sufficient to notify anyone, but look around and see if you see any “bee traffic”… when there are many bees coming and going from a hive on sunny warm days, they’re hard to miss :)

          If she comes back tonight… well, I’d have the sugar water and her box ready just in case, and let me know, because it’d be time to do a little experiment if so! But I hope this time she finds her (or another good) hive. Warm, sunny weather should good for that.

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

          1. Hi again! I wanted to let you know that the little bee didn't come back since the second release and has hopefully found a hive. Thank you so much for your guidance. What an opportunity to learn about these lovely creatures!

            Best wishes!

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to Elizabeth

  662. Hello

    Found a bee crawling today. I took it home and gave it sugar & water. It had a bit of it. I put it outside but it was still struggling.

    It's now cold outside so I'm not too sure what to do with it. I would appreciate your advice.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Tonya Wilton

    1. I hope this email reaches you in good time still. I would keep your bee in a ventilated box overnight, and then in the morning, once it begins warming up a bit, offer her more sugar water and try warming her up indoors first before releasing her.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thank you.

        Done it. In a shoe box vented with a drink warm by my tortoise table.

        Hopefully in the morning it will be ok.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Ton ya wilton

        1. Just as a quick note, I would put the box somewhere not too warm overnight, and then warm her up in the morning to release her around perhaps 10am or so (that tends to be a good time for bees, after the day has been warming up a bit already). I like to keep them somewhat cool overnight, so they don’t get confused and think it’s time to buzz off, while they’re still enclosed. The idea of keeping them overnight is to keep them away from predators while they’re so sluggish, if they were caught out in the cold unexpectedly (as happens at this time of year). But we still want to mimic the day/night cycle, letting them stay coolish overnight. Then, warming her up artificially in the morning will help give her a boost to start her day, that’s the idea!

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

          1. Morning.

            Just released her. Glad she survived the night. Thanks for your advice.

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to Ton ya wilton

  663. I found bee this morning, I assume she's an early riser. She was barely moving when I found her. Since bringing her in she started moving and twitching, but I think she might be injered. Her abdomen looks exposed and a joint in her back leg looks like it produced a white/yellow gelatinous lump. She also had attempted to drink any sugar water. I've put her in a cardboard box but I have to leave soon for a few hours. I'll leave her some foliage and water, but is there anything more I can do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Carmela

    1. It doesn’t sound good. I wish there was something to do in the case of injury, but the healing has to come from within the insect. There’s a chance she can repair the wound herself, given time and rest… at least for her leg, if the injury is not too jagged or wide, cells around it will secrete endocuticle to patch the gap over time. I’m not sure about her abdomen though, if that is injured.

      I think the best you can do is to make her comfortable, keeping sugar-water available. I wish there was more to do, but there’s no ‘bandage’ that would work that I know of (I have read of folks saving tarantulas from dying by applying vaseline to seal the wound, but tarantulas molt again which makes it easier for them to recover; bees do not shed their exoskeletons for fresh ones like spiders do).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  664. This site is awesome, thank you!! I found this bumble bee this morning on my porch (near Charlotte, NC), brought her in, put her in a container near my plants with warm plant light, offered sugar/water mix but couldn't tell if she ate. She definitely is moving around now as she was not moving at all when I found her. We had a weird few days of 70's which I'm sure messed with lots of the wildlife, but now is only going to get up to the 40's (F) for the next two days and 30's at night. Forecast calls for 70 Wednesday but 35 Thursday night, should I let her go if she can fly even if it is below freezing at night?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Tracey

    1. Yes, these “false springs” certainly impact wildlife and plantlife. Here’s what I would do. I’d keep her in a ventilated box with a small amount of sugar/water mix available (not much though, since we don’t want her walking through it or falling in to it). I’d put that box somewhere similar to outdoor temperatures, but without the possibility of freezing (and make sure it’s safe from mice and such)… a utility room works well, as would a garage so long as there were no mice. This way, temperatures are similar to what she’d experience outside, but she’ll be protected from freezing (ideally she’d still be hibernating, had the warm weather not awoken her).

      On Wednesday morning, or your next day above 50 (later in the morning, once it warms up a bit), I’d release her, first warming her up near your plant light, and offering more sugar-water. I realize it’ll get down in temperatures again that night, but it sounds as though it won’t quite freeze, and so she should have the time (and energy) to sort out where she wants to stay that night too. Bumble bees are resourceful too; I’ve seen queen bumble bees staying the night inside closed crocuses, waiting for better weather to come. They also seek shelter under a bed of fallen leaves at night, after emerging from hibernation. If you can release her near where some of the earliest spring flowers are or will be, and perhaps near a covering of fallen leaves, that’d be helpful too, as the less distance she has to go, the better.

      Check on her several times a day in her box. Another reason to keep her at cool temperatures while you’re waiting for better weather, is so that she doesn’t get confused and buzz around, thinking it’s warm, when it wouldn’t be if she was out. She’ll be fine, simply slowed down, at cool temperatures. So long as there’s some sugar-water as sustenance if she needs, she’ll likely be safer waiting in her box a few days.

      By the way, you can tell if she is drinking if she unfurls her very long, red tongue… it’s almost the length of the bee, sometimes!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  665. There are many bees on the ice on Canary Wharf Ice Rink. They are still alive.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Tadeas

    1. That is very strange. Do you know if they’re honey bees? Are they all huddled together, or are they dispersed? If they’re all huddled together, then they may be a swarm of honey bees, in which case the best thing to do is to call a local beekeeper to collect them… but it’s the wrong time of year for swarming. Then again, it’s the wrong time of year for any large number of bees to be out, especially on an ice rink.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  666. Hi, thanks for your info on bees! I have a little honey bee I found yesterday that I thought was dead stuck to my outdoor pillows. Turns out he was trying to dry off or rest. I moved him to a sunny flower but then it started raining later and he was still there. I moved him under the patio again and he was still not moving around. I thought to bring him in since it was quite cold and starting to rain harder. I gave a small bit of honey water in a 1/2 teaspoon (before I read about the disease spread) and closed the lid. The bee was clumsy and climbed up the side and fell into the honey water. This I’m sure made it so it had to stay longer to clean its wings. It poured rain all day so I kept it inside and over night with some greenery and sugar water. Now that it’s morning it still doesn’t seem like it can fly. It also seems almost like it can’t see, it climbed a stick and was at the top reaching for more stick to climb and it was the top. I want it to fly away but it just crawls. Any suggestions?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Amber

    1. I’m guessing you’ve tried warming your bee up to see if that helps it fly? I wish I had another suggestion. How are the wings looking? I ask because it’s possible the honey water still coats them a bit, which would make flying much more difficult or even impossible. I’m never eager to suggest it, because ideally bees clean themselves far better than we would, but I have known people to have luck with dropping very small amounts of slightly warm but mostly room-temperature water (with a q-tip or similar) on the wings in order to dissolve/ wash away anything stuck to them. I’d also be interested to know if the edges of the wings look tattered; that would give us an approximate age of your honey bee.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  667. Hi - thank you so much for the helpful info! I just saved a big bumblebee queen from the snow yesterday in London (UK). She is fine this morning and wanted even to take off - the problem is, its 5degress Celsius max outside, and supposed to stay like this for a week or so... Should i Just keep her confined to the shoebox?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Andre

    1. 5C looks to be 41F. While I usually advise 10C of 50F as a minimum, it’s possible you might wish to release her sooner anyway. It’s a bit of a hard call to make… and it might depend on the flowers you see out. Are there any snowdrops, hellebores, or winter-flowering honeysuckle in the neighborhood? I always worry keeping bees for long, but so long as you keep her fed on sugar water, she should be fine. I like to put things in the box of interest to the bee too, just for their own psychological well-beeing. If you do have flowers out right now, and if you see bees on them, then I’d be inclined to release her, especially if it’s sunny even though cold. Bumble bees can warm themselves up too (by decoupling their flight muscles and vibrating them), so especially early queen bumble bees can withstand colder temperatures than otherwise.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Ah thank you so much!

        It was a crisp clear day so I did release her as it seemed she really wanted to go out...

        I literally live right in the city so there is not a lot of flowers I can look out for, but right across from me is a church with a little garden/park area and they do have a couple of flowers there. So I hope that mother nature knows best even if it is going to be really cold the coming days (but clear and sunny). Many thanks again :)

        André

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Andre

  668. I found a bee and it looks to be dead but the limbs didnt look like there was rigamortis. Also Idk if they get that when dead. It's little tongue was sticking out. I feel so sad for it. I hoped it wasn't dead, its on my table outside and hasn't moved for two days. I will try to keep fresh water outside like tbe article says.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Angelina Malone

    1. I’m sorry to say that when their tongues are sticking out like that, especially with no movement for several days, it’s typically a sign they’re no longer alive. It is definitely true that sometimes bees will look dead to us, and yet simply be so sluggish that we can’t tell they’re alive… I’ve spoken to people who were sure they had a dead bee, which subsequently “revived” with warmth and sugar-water. But the bee you’re describing does sound sadly dead. I’m not sure why it’s the case, but the few times I’ve seen dead bees, their tongues have been outstretched. It’s not a sure sign of death, since they’ll put their tongues out to drink too, but leaving their tongues out for long periods is never a good sign.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  669. Thank you so much for this helpful advice. It's late January and I found a sluggish bumble bee on the road and moved it to the curb but then felt sad about the cold weather moving in and brought so brought lovely bee home and put her in a ventilated box with sugar water. The bee seems fine, but the weather is dreadful freezing fog. Bee has not tried to fly at all. We are planning to release her when it gets above 50 (if it gets above 50 today). I am worried about how she will find food outdoors with no flowers in bloom except hellebore and snow drops.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Erin

    1. I am glad you’ve brought your bee in, and given her some sugar water. Coming out of hibernation too early in the year (with insufficient flowering resources) is definitely an issue. I don’t know your local weather patterns, but it might indeed be on the early side for your bumble bee. The good news is that hellebore and snowdrops are good flowers for bumble bees, and if you have those already, then more flowers should be showing up within a few weeks. Also, if you happen to have winter-flowering honeysuckle nearby, that’d be helpful too.

      If you can find a place to release her where there are flowers in bloom right now, that would certainly be ideal. Bumble bees can generate their own heat (by decoupling their wings from their flight muscles and vibrating them—it’d look like shivering to us—in order to warm up). If it’s above 50 (even a bit below 50), she should be alright, but I’d keep her indoors in the freezing fog, with sugar-water to sustain her in the meantime. If you warm her up well before releasing her, that should be helpful too.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thank you, Elise. Bee has been in our home for 2 days due to near-freezing temps in Oregon (let out of box during the day in the sink, small attempts to fly, plenty of fresh sugar water in a shallow dish nearby). Today it's sunny and above 50 so we will release in some soft soil near the hellebore and snowdrops. I did some Reiki for the bee and hope she will find her way. I really appreciate you taking the time to respond!

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Erin

  670. Oh my god thank you SO much, I found a sluggish bee in the driveway - we're in florida and when it's cold it happens quickly. He/she was so sluggish and I brought him in the house, made a little shallow bowl out of tin foil, put a few drops of sugar water in it, and he drank it! Then he got super energetic, so I covered the container he was in and let him fly away outside. Thank you SO much ❤️

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to alexandra love

    1. Excellent, I'm so happy to hear that!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  671. Hey! Thank you so much for creating this page! I discovered a female carpenter bee on the ground yesterday, she was super sluggish and almost unresponsive. After taking her home and giving her maple syrup she seemed to recover a little (though she still is not flying :( ) I went to work today, and when I returned she seemed very hyper but in a bad way, if that makes any sense. She's walking around with her but tilted inwards so she's having a hard time and keeps flipping on her back, but she still won't fly. I don't really know what to do or how to help her...I'm hoping you could help me :)

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to avivya

    1. Well, maple syrup is a bit like brown sugar, it’s not ideal for bees, it can give them digestive troubles. Try offering her some sugar-water to flush the maple syrup from her system.

      Where are you, in terms of weather? I ask because typically carpenter bees should be hibernating in tunnels over winter. So it’s a bit surprising to see her out, unless you recently had a warm spell?

      I wish I could give you more advice, but there are a number of other factors that might be causing her erratic behavior, and for which we’ll be able to do nothing: notably various infections and parasites.

      If I were you, I’d keep her comfortable and keep an eye on her progress to see if it’s looking more or less positive over time. If the weather looks favorable, you could also see how she does outside. I’m a bit concerned given your description that there’s something amiss internally though that we don’t know about.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Im in the middle east and it's quite cold here. about 12 degrees Celsius during the day, at the highest. It's been really cold lately though saturday the sun was shining out and the sky was blue. Yesterday when i found her it was cold and cloudy, though yesterday morning was quite sunny.

        I just finished giving her sugar water though I must note that after my last comment she went from being overly erratic to hardly responsive, she had folded her legs in. At this current moment she's quite sluggish, but trying to move around a bit. I'm praying she makes it through the night because tomorrow should be sunny. Thank you so much for your quick response Elise :)

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to avivya

  672. So glad I found this site I found what I think was a queen bumble bee yesterday evening she was inside a box that was in the garden holding the Christmas Beer !! She was very weak and cold so I looked up how to help and found this site, I followed all the advice and kept her in the kitchen overnight, this morning I thought she’d died but moved the grass she was in and she moved so after putting her outside for nearly 2hrs she wasn’t moving so bought her inside again turned the heating up, fed her a flower and some sugar water and within half hour she was buzzing furiously lol so let her outside and off she went Feeling pretty proud of myself.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Leah

    1. That's wonderful to hear! :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  673. Such a great page, thank you! I found what I think was a queen bumble bee yesterday who was exhausted and cold. I found your page so brought her inside to my bathroom in a box and gave her some sugar water. Within 2 hours she was buzzing around rather angrily in the box so felt it safe to release her even though it was getting dark. I’m concerned she was out of hibernation so early but after some sugar water seemed more than capable of making her own way!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Amy

    1. That’s wonderful you helped her out! Especially because that’s the most imminent danger of coming out of hibernation too soon: not finding food sources. She sounds like she left with plenty of energy though, which is perfect, as she should be able to dig herself back into the soil somewhere :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  674. This is such a lovely page I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Very informative but with a light heart and humour. I saved a bee that was caugh the a spiders Web and performed Web releasing surgery on her for over an hour with 2 cocktail sticks. She was very glad of the help with my determination and 2 cocktail sticks I managed to remove most of the sticky Web only 1 front leg was still trapped. I'm hoping it will free up naturally. I have kept her in a shoe box with leaves and sugar water for 2 days now as it is so cold and she didn't want to fly off the day after her ordeal. I'm happy to keep her as long as necessary but hope she can survive the winter in my cool bathroom. I do check on her from time to time and she's burried herself under the leaves. Shound I just let her stay there till spring?? I just want to do whats best and would love to see her fly off when the times right any advise would be appreciated. thanks.x (I'm in UK )

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Shirley

    1. I appreciate your comments on my page!

      My answer depends to an extent on what type of bee you have there. Is she large, fuzzy, and bumble bee-like (compare photos above), or thin, small, striped, and less fuzzy (like a honey bee)?

      If she’s a honey bee, she should definitely get back to her hive soon, where she’ll keep warm in a ball of bees throughout winter. I’d warm her up and offer her sugar-water, then release her towards the best part of the next decent day (not rainy nor icily cold or gusty).

      If she’s a bumble bee queen, she should really be hibernating underground. If she’s out of hibernation early, it’s important she get some food into her (as you’ve done). Then ideally she should go back to hibernating. I’m honestly not sure what to advise here if you have a bumble bee queen, to encourage her returning to that state.

      If she is a bumble bee queen, my inclination is that it’s safest to release her, well-fed and warmed up first indoors, on a decent day (not rainy nor icily cold or gusty), where she can then find her own place underground to return to a state of hibernation. When people accidentally dig them up gardening in winter, I’ve read that it’s safe to put them back in the soil loosely, and that’s another thought, digging her a little spot and seeing if she’s interested: https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/bee-faqs/finding-hibernating-bumblebees/ I’ve also read that they typically choose hibernation spots with well-drained soil on a north-facing bank (which helps them avoid coming out of hibernation early), so you might try releasing her near such a location.

      Bumble bees are able to generate their own heat with their wing muscles, and so they can be out and about at lower temperatures than honey bees. But I think keeping her indoors until spring, even in a cool room, might interfere with her lifecycle.

      I’m sure she’s very thankful for being saved from the web :) She should be able to clean any remaining pieces off herself given a bit of time and energy.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  675. Just fed a honeybee in Bulphan, found it in my workplace, fed some warm sugar water, it ate for long time, then started to wash then have a walk and flapping of wings. Took bout hour and half then when wasn't looking flew away. Beautiful x

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Marie Edwards

    1. Wonderful!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  676. Can this be used in the same case for a normal wasp? I'm in Utah, and it's very snowy right now. And 20 degrees. I found a wasp on the verge of being frozen to death. Couldn't let the little fella die... so please a little info is much needed:) Thank You!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Drea Dee

    1. Yes it’ll help a wasp too, they drink nectar for food, and they're also excellent pollinators! Everything above should work for a wasp too... bees are, in the end, just a very close family relation to wasps (basically vegetarian wasps, for the most part, with a bit more fluff). Note that even though I say wasps are not vegetarian, they do still drink nectar, they just use meat (caterpillars and such) as protein for their young.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thank you very much!♡ he is doing great Now. Just waiting till it is warmer for him to start his flight :)

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Drea Dee

  677. We have rescued a large begraggled bee, she is looking a lot better after some TLC and sugar water, but we have noticed she has a lot of very small white mites crawling on her. Is this bad?

    Diane.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Diane Lucas

    1. Tiny mites on large bees are fine. Large bees are typically bumble bees. They often have very small mites that “hitchhike” on them. The mites end up in bumble bee nests, but they don’t do any harm there, they simply eat detritus. These mites are completely different from the ones you read about in the news. The ones in the news (Varroa destructor) only live on honey bees, and they’re huge by comparison… it would be as though one of us had a flea the size of a rabbit on us (not a nice thought)!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  678. Me again, Elise. I'm afraid she has passed away. I'm heart broken. Thank you for your wonderful website. Even though I didn't end up with the result I was hoping for, it was very helpful.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Julie

    1. I am so sorry to hear that. It’s not an easy time of year for bees to be out, and we never know what they’ve gone through before we find them in their weakened states. One can take comfort that she passed away with food and warmth, safe from any predators, and not in the cold and rain. I am so glad to hear you’re looking out for our little buzzing friends.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  679. Hello Elise,

    The little bumble bee I've been trying to help with the aid of your website for the last two hours has rolled onto her side. She has eaten (honey - I gave it to her before I found your website) and she has sat on my hands and arms for the last hour and a half. I was just getting ready to put her in a box when she stretched and rolled onto her side and I'm worried that I'm losing her. She is still alive at the moment.

    It has been mild here this morning but raining very hard off and on. I don't know if she is exhausted or damaged by the rain?

    Is there anything else I can do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Julie

  680. Dear Elise, thank you very much for your precious website. I found a bee on the edge of my kitchen window at 1 pm today. She looked sluggish and unhealthy. I live in France, in a suburban neighborhood, with a relatively average amount of vegetation. The weather today was cloudy and about 12 degrees Celsius. I took the honeybee inside and followed your instructions, feeding it with water and sugar. I hope it was the right choice to use white sugar from the brand Béghin Say, as it is all I have. It is not organic, but seems safe... The tap water in my area having been proven to contain traces of heavy metals, I use water from a natural mineral source of the Pyrenees, with a TDS of 30 ppm, that I buy from an organic store for daily consumption, which is also what I used for the recipe. I dunked a thin wooden stick in it and slowly stretched it to the honeybee. Her tongue was sticking out from her head as you describe. It looked very sweet, as if a baby was feeding on a baby-bottle. I took pictures I wish I could show. A moment later she seemed to have regained her energy, she was buzzing and flying across my room, and went to stick to the glass window from time to time. About an hour later I decided to release her. Before she leaves, I lured her one last time with a piece of paper and fed her some more sugar-water. The weather being a bit cold and very few sun rays I was hesitant at first, I hope 12 degrees is enough and that she has found her way... What do bees do in such case when isolated? Are they able to join other bees in a winter cluster?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Boris

    1. You did all the right things, it’s so good to hear such a story :)

      12C should be fine for her, especially well-fed and warmed up again. The chances are that she found her way back to her hive just fine, thanks to your help! And to answer your other question, even were she not to find her way back to her own hive, she’d very likely be taken in at another. It’s more common that people imagine, honey bees finding their ways into hives other than their own.

      There will, indeed, be a warm cluster of honeybees inside each hive during winter. The queen will be in the middle of the cluster, and the worker bees will continually be making their way from the cooler periphery towards the center in order to keep themselves warm and cozy.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Your words bring comfort to my heart. I wish I could do more for the little fairies. I'm currently saving money to move to the countryside, and I've been thinking of learning as much as I can about them, having some beehives and a flower garden where they would thrive...

        Thank you, again, for your website and golden information, and for them. :)

        Best wishes from France

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Boris

  681. Thanks for your wonderful website! I found a carpenter bee on my front porch Monday morning. It was unseasonably warm this weekend and tricked the poor guy or gal into leaving then got too cold to make it back. I brought it inside and thought it was too late to do anything. Today it was suprisingly lively. I gave it some water and some honey. I will send it out tomorrow as it will be 47, the next time it will even get close to that is 10 days away. I don’t think I can keep it alive that long.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Ashleigh

    1. I agree that's the best plan! Sweet of you to care for your bee :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  682. Hello, I live in Central Ohio on a small partially wooded plot. Today is 12/3 and yesterday we had an unseasonably warm and sunny day hitting a high of around 63. The temperature and conditions today were low 40's and rainy. When I came home from work around 4 PM, I saw a honey bee on the door frame. It was so unresponsive that I thought it was dead and then I detected a hint of movement. So I decided to bring it into the basement to see if I could 'thaw it out'. Meantime, I did a little googling and came across this website. The bee was becoming a little more responsive, but I had to run out on some errands and when I came back, it was almost non-responsive again. So I tried the sugar water suggestion using a toothpick instead of an eye dropper. I was practically 'spoon feeding' it. About an hour later, I now had a bee buzzing around in a plastic gallon jug. SO now the question is, what are the chances of it surviving in a typical December in Ohio? While it is not impossible, it is hard to tell when the next time we will get a temperate day we just had. I can't imagine it surviving in a milk jug until spring time... Can honey bees survive long enough to get home in say 45-50 degree temps? That is a far more likely scenario but again, this is Ohio... who knows what kind of weather we are going to have?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Dave Belt

    1. Yes, honey bees can fly in 45-50 degree temperatures (just about, so long as they’re warmed up first), so she should still be able to make it home to her hive. I would warm her up and spoon-feed (with a toothpick, since that worked for you!) some sugar-water in the morning, so she’s as warmed up and well-fed as she can be, ideally buzzing and ready to go. I would say aim to feed and release her later in the morning, rather than early morning, to give her the best possible chance (hopefully it won’t be raining either). She certainly does need to get back to her hive soon, she won’t make it through winter otherwise. These unseasonable spells can fool bees into leaving their hives in search of flowers, when they’d be far better off staying put. If you keep her overnight though (she won’t be able to navigate in the dark anyway), and warm her and feed her in the morning before releasing her, she’ll have a good chance of getting back safely to her hive :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Well, I have to say I am afraid for the little critter now. The 10 day forecast doesn't show temperatures going over 40 until next week with the highest temp going to 45. Of course, hard to tell what will really happen and I will keep a close eye on the approaching forecasts and hope for a better break. If the temps don't break sometime in the next two weeks, chances are that it will be March before they come up enough. I would probably rather risk turning it loose in a 40-45 degree day and try to catch the peak, than wait for something more ideal. Thank you for your feedback and I will keep my fingers crossed and hope for better weather than what is predicted.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Dave Belt

        1. I would definitely say to release rather than not, even with the lower temperatures. There’s risk either way, but she won’t do well away from her hive. She can live on sugar-water for awhile, but it’s certainly not ideal (it doesn’t cover bees’ full nutritional needs). If you can get her warmed up, fed, and buzzing during the middle of the day, when it’s not raining, I’d say to release her as soon as possible.

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

          1. One last question - is there a temperature that you would consider to be too low? It is nowhere near as feisty as it was yesterday after it recovered so I would like to release as soon as possible. However, I think they are only calling for a high of 35 - 39 tomorrow, possibly rain. Thursday may be better, I am just concerned it won't make it that long. By the way, I have seen suggestions about giving them honey, and I do have real honey (Nature Nate's raw/unfiltered). Would that be better for the little buzzard? (I guess that makes two last questions)

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to Dave Belt

            1. I wish I had a better answer for you, but 50F is honestly pushing it already for a honey bee. 55F is considered the minimum temperature, one can get away with it a bit lower at times, but only if they’re warmed up and well-fed (and don’t have far to go). This is a very hard question to answer as a result. Your question about honey is somewhat more straightforward, insofar as I’d advise against it generally, because it can be a vector for spreading bee diseases. On the other hand, perhaps this is an extraordinary case, because if you’re going to be keeping her for a few days, she might be happier with honey. Try putting something of interest in her container too (some kind of plant-life)… there’ve been studies done on primitive emotions in honey bees, and although it sounds perhaps odd to say it, I’d try to keep her spirits up while she awaits better weather. Honey bees particularly are very social insects, so that’s an added strain on her right now.

              I wish I had a better answer for you. Honestly, she’ll freeze if you let her out in the 30s. Perhaps the mid to high 40s might possibly be ok briefly, but we’d have to hope she was very close to home already, and that the sun was shining ideally.

              Reply

              Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  683. I am rather discouraged. For several years I have been feeding my Humming Birds. As winter moves in I bring their feeders in for the night, put them back out just before dawn providing a warm breakfast. Almost every night for the last week there have been bees who appear to almost be stuck on the feeders when I bring them in. I have managed to gently remove about half a dozen since reading your article, have followed your suggestions, tried leaving them alone and trying to help, but not a single one has survived. They last for several hours inside but always on a down hill curve. I wonder if its not kinder to gently remove them outside in the cold and let the winter night take them gently away as oppose to what looks to be suffering. It saddens me greatly to have them die.

    What else can I do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Brenda

    1. I am very sorry to hear that. For many situations, the advice on this page will work well. But it isn’t universally applicable; there are times when bees have other things wrong with them, or are out at such the wrong time of year, that I agree the kindest thing may well be to let them pass away as naturally as possible without intervention.

      One of the reasons I advocate intervention at all is that it does work in many cases, and when it does, it brings people closer to the small lives they save, and as a result closer to bees more generally. I am genuinely sorry to hear of your experiences; it pains me too, to witness the deaths of these creatures first-hand. Honey bees in particular are attracted to humming bird feeders, and I’d imagine that those are the bees you’re finding. They do not do well away from their hives, even for a night, though it can turn out well for them occasionally. Clearly they would have already drunk plenty of sugar water too, since they were feeding at your feeders. Sugar water is not an ideal substance for bees; it lacks the various nutritional extras that they get from real nectar (I advocate it only in emergency situations, to revive bees that are low on energy). But if they drink continually from your feeders, they will not be as healthy as they should be.

      It is, as you know, hard to prevent them from drinking at the humming bird feeders though :( I do not know what advice to give, other than to sympathize with you, and to suggest there’s nothing more you could have done in these cases. If they choose to come to your feeders again and again, you might as well leave them to their choice I suppose. It must be a difficult world for bees, to be provided food that seems like food, and yet really isn’t that good for them… akin to our fast food. But it helps the humming birds, and we make these choices to try to help the creatures that we can.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  684. Hi :)

    So I rescued 5 little bees and an other one a bit bigger&fuzzier than the others from our swimming pool.

    It was already late afternoon when I got them out of the water,they were hardly moving,so I decided to put them in 2 separate jars...wasnt sure if I could keep them together.

    Put some paper towels on the bottom so it would soak up the water from them and gave them some honey.(I just read your site a few hours after I rescued them and now I know sugary water would have been a better choice,I hope I didnt cause any damage and spread some disease)

    It is cold(9C) and dark outside,plus it's raining so I am not sute what to do.

    They all seem better,they all had some honey and now they are buzzing around.

    Seems like they want to get out of the jar(I poked some holes on the top so there is air flow)

    I am not sure if I should let them go no or wait till the morning?

    I am also not sure what kind of bees they are so if they are honey bees then they have to go back to their hives for the night,Im just afraid they wont make it in this weather!

    Thank you for your help,I loved yout website,very helpful :):)

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Odri

    1. If it’s dark and raining, I’d say hold onto them for the night. If they’re buzzing around, I assume they’re somewhere warmish indoors. Try putting their containers in an outdoor area overnight, and the coolness (and dark) should naturally slow them down a lot. Much as I like to take my cues from their behavior usually in deciding when to release them, I think it’s clear they’ll be better off leaving in the morning once the sun (hopefully) is up and it’s (again hopefully) not raining. They do use light for navigation, and so that’s certainly a consideration, as well as the rain, which makes it difficult to fly for a little bee. Giving them sugar-water before they leave and warming them up again would be the thing to do in the morning once the day begins warming up a bit.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thank you so much for your quick reply,I will follow your advise and now I know what to do in the future!

        ❤️

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Odri

  685. Hi, I rescued a honey bee from the ocean while kayaking. The bee flew away but fell back in the ocean. I have the bee in a box now. It is going to rain tomorrow until the afternoon. Should I release the bee when it stops raining or the next morning? It is getting cold, and I’m worried that the bee is having trouble flying. Not sure what to do. Any suggestions would be welcome. Thanks.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Julie

    1. Where are you located, in terms of how cold is cold?

      So long as it’s near to 50F (or 10C), I’d see if your bee feels like going tomorrow afternoon. I’d warm your bee up in its box first indoors, and try offering some sugar-water mix too. If your bee is warm and well-fed, it shouldn’t have trouble flying as long as the temperature is at least around 50F.

      If your bee shows no sign of wanting to buzz off tomorrow afternoon, you could always try keeping it another night, being sure to feed it some sugar-water.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thanks for the quick response. I am located in Rhode Island. The highs for the next four days are 45, 41, 23, 31 (F). So I guess tomorrow is the best day to release him. (Hopefully 45 degrees is okay?) I will keep giving him sugar water. Thanks.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Julie

        1. Yes, 45F will be close enough. Warming your bee up first (and feeding your bee too ahead of time) should certainly help. Don’t be entirely surprised if your bee doesn’t buzz off immediately, just bee patient. Try setting your warmed and fed bee out with the container open, and give your bee an hour or so. Check as it starts to get later and cooler, and if your bee is still in the box after that time showing no signs of buzzing, try again earlier the following day (not too early though… within an hour or so before approaching the warmest part of the day). It definitely looks like either today or tomorrow ideally, according to your forecast! I wish you and your bee the best of luck, ask if anything else comes up that I might help with :)

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  686. Hello there from Northern Alberta! My son found a bee in a snow bank while he was outside playing today. So he did what any 9 year old would do...he scooped it out and brought it home. Well - within 5 minutes of being inside.... the bee started moving around. We now have it in a big rubbermaid with a plant and some sugar water. Was wondering, should we release it? My friend has one of those little bee houses that has a bunch of holes. Would it survive without it's colony? Or do we have a new pet bee? lol. Our winters are LONG and very cold here.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Allison

    1. Hmm, that’s a good question, and it would really help to know what kind of bee it is that you have. Is it large and fuzzy? Or small and less fuzzy? Dark-colored with large solid patches, or light-colored with bands of black/orange (more like a “traditional” bee illustration)?

      If it’s a honey bee (lighter colors in bands, and less fuzzy), then it won’t live without its colony over winter, and it should be released on your next sunny day… if you still get those, brrrr! If it’s a large, fuzzy bumble bee, then it’s likely a queen that will hibernate beneath the snow during winter. It should also be released on your next sunny day, and in either case, the bee should be well-fed with sugar water, and warmed up indoors, before departing.

      If your bee doesn’t fit with either description though—perhaps it’s smaller, kind of fuzzy, maybe all one-color—then it might well be a solitary bee (the kind that use those little bee houses with a bunch of holes). Although I’ll be honest, if it’s one of those kinds of bees, its days are numbered, because those bees don’t survive winter… only the baby bees in their tunnels do.

      It is doubtful that your bee would survive through winter indoors, although I’ve known folks keep them successfully for at least a couple of weeks indoors. They do tend to require nutrients not found in sugar water in order to bee healthy long-term, but then again, honey bees often survive winter on sugar alone (which beekeepers provide them).

      If you could email me a few photos I might be able to give slightly more targeted advice, but it’ll still be along these lines, trying to get your bee outdoors again if at all possible. If it’s a bumble bee queen, I wonder if digging a patch of snow out to expose the ground below, in which she might hibernate, might be another thought. Perhaps even digging a small hole, since they often nest in abandoned mouse burrows. It would be late for her to be out in your weather, but that might give her the help she needs, if she agrees that the spot you choose is a desirable one, that is!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  687. Hello! It's the end of October and I found a huge bumble bee on our porch...unable to fly and very lethargic and in danger of being stepped on. We put the bee in our heated greenhouse with a bit of sugar water on a spoon and some flowers (our green house also has flowers blooming) The bee is crawling around in a large pot with dirt and safe and sound from the pouring rains. It has been three days now and it is still the same. Could it be an older queen on her last days? Not sure what else we can do for her.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Rhonda Davis

    1. I am so so sorry to be replying to your message so late. It doesn’t sound as though there’s much more you can do for your bee though. Perhaps she is an older bumble bee queen on her last days… sometimes they’ll last two years, but typically they do not, instead dying off as summer turns to autumn and all the new queens and males leave the nest. It is also possible she’s a new queen though, who simply ran out of energy in the bad weather. Giving her sugar-water and housing her safely until some better weather comes (your greenhouse sounds a perfect place for that) would be the thing to do in that case, keeping an eye on her (if possible!) so you can make it easy for her to leave if better weather arrives. If she’s a new queen, she’ll need to find a spot in the ground outdoors to hibernate. I did wonder if she might try hibernating in your greenhouse too, if you’ve provided her with a large pot of dirt, but it seems like she might not if it’s heated, especially if flowers are blooming, as the seasonal cues won’t seem right to her.

      If it were me, I’d try to see if she’d leave the greenhouse on your next nice day (if you get any more nice days), making sure to give her with a good drink of sugar-water first so she has plenty of energy upon leaving. If she doesn’t want to leave (or if you can’t find her!), I’d assume I’d at least have made her comfortable and kept her safe from predators. And perhaps she might instinctually burrow into the dirt in your greenhouse pot, even if it is warmer in there than normal conditions for the time of year. In which case, she might well reappear next spring!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  688. Great article, TY! I found a bee on it's back in a hummingbird bee diversion pool I made . The pool was dry. I thought the bee was dead after a night of exposure. I put the bee slanted, head up, on a leaf. By end of day, it was moving and attempting to drink the sugar water I held up. Now it's night so I took it inside. The bee continues to move and clean it's antennae. The problem is it's tongue seems to be dragging below it's mandibles as though it can't roll it back up or is disconnected somehow. The bee responded to the sugar water but I'm not sure it can drink properly. Have you seen this before?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kathryn

    1. Sorry for my late reply, I only just saw this on waking up. Yes, I have seen tongues dragging before, but it’s not a good sign, it seems to happen with truly exhausted bees, and often just prior to the end of their life :( I hope that isn’t the case here though! Do you have a guess as to the type of bee? There are some bees at this time of year that will be near the end of their natural lifespans (male bumble bees in particular, fuzzy but as a rule smaller/thinner than female bumble bees). I would still try positioning sugar water solution right near the tip of the bees outstretched tongue and see if your bee responds with more energy. Warming your bee may help too. If he or she doesn’t respond though, it may simply be that they are nearing their natural time to die, in which case you can only make them as comfortable as possible. I don’t usually say that (typically bees revive relatively quickly—a few hours or at most an overnight + morning—with warmth and sugar-water), but the continually outstretched tongue is what worries me here.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  689. Hello, earlier this evening I found a bee stuck to a flower outside, last night was the first frost of the season, and it’s been about 48 degrees today. I had a few errands to run, so I plucked the flower with him attached and put him somewhere safe outside where I could find him later. He was very lethargic and could not fly at all. When I came back later I thought he was dead at first because he wasn’t moving at all, so I immediately brought him inside with me and within 5 minutes he started walking around my counter exploring, but not trying to fly. Before coming to this page I actually put some honey mixed with water on a little plate for him, he stood next to it but idk if he actually ate it. Then I read on here honey might be a bad idea so I mixed up some sugar water. I have him in a plastic bin at the moment.

    I know I’ll have to keep him overnight since it’s so cold, but what do I do with him if the temperature doesn’t go back above 55? Last night was the first frost of the season, it killed all my flowers as expected, and I didn’t expect to see any bees out today. I know most of your advice pertained to bees waking up in the spring, but what about this situation where it’s a bee who was making a season’s end trip and got caught in the cold? If I have to keep him all winter to keep him alive I’ll do it if that’s what it takes, but I don’t know the first thing about keeping a bee. I would obviously he rather be able to return to his hive if possible though. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Samantha

    1. If it doesn’t warm up, I’d warm your bee up artificially whenever the day is close to peaking at its maximum temperature. So, put your bee in a ventilated box somewhere really warm indoors in the late morning tomorrow, monitoring your bee closely during that time to be able to release them as soon as they have energy and begin buzzing around a bit. Having a shallow dish with just a little sugar-water mixture inside their box will help too. Ideally your bee will “buzz up” with both warmth and sugar-water, and have the energy he or she needs for flying during the best part of the day.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  690. Thank you! I found a bumble bee on my pine tree near their favorite flowers. It was hovered up and still. I ran in read your post and started to get to work. I heated a bowl of rice up for 30 seconds (about 1/2 cup) placed a paper towel over the rice and mixed 50-50 sugar water up and placed in a tiny lid. I came outside. No bee!! Uh ohI crawled around in the ground carefully looking for it Under the trees. I found it far from where it was which didn't make sense. It was too cold for it to make it that far, but ok. It did. So I take it in the house, took itbtontje sunny window on the warm rice, but it wouldn't drink the sugar water. Within 2 minutes it started bouncing it's body and flapping. I held it between my hands to keep it warm and carried it to the flower bed and luckily the sun came out brighter than ever and off it flew . I went back in my house and felt something crawling on my head and reached up to find another bee in my hair. I think I found a different bee and the one that got in my hair was the one I originally set out to help. It must have fell in my hair and started warming up went I went into the house to help the other bee. That's why it started to crawl around after 5-10 minutes and I felt it. It flew to my window and my cat almost got it until I screamed. I'm so happy I saved two bees and didn't even realize I was doing it. What luck! The sun is still out but won't be for long. I'm glad they flew off, both in the sameness direction. I'll assume they're heading home. Sun or no sun. They weren't outta here. I hope everyone continues helping bees. It really makes such a great difference whether it's one or a 100. We can turn the bee decline around if we all try.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Maryann Farrell

    1. I’m so happy to hear you helped two bees! Yes, I beelieve every bee makes a difference too :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  691. found a bee in a puddle. only moving its front two legs. gave it some honey (i hadn't searched the internet yet) which it seemed to lick up nicely. it looks really wet and its back legs and wings are unmoving. put it in the sun but it doesn't seem to be improving much. probably bumble bee queen as it's very large and fuzzy. any advice? it really looks like it might not make it!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to moose209

    1. Even if your bee doesn’t look like it’ll make it, I’ve seen (and heard plenty of stories) of bees making what appear to be almost miraculous recoveries… so don’t give up, even if she looks dead to you! I would say give her plenty more time in the warm sun, as it’s often time that helps once they’re warm and fed :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  692. Thank you for this. When I was watering out garden I accidentally watered a bumblebee instead. It wasnt doing too well, so I brought it inside where it was warmer and it dried itself off pretty quickly. I offered it sugar water too but it never took it. We released it this morning and it took off straight for a rose.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Safron

    1. So pleased to hear that you helped the bee you accidentally watered :) A little warmth (and shelter overnight) can go a long way!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  693. hi! im here with a question. There’s currently a bee hangin out on my screen of the screened in porch. Its been there for a while not moving. I tried the sugar water but its very hard to find a way to give the bee the water while its on the side of the screen. i dont mnow the type of be, im assuming bumble bee, queen bee. Its quite large and fuzzy. Any suggestions on what to do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to danielle

    1. I’d suggest using a glass to put over the bee and slide a piece of card gently underneath. Then try placing your bee in sunlight or somewhere warm to see if it gets going again. It’d also be easier to try the sugar water if, as you suggested, your bee isn’t on a screen! Large and fluffy does indeed sound like a bumble bee queen :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  694. Thank you so much for the info! I took a little video of the one I fed and warmed up today; pity I can’t really share it. Thinking it might be a Queen.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Becca Maurer

    1. I hope to set up a way for folks to share photos and short videos here soon! So happy to hear your bee was happily off on her way again with a little help :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  695. My son found a cold amd wet bumble bee in our garden today. He seemed quite frozen but he brought him in and put him in a see-through box and gave him a tin pop bottle cap full of organic cane sugar water. He was still for about 5 minutes and then he started moving. He quickly found the sugar water and has been drinking steadily. It's projected to hit 16C tomorrow so he will release our friend tomorrow. It's hovering just above 0C today.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jennifer Whorley

    1. I hope your bumble bee buzzed off happily in the morning! Sorry for my late reply, but it sounds like you had everything set for taking care of your bee overnight, and I'm sure your bee appreciated the sugar-water boost :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  696. Thank you so much for the information! I found a bee....I think perhaps a honey bee by your description....sitting on the clothesline stand. It is a coolish, windy fall day....cloudy now. It was just sitting on the wood, so I looked up what to do. Made some sugar water and took a single red flower from geranium plant and put a drop in a dish....she came aboard, with a wee bit of encouragement, and out came that little tongue!!!!! I sat down with her, and put her in my hand, thinking she might be cold....seemed a little awkward, getting one leg in the nectar. She dined royally and pretty steadily for a couple of minutes, in my hand, then started to move...in under a minute she was flying and buzzing around, as if to say thanks, and off she went!!!!!!

    Thank you so much for your clear and helpful information !!!! Now I will know what to do when I see them in this condition!! Thanks again!

    Ellen

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Ellen Miriam

    1. Wonderful news! I'm so happy to hear you helped your bee on her way :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  697. I have just rescued a honey bee from the porch where it had a few bits of web on it. She drank the sugar water well but is not quite strong enough to fly away. Your article says that the honey bees need to get back to the hive overnight. Will it be ok to keep it indoors with some sugar water and foliage as it's a chilly autumn UK night, and then release her in the morning? Or should I let it out now? Thank you

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to aarti

    1. I would try her outdoors to see if she’ll get going tonight… but if it’s dark, I’d just keep her indoors (safe from predators that way) and not somewhere too cool, since honey bees are accustomed to being warm in their hive at night.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thank you. It is dark, so I'll keep her indoors where at least it's warmer

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to aarti

  698. Hi! I just grabbed a bumble bee on Sunday. It wasn’t flying. So I originally moved it’s lovation, as it was on concrete. However this bee was not flying in any way, shape or form. I decided to bring him in for the night. Made some sugar water for him to drink but to no avail. It’s been 5 days later. I bought him flowers to collect pollen on but no luck. I am hand feeding him. He has day and night heat lights to keep him warm. I am by no means a bee keeper. I am not sure what to do now. He is starting to fall over. I’m sure dying now. I could never get his energy up to get him to fly again. Any advice would be great

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sarah

    1. I’m so sorry to hear that… I wish I could suggest something, but it might just be this bumble bee’s time… if it’s a male bumble bee, he very likely has already done his life’s work, and male bumble bees do not live through winter (whereas bumble bee queens hibernate through winter underground).

      Other than keeping your bee warmish and attempting to administer sugar water, there’s little else a person can do when the bee does not respond positively. I don’t think I’d leave the heat lights on at night, just during the day, so as to simulate night-time temperatures and a daily cycle of light.

      I’d do my utmost to try to get sugar-water into your bee though, and the one tip I’ve read from other bumble bee folks (a tip I usually don’t give out, in case people make a mistake) is to gently stroke the top of the thorax (middle of the bee, where the wings attach) after placing a drop of sugar water beneath the bee’s head… something about the stroking sometimes invokes a tongue-out response, and if your bee’s tongue does extend, place another drop of sugar-water solution directly under it.

      Ideally, if your bee was hydrated and had energy from the sugar-water, along with daytime warmth, it would start buzzing about in its enclosure. There are other things that could be wrong with your bee too (bumble bees suffer from various diseases and pathogens, which they find all the harder to fight off in today’s world with fewer floral options, often laced with poisons sadly too). But it’s wonderful to hear that you’re caring for your bee, and trying everything you can… every bee makes a difference!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  699. Just rescued a little bumble bee from outside. It was barely moving sat on a flower leaf, sort of clinging on. It’s quite a cool morning here. He was very sluggish. I offered it sugar and water but it wasn’t interested. So I brought it inside and put it in an open box with a leaf with the sun on it. Took about 10 mins for him to warm up then he was buzzing around my kitchen. I caught him in the box again and have just released him onto a flower and he’s just flown off. Seems he was a bit cold and needed some heat. Glad I could help him get home

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Latte

    1. Excellent, I'm so happy to hear that your bee buzzed off on its way! Sometimes all they need is a little extra warmth to get going again :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  700. I found a honeybee on the ground near a marina while I was out for a university trip. I picked it up and carried it over to some flowers since I didn't really have sugar water on hand. It drank some nectar and seemed a bit livelier after that, crawling over my hand and cleaning itself.

    It started raining, however, and it's fairly cold where I am so the bee stayed on me and hid on my palm where I used my other hand to shelter it from the wind. A friend of mine had 100% organic orange juice so we put a little in the cap and fed the bee some of that, which it drank very happily. However it still wasn't buzzing so I kept it with me and brought it back to the uni (only 15 minutes away from where I found the bee) and it hid inside my sleeve from the rain.

    It was crawling a lot when I got back and seemed pretty happy so I opened the window and tried to get it to fly. Placing it on the windowsill I returned back to my work only for it to literally leap down onto me and crawl up towards my neck.

    I had to shut it out with the juice, in the end. It had started buzzing and using it's wings and refused to leave me. It seemed warm, energised and unharmed. Why do you reckon it wouldn't leave? The bee acted like a clingy dog! Bizarre. I feel bad that I couldn't have done more for it.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Swift

    1. That is rather unusual to end up with such a clingy bee… perhaps your bee really loved the orange juice! It sounds from your story as though she wanted your body warmth too :) That latter doesn’t surprise me at all, but the orange juice does a bit, and it might explain her odd behavior too. Honey bees have been known to make honey from candied syrup if they find it, so when they encounter an unusually tasty food source (like orange juice might be to them) they may become a bit fanatical about it… which sounds like what happened to your bee!

      It sounds as though in any case, your bee was all set to go, there’s not much else you could have done! Being only 15 minutes away, she would have been just on the very edge of her range for finding her hive again. But honey bees are able to join other hives too, so long as they come in bringing nectar and pollen, so I wouldn’t worry too much, though in the future it’s good to try to return them to near where you found them, if you do take them away for a bit.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Oh cool! I'm so glad :') I didn't know they got a little obsessed over certain foods... good to know though! I left the orange juice on the windowsill so she'll be able to get some more if needs bee (badum tsh)

        Thanks for the snappy reply! I feel a lot better now.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Swift

  701. When I got home I found a small bumble bee just under my garage door - it was probably coming in to get warm. It is a cold and cloudy day now with no sunshine. I tried to give the bee sugar and water, but it wasn't taking it. It was starting to get dark and much colder, so I opted to put it in a box, with some foliage and a bit of the sugar solution (should the sugar be in the box?). I have put the box in the garage, where I will leave it over night. It is due to rain & snow tomorrow and Thursday - what should I do about releasing the bee? I am assuming I don't keep it in the box until a sunnier & warmer day, which according to the forecast won't be until next Monday.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Janet Clarke

    1. The sugar solution should be fine in the box, so long as it’s not too much to where the bee might fall into it and get sticky in the night. But the bee probably won’t move around much anyway at night, naturally. Bumble bees are fairly resilient, and can fly in the rain as well as at lower temperatures than many other types of bees (because they can generate their own heat by vibrating their wing muscles… it looks like shivering to us). I would try opening the box up in the morning, and perhaps seeing if the bee will drink up some of the sugar solution then (it’d be great if it did, because it’ll be able to get going faster that way). If it doesn’t want the solution, I’d try tipping the bee gently out onto a flower so that it can get a drink that way. If it were me, I’d just keep an eye on the bee, but it can take them several hours to get going sometimes, so don’t be surprised if the bee seems inactive for a long time in the morning.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  702. What in interesting, well-written piece! I love bees and have saved a few with sugar water on a teaspoon!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Karen

    1. I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed reading it! And that you've saved some bees! I've added to this post over time, based on other people's experiences that have been in touch with me about their rescue bees :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  703. I would like to say thank you for advice on saving a wet, sluggish bee. I put him on my hand. Gave him some sugar water and within 2 minutes he was himself. Fantastic feeling. Thank you again.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lynn

    1. Wonderful! I'm so pleased to hear it :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  704. Thank you so much for this post, I discovered an almost completely submerged bee in a deep puddle, I thought it was a goner but when I scooped it up on a leaf it’s legs were moving but only ever so slightly. I found the warmest spot in the garden and fed it some sugar water on a petal. Very little movement for the first 30mins but all of a sudden it’s tongue came out and started to drink - ten mins later it started to buzz stationary and then within a minute it was off!! Thank you for your advice!! X

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Cairybee

    1. I just got back from some travel, and it’s so nice to hear such news upon my return! Yours is such a heart-warming story, and I’m so happy to hear that you were able to give your bee another chance :) It’s amazing how they’ll revive in most cases with the right care, thank you so much for caring about bees and looking out for them!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  705. I scooped a bumble bee from my pool today. I was horrified as it was the 2nd time ever. I am so glad I found this post. I placed in the garden and kept returning to check. I gently stroked the bee with a flower petal and again the leg moved slightly. I brought inside to the warmest room created a ventilated box with some leaves and the sugar water. I talked to the bee and no movement. I kept checking in and nothing or a tiny twitch in a leg. I figured it might be overnight with so little progress but I went and checked again and the box was buzzing. I released just now and it took several hours and I literally had a tear watching her fly off. I just placed a temporary water dish with pebbles and will get something better tomorrow. I am so relieved my sentences probably make little sense. Anyway I just had to share because it took 3 hours of rest and success. So be patient and don’t give up. ❤️ THANK YOU FOR THIS INFO!!!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jennifer K.

    1. I’ve been out on vacation, but this is a wonderful story to come back to! I’m so glad you helped your bee… it’s amazing how they can recover with a bit of help, when they seem so lifeless! I love hearing of folks rescuing bees successfully, thank you for taking the time to help your bumble bee out of the pool and give her a second chance :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  706. I have brought a little bumble bee home, she was soaking wet on the ground.

    I have offered her sugar water and she is now resting next to my warm kettle (not hot).

    One of her back legs is missing and she's not trying to use her wings.

    I am going to put her into a shoe box as it's raining and cold outside but what greenery should I put in the box?

    Thank you for your informative site.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Camilla McConnachie

    1. There doesn’t even necessarily have to be anything else in the box, I just feel like a bare box might have an emotionally depressing effect on a bee (and it does seem from studies as though they experience at least primitive emotional states). Flowers can seem an obvious choice, except that once cut, they run out of nectar so fast, and will just confuse bees at that point! If it were me, I’d just pick a collection of twiggy leafy things from my garden and arrange them in the box so that there’s something to climb on if the bee so desires. In the morning, once it’s warmed up a bit, just put the box outdoors with the lid off, ideally in a sunny spot, and your bee should be on its way (they don’t wake up super-fast, so don’t be surprised if your bee spends an hour or so maybe cleaning itself and just soaking up warmth before leaving).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  707. Ive just rescued a bee from my daughters paddling pool, its very wet and its nit sunny outside, ive offered solution but it's not interseted, it is moving its legs but not crawling, so ive brought it inside for the day as its due to rain

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Suzie

    1. Just warming up your bee may help it get going, if it’s not yet raining. You can warm bees up by bringing them indoors temporarily, blowing gently on them, and even holding them if you’re so inclined (some people are :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  708. Hi there, i found a bee today in my pond. It wasn't quite submerged but close. I took it out and there was no life whatsoever. After holding it for a while i put it on top of my gate post. I kept checking it but there was no sign of life. This evening as I watched there was the slightest movement of it's abdomen. I brought it inside and have been watching it. I offered it a little sugar water. I have just checked it again and it is crawling around like mad and looks fantastic. My question is should I put it outside now as it is getting dark. i haven't seen it flying and was worried it might get predated by a spider.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sharon wright

    1. Hmm, that’s a good question… how warm will it be outdoors tonight? I assume the bee is totally dry now? If your bee really wants to go, I would certainly let it follow its instincts, as it should be just fine outdoors on a late summer’s night, assuming it leaves with lots of energy as it sounds like it has.

      You might try putting your bee in an open box and monitoring it outdoors to see if it flies off… then if it doesn’t, you could keep your bee overnight in a sheltered area (outdoors or a cool room indoors). Your bee will naturally move less again as the temperature grows colder, but will revive again with warmth in the morning :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  709. I found a bee upside down late late last night.

    I tried to give it sugar water but it was dark.

    This morning the bee was still there! It's sooo slow, barely moving. I can't tell if it's drinking the solution or not.

    It looked wet, and probably freezing cold. I've given it more solution and have it in the sun now, but it's not acting any livelier.

    Should I just let it alone? Or put it out of its misery? It's been over 10 hours now.

    How long should it take for it to regain its energy ??

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jax

    1. I would be on the safe side and let the bee alone… they can take awhile to get going in the mornings, especially if they’ve been wet and freezing, and they can also make seemingly miraculous recoveries given time. Just leave your bee in full sunlight with sugar-water nearby and see what happens, hopefully it’ll liven up as the day goes on. You’ll have improved its chances, even if ultimately there are other things going on with your bee. You’ll be able to tell if it drinks because a (surprisingly long) tongue will protrude from the bee when it does so.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. I wish I had this article last night. It would've brought it in!

        I think it's dead now. It's stopped moving and is non-responsive.

        It's up and safe, and in the sun, with the solution water, so hopefully it'll revive and disappear from its current spot later today.

        Makes me so sad to think it's dead. I tried!! But maybe it wasn't enough.

        Poor baby.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Jax

        1. I'm pretty sure it's a bumblebee. It's about as big as a quarter and is yellow and fuzzy.

          The wings edges looked fine, not ripped or frayed.

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Jax

  710. ..So... I lost a bumble bee in the sea two days ago ;( ;( ;(

    Long story short - there was nothing around to use for the bee to "hop on" and I decided to take it out on my hand, but it dropped back in (probably because of my stupid "shaky hands") and I lost it... Couldn't find it anymore.

    I'm going to the seaside again today, so my question is: Would/could a bumble bee or a honey bee sting when taken out of the water with bare hands? (scared/stressed/other reason...)

    Greetings from Latvia,

    Madara

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Madara

    1. Oh no! Well, there’s always the possibility of an accidental sting, but I’d say it’s fairly unlikely, unless the bee really feels mishandled somehow. I think they have much more on their mind when they’re rescued… just getting out of the water in time! I’ve picked them up before with my hands without a problem (from pools). Another idea would be to bring something with you (something like a tea strainer would do the trick nicely, for fishing them out and getting them dry quickly!) I’ve also used large leaves in the past, but I think that would be harder in the sea with waves (and likely no large leaves handy).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  711. I've followed your advice the last two nights and been so upset to both bees dying the next day. What did I do wrong? It worked for a couple of bees the first time I tried helping previously. They appeared alert enough but couldn't fly, I thought perhaps they went in sugar water and got wings sticky? Is that possible? Got so upset I don't want to try again.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sandra

    1. Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry to hear that :( In most cases, this advice definitely improves bees’ chances of survival! Yes, it’s possible to get bees sticky accidentally if you give them too large a drop of sugar water to feed from, but in most cases they’re easily able to clean themselves off just fine.

      There are many things that could be going on here. Can you tell me what type of bees these were in each case (even just roughly, such as honey bee, bumble bee, orchard bee…)? Do you still have them, and if so, can you tell me how the edges of their wings look (rough, tattered edges are a sign of advanced age in bees)?

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  712. When it's raining why doesn't a ground nesting bee driwn

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Rosemary robinson

    1. Their tunnels go straight down, but they have chambers off to the sides where they lay eggs, and so adult bees and larval/pupal bees can live in these air pockets underground for some time in the rain. Additionally, some ground nesting bees go to extra lengths in areas prone to flooding: “cellophane bees” coat each nesting chamber with a water resistant membrane.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  713. Hi I found a bumblebee outside my back door this afternoon on the floor looking extremely sluggish not moving its wings have given it sugar water and it seems to alternate between looking better and happier and looking really poorly have popped him on a box with some grass but is showing no intentions of leaving infact he seems more interested in sitting on my hand any ideas ?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kirsty Wotton

    1. Try warming your bee up… I think that’s why your bee is interested in sitting on your hand! Sugar water + warming your bee up should do the trick. You can also blow warm air gently on your bee, or place him or her in direct sunlight to help speed recovery.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  714. Hi I found a bee upside down when watering my garden. He seems sticky. He has a hard time staying upright. I put him on some bee balm thinking he needed food. But he fell off. I brought him in for the night. He looks like he has something stuck to his face. He is furiously trying to fly. I put a small capful of sugar water inside but it seems he is drinking from the echinachea I put in the container. He is rubbing his legs constantly. One of his wings looks clipped. What else can I do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Tammy

    1. I’m not sure what to say :( Do you think your bee would hold still enough that you might drip room temperature water onto whatever appears stuck to it? Do you see anything besides a clipped wing that appears to be preventing your bee from flying? How clipped, in terms of percentage compared to the other wing?

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  715. Hi, I found a bee today that seemed to have something stuck in its tongue. I tried to help GENTLY hold a tiny stick to the object and let the bee pull itself. We tried and tried, but no luck. The bee tired and it started pouring rain. I scooped it up and took it in my car where's there's warmth. I tried using tweezers to gently try and get it off. I can tell you. This bee knew I was trying to help. I couldn't figure out what was on it's tongue. I think it looked like a tiny brown bug. The bee wouldn't keep it out long enough for me to examine. It started to try and leave before I could get the object off its tongue. Because the bee starting to fly away. I had to let it go . If I find the same bee again later. Which I may after the rain stops, because it flew to an aspen tree above my car and went under the leaves. How can I help and what could it be on it's tongue?

    Thank you

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Maryann Farrell

    1. It sounds as though perhaps the tiny brown bug was a mite? Tiny mites sometimes hitch rides on bumble bees back to their nests. The mites don’t typically cause harm to the bees, instead nibbling detritus around the nest once they get there. Problems typically arise only when large numbers of mites try to climb onto a single bee, affecting the bee’s flight. It doesn’t sound nice for a bee to have a mite on his or her tongue though! I would hope the mite simply climbed off your bee at some point.

      Note that these mites (tiny ones that hitch rides on bumble bees) are totally different than the far larger mites that cause serious problems for honey bees. From your description, it sounds like a tiny little mite though, which should be harmless.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  716. I'm usually fishing out a bee every day from my horses water tub. From what I've researched it's usually a retail bumblebee. I just place it on the ground at the other side of the fence so it doesn't get stood on.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kittie

    1. That's so nice to hear you're helping the bees out of the water and on their way! You might try placing a shallow dish of water with pebbles in it near your horses water tub, to give the bees a safer access point for water (which bees need in summer)!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  717. Hi. I found a bee about an hour ago. I thought he was dead but then he twitched. I’ve put him in a dish with sugar water near him. He’s not going to the sugar water to drink it and even when I move him to it I don’t know for sure if he’s drinking it. The long thing he has is out constantly.

    I thought he died a few mins ago but again he twitched. So I moved him closer to the sugar water and then his leg moved a little and his wing twitched.

    What else shall I do to help him? Or is it a lost cause? I feel terrible for him and think I found him too late but I couldn’t leave him on the riad

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Ally

    1. The long thing your bee has out is his or her tongue. If you can maneuver the tip of that into the dish of sugar water, without getting the bee covered in the solution, it might help. Then again, I’m afraid it might be too late too, but give your bee time, they can make a miraculous recovery sometimes. Just keep your bee warm and safe from predators, and hopefully time and sugar-water may do the trick. I wish I could suggest more!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  718. Hi we have lots of bees visit our garden as it's heavily planted with flowers and flowering shrubs. They particularly appear to love the sea hollies and lavender. We're also fortunate to have a leaf cutter bee.

    I have read your comments with great interest and have found it to be very informative. I have mixed some sugar water ready for if required and have it in a small lidded pot. How long would you advise keeping this solution before discarding and making up some more.

    Also if a bee appears to have gone to sleep on a flower during the evening on a very warm dry summer spell, would he revive next day when the sun comes out without any extra help?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to CHRISTINE

    1. That’s a wonderful idea, keeping some sugar-water mix on hand. I know folks who bring a small vial with them on walks too, especially in early spring, just in case they stumble upon a bee in need!

      I’ve just done a bit of research, and it appears as though simple syrup (a 1:1 mix of sugar to water) will stay good for about a month, but is best stored in the refrigerator in order to extend its shelf life. I’d keep an eye on the pot from time to time, just to see if it appears to have changed at all, at which point it should be replaced. I’m not sure how happy a bee would be to have cold sugar-water either, but a very quick warm in the microwave (not much at all, just to take the cool aspect away) would probably be a quick way to solve that particular issue.

      If a bee appears to have gone to sleep on a flower in summertime, they’ll be able to “revive” on their own the next morning just fine :) Bees (especially male bees) frequently sleep out on flowers, and it’s a perfect place to wake up for a bee… a morning sip of energy being so close by!

      I’m glad you’ve found all the comments helpful :) I’ve folded quite a bit of information from the comments into the main article, because I’ve learned a lot from talking to folks too!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thank you so much for your helpful reply. The site is marvellous in helping people to protect our wonderful bees

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to CHRISTINE Burchell

  719. Hi I think I have a tree bee outside my back door. He wasn't moving much so offered sugar water but he was extremely clumsy and still managed to roll in it but seemed to perk up he was still there when I got up this morning and walking and not as clumsy but still not flying how can I help him? Or am I delaying the inevitable? Thanks

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Gemma

    1. Unfortunately he didn't make it ☹

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Gemma

      1. I'm so sorry to hear that :( I would have recommended trying to warm your bee up, ideally placing your bee in the sun, or even breathing on your bee to see if that changed anything. But perhaps it was the end of this bee’s life, naturally.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  720. Hello

    I have a big paddling pool in my garden and in recent days I have been finding some bees in our pool floating on the top and sometimes still moving and struggling, what do I do in this situation, I have been moving the bees out with a little scoop onto the ground but I’m not sure if I am doing the right thing.

    Thank you

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Victoria

    1. Bees are attracted to your pool in summer because they’re thirsty. Also, honey bees need water to cool their hives (they’ll fan it with their wings to make an evaporative air conditioner)!

      Scooping bees out and emptying them onto the ground is certainly better than leaving them to struggle in the pool. If it’s warm and sunny out, and they haven’t been in there long, they’ll usually recover quickly. Sometimes they may need a mix of sugar-water to get them going again, since they can expend a great deal of energy struggling to get out from the pool.

      A few ideas on what to do to make it less likely they fall in to begin with. Covering your paddling pool when it’s not in use would be great. If that’s not feasible, then perhaps keeping some broad large leaves floating in it when it’s not in use, since a drowning bee may well gain a foothold and manage to escape the water. Try attracting them nearby to something safer too… in summer, I always place a large shallow dish filled with water and pebbles for our bees here. The pebbles give them the perfect footholds to drink as much as they need in safety!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  721. Hi, I'm looking for some help. I recently seen a bumble bee fighting off a spiders web in my garden. The next day I seen the poor little fella sitting near the web in my garden and realised that he must have been hurt or couldn't fly because of the web. So I rescued him into my house and popped him onto a flower that I have. He's now been in my house for two days and he's still alive. But it doesn't look like he can fly I've also offered him sugar and water but it doesn't seem like he can drink either because he doesn't seem to have a tongue. I can't see it. Do you have any recommendations? Thank you

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kelsie Garcia

    1. Their tongues aren’t visible until they extend them… then they’re very noticeable, and surprisingly long! The one tip I might suggest is that I’ve heard a few experienced bee folks say that sometimes, delicately stroking the bumble bee’s thorax (the fuzzy bit on top behind the head and in between where the wings attach) may encourage them to drink. That’s all I can suggest, other than keeping a few drops of sugar-water nearby in case your bee decides to have some after all. Is there any residual webbing left on the wings? Have you tried warming your bee up in the sun to see if that reenergizes your bee a bit?

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Ah ok, so it doesn't necessarily mean that the tongue is missing or damaged. I shall try doing this massage. I thought by taking him inside that he could warm up a little and I had read that they clean themselves of the web. But this doesn't seem to be the case. Unfortunately I stay in scotland so its not often sunny here. Would there be another way I could warm him up? Thank you for your speedy reply.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Kelsie Garcia

        1. Usually they are able to clean themselves off. That said, I’ve helped pull off the largest bits of web before on a paper-wasp rescued from a web, and let her do the cleaning after that. A few days later, and without food, I doubt your bee would have the energy to do so though. Can you see pieces left of web? I would think that if your bee had been bitten by a spider, you’d already know about it. It’d be nice to get some sugar-water into your bee. For warmth if there’s no sun, I’d suggest a nice warm room, and possibly even breathing over your bee… some people even let them crawl on their arm to absorb body warmth, though I would simply offer up such a spot nearby rather than move your bee, and then relax if your bee decides to wander across you, since they’ll stay awhile on arms or hands as they warm up :)

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

          1. Thank you for all your help.

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to Kelsie Garcia

  722. Hi, this morning on a walk I noticed a bee in the floor surrounded by ants. It's a very hot day and it had clearly collapsed from exhaustion or similar. When I see the bee still moving I picked it up on a leaf and took it home. I tried to feed it sugar water but it's tongue is already out but not taking anything in. Her legs are moving very slowly and the two front ones look likes she's covering her eyes. From reading this blog it appears she's a queen bumble. Im very keen to get her to eat and back out but she seems to get weaker and won't tske in the sugar water. How can I do this when her tongue seems to be broken? I've seen them feed before so I know what to look for. Any advice would be appreciated. This is the 4th bee this summer so far I've picked up

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Becca

    1. Well, there’s one thing I have heard from some very good bee friends, but I’ve never advised it here before in case people get it wrong. And I really don’t know if it’ll help your poor, weakened bee. You might just try delicately stroking her thorax (middle section between her head and the rest of her body) to see if that prompts her to drink. You mentioned her tongue being “broken”, in so far as it is already sticking out? It’s possible the ants did some damage, as they do often dismember victims before they’re dead :( I wouldn’t necessarily give her up, but I’d keep her somewhere warm (not cold, not hot) indoors safe from predators right now, with the drop of sugar water right below her tongue, and just give her some time to see if she’ll pull through now she’s safe.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Im in the same sitation! Lotsa ants at the poor bumblebee! I rescued it, and its still alive, but it rolled over onto its back on the sugar water 0-0 i feel like the ants damaged him but it did stick its tongue out and seemed to eat something outaa its butt 0-0 i feel awful that i cant help more! Should i rinse him? Should i put him out of his misery? :/ hes still moving but i feel like he mightnt come round :/

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Maureen Walshe

        1. Your bee may well be fine, so don’t give up hope yet! Drop some room temperature water from a dropper or your finger over your bee to rinse it off a bit. Move your bee somewhere safe and warm (an open box perhaps in a sunny spot). Place a very small drop of sugar water right beneath your bee’s head. And give your bee some time to recover! Once your bee drinks up some sugar water, he or she will have the energy needed to clean off any remaining sugar water on their little body. You’d be amazed at what they can recover from, and even if they look bad to us, they can spring back to life with a little energy and warmth!

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  723. Hi, I have bees which have taken up residence in a wall cavity, just outside my door. Bumbles. They’re perfectly fine. The guard bee does his job as expected. Likes to chase me. I’ve been decorating my kitchen this evening and had the light on. I heard a buzzing sound as I switched off the light and then a plop. It fell into the paint. It was quite shallow so I scooped him out and he was covered in paint. Panicking I quickly washed him under the tap. Like warm water. But I mean washed him! I then set him on a Tea towel and he snuggled up under it while I used a q-tip to dab off excess water. I then popped him on a plate with cotton wool. Fed him some sugar water which he had a small amount of. I tidied up and went back to him and he tried to buzz and his mane had sort of started to dry. For his ordeal he seemed to have a fair amount of energy. As I know where his home is, I took him out to it and he crawled into the cavity. I checked him just before I came up to bed and he’s still on the walk before the actual entrance to where they go into the area they’ve made home. So he’s in the wall, but not further along where the insulation is, where they’re actually living (sat in his doorway if you like) will he be ok? I’m really worried but I panicked and I don’t want die. Should I have kept him in. It’s still 17 degrees outside so it’s by no means cold. I just want him to know that although I put him through an ordeal it wasn’t only to save him. I’m quite attached to them and go out and leave sooons of sugar water on the grass by their home. Even though they fly after me a lot could I have done anything better? His poor little head and body was covered in paint but I managed to get it all off.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lisa

    1. Oh my goodness, what a chain of events! Poor little bee! I’d have done exactly what you did… from washing the bee quickly to putting your bee on the doorstep of their home. I would certainly think your bee will enter soon, and no, it’s not cold enough for it to be a problem staying out either. Perhaps your bee, energetic earlier, needed a bit of time to recover from the whole thing?

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thank you! I’m going to go check on him now. I feel better that you’d have done the same. I’m just thinking should I have kept him in. I’ll update you if I see him! Thanks again, I feel more relieved now. Just hope he doesn’t hate me! I’m not sure they’ve been that keen on me, but I figured the relationship would progress over time as I’m not killing them!

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Lisa

        1. I’ve checked, he’s not in the doorway of his house anymore so I’m assuming he got in as no little bodies anywhere. I know I sound daft, but I googled everywhere and apparently they can remember faces. So I’m hoping he knows I tried my best considering he’s a completely different species to me. I’m a bit protective of nature in general, more so bees at the moment. Hubby thinks I’m daft!

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Lisa

          1. They’re amazing :) Not only are they able to learn to recognize our faces, but studies show that bumble bees even pass knowledge on between generations, building up learning over time, and I think that’s just staggering in its way! I’m so happy to hear you’re looking out for the bees there too :) They need all the help they can get! Not only do we need them for our world, but they certainly deserve to enjoy it regardless of us… they’re so intelligent (not to mention completely adorable)!!

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  724. I found a bumblebee that was on the ground, desperately trying to get something off it's back and one of it's wings. At a closer look, it had something sticky, what resembles partially dried syrup, on it with small rocks stuck in it. I used a pair of fine nosed tweezers to pull the rocks off, and some of the stickiness. It's wings aren't stuck together, but is there a way to get the residue off it's back?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Rebecca Hall

    1. I would try very carefully dripping water—ever so slightly warm to lukewarm—off your finger, or with a dropper, on top of the bee, in an attempt to dissolve whatever residue remains. I don’t think I’d use anything stronger on the bee (nor do anything more, other than—just perhaps—using a new (never used with paints) small paintbrush if I had one, to help remove any residue along with the water… or maybe a Q-tip if the water isn’t doing enough and it looks important to remove what you see). And don’t worry, it won’t hurt the bee to get a little wet, so long as you can put it in the sun or somewhere warm afterwards to dry off :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. I was thinking about that, but I wanted to see what you might be able to suggest first. Thank you! And I will let you know if it helps

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Rebecca Hall

        1. I would add too… avoid her wings, or at least be incredibly cautious with them… the water will be fine on her wings too, but I’m not so sure I’d contemplate touching them with a paintbrush or q-tip.

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  725. I have a bumble bee thats been hnaging out on my steps for the past 24 hours. There are two other bumble bees that have made a home under my patio. Its been rather cool lately, shpuld i take it in to warm it up? The bee seems to be sluggish

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Amberlyn

    1. Have you tried offering a small drop of sugar-water mix? You could try warming your bee up—by bringing it indoors, or even by breathing on it—but it should be unnecessary unless the sun doesn’t come out at all today.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  726. Hello, I've got a little bumblebee in the lounge, I've put a little water down in case the little fellow was just hot, the weather is just so warm at the moment. The problem is he keeps flying into the window and all his energy seems to be going into this task, I want to help but bees have always seemed awfully fragile. Is there any way to move my bumblebee without hurting them?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Robert

    1. I use a dedicated “bug catcher” myself, but the easy way to move your bee is to take preferably a see-through container such as a glass or clear plastic cup, position it over your bee when he’s on the window, and then slide ideally a piece of card (but even a few pieces of paper together will do the trick) beneath the container, preferably when he buzzes to the other end or sides of your container, so that little feet don’t run the risk of getting caught as you slide whatever it is under the container. Then you can transport your bee easily and safely outdoors :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  727. Hi, I found a bee in my pool last night (in the UK) after I had just added chemicals into it (chlorine). Im not sure how long it had been there, but I scooped it out and put it on a tissue to help dry it and gave it some sugar water as it was barely moving. I also cut some fresh lavender for it to go on and I spent over an hour with it last night, then this morning it was still there. It is moving better than it was and have given it more sugar water and cut more fresh lavender, but I don't really know what else to do. I have sat in the sun with it for a while to warm up and it has been cleaning itself (it did fall backward onto the spoon of sugar water). I think it is a bumble bee, although it is not very big. It has a black face and black central body part with what I would describe as a golden lion mane, then the bottom section is a fluffy and starts with a black stripe, then golden, then black/brown, then white) - it has been crawling on my hand and over the tissue and lavender and is just cleaning itself for ages. It has also lost one of its middle legs and seem rather clumsy. it has buzzed several time, but its wings look covered in the dried sugar water. Is there much more I can do to help it, or it just a case of waiting? I have put it in an open lidded box so that I can keep an eye on it/keep it with me, which has some sugar water a tissue and lavender in it.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sarah

    1. It sounds as though you have a bumble bee worker there. Usually bees clean themselves off before the sugar-water dries. Can your bee separate her wings when she buzzes? I think I need to revise my article above to make a point about avoiding this situation to begin with, but here’s what I’d do, though I’d proceed with caution (and I’ve never done it before). I’d use a dropper or even just drip a little cool, clear water from your finger over your bees wings, to help dissolve the sugar-water mix coating them. After all, bees get rained on, though it can be a dangerous time for them if they get caught out in heavy rain. A little at a time is key here, dropped just over the wings, just a couple drops at first to see if that begins to dissolve the sugar just a bit, which should make it easier for the bee to clean herself off. Put her somewhere warm after… if it’s already late there and the sun has gone down, and she’s still with you, I’d be inclined to cover your box with a ventilated cover to keep her safe from predators at night, leaving the box out if it’s decent weather or bringing it in to a not-overly-warm room overnight, and then place her in the sun in the morning. Keep monitoring her wings, and if it still looks as though there’s a sugary residue, and if she’s not cleaning it off herself, then drip just a couple more small drops on her to see where you get. The aim would be to rinse her off very gently, ensuring she’s not getting soaked, but still helping her along :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  728. Hi there I put a small amount of water and sugar mix into a shallow spoon and the bee accidently fell into it upside down I'm now worried he's going to have problems getting it off his wings to fly is there anything else I can do? .. thank you for this page it's very helpful x

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Emma Green

    1. She should be able to get the sugar-water mix off herself once she’s feeling more energized from her drink... they clean themselves well once they have a bit of energy :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  729. Is it safe to let a bumble bee crawl onto my hand? I'm not allergic to bees, but I would prefer not to get stung.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Hannah

    1. It’s almost certainly safe! Bumbles aren’t like honey bees—they don’t lose their lives when they sting—but they’ll only sting if they feel threatened, and you really do (I hear) have to be quite aggressive before they feel the need. Typically they’ll stick a middle leg up first (I’ve got that while photographing them)… if you persist, they’ll stick both middle legs up, and that’s simply “bumble” for “please back off, I want my space” ;) They love the warmth of crawling on us, and I’ve never had problems with bees crawling on my skin before, though I encourage people only to do what they’re comfortable with!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  730. Hi! I found a small worker bee crawling very slowly around my apartments public pool. She is hardly moving, no matter what I offer her, and it is already about 70 degrees outside, (closer to 60 in my house, so she’s outside with me). It is 9 at night though, so I don’t have any sun for her. She has sort of sprawled herself out on the cement, and I’m worried about her. Her antenna are drooping and she has yet to even try to clean herself. I know she isn’t dead though, she’s moved around, not matter how sluggishly it may be. Is there anything else I could do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Savannah Faulkner

    1. I wish I could suggest something more… this seems to be a common issue at this time of year with pools, and poor worn out bees. Honey bees are drawn to water in summer because they need the water to cool their hives through evaporation (they fan it with their wings). Her chances of survival depend on how long she was in there for. Don’t give up on her though, sometimes they make such a seemingly miraculous recovery, just with time! It sounds warm enough where you are for her to recover. Have you tried offering her some room-temperature sugar-water mix? Just a single small drop placed below her head should be sufficient, and she’ll recover some much-needed energy if you can get her to drink it up.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. I followed your advice and I just watched her fly away! It took almost 24 hours, but she was a happy healthy bee as she departed. I’ve never been so proud or emotional in my life haha thank you!

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Savannah Faulkner

        1. Fantastic news! One more bee buzzing on her way happily again, thanks to you :)

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  731. I've spent 2 days trying to revive a honey bee found in my pool. It doesn't seem to drink the sugar water and I think it may have even fallen into it at one stage. I've put water with a stone,

    blueberries and flowers into a box and moved it into the sun during the day. It fluctuated between barely moving and then trying to climb up the flowers, cleaning itself etc. I put it ip higher in a bush hoping it could fly off but it fell off. I then left it in the sun (it's winter here, so not very strong), in a container and thought it had flown away but found it a few feet away sitting on the ground. It was at one stage trying to flap its wings but couldn't fly so I thought it might be the sugar water it rolled in, so I dripped water on it. I have it in a box for the second night. I'm wondering if I'm prolonging its suffering and should I put him out of his /her misery? It seems like such a fighter, I didn't want to give up.....

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lynne Kyle

    1. I’m afraid it doesn’t sound too promising, though I’m utterly unable to end their little lives myself, just in case they recover, even if they look close to the end. Especially because insects that look almost dead to us do sometimes recover (that happened to me just yesterday rescuing a butterfly… I had no idea butterflies could “play dead” and had given it up until I realized it was changing positions whenever I wasn’t around… it had been caught in an old, dusty spiderweb, and ended up surviving)!

      Take a look at your honey bee’s wingtips… are they frayed and tattered, or still ending in a smooth edge? That will give you an idea of the honey bee’s age. If your bee doesn’t respond to warmth and sugar-water, there’s unfortunately nothing else I can suggest. There could be other things going on (if not age), including internal issues that would be difficult to diagnose (they suffer from internal parasites and bee diseases too, and even acute pesticide poisoning is another culprit, depending, if she’s happened upon something sprayed in the neighborhood).

      My inclination would be to make your bee comfortable, try and get some sugar-water into her by placing the smallest of drops right below her head. And keeping her warm and safe from predators. If that doesn’t help her, then at least she won’t have been torn to bits by a predator, or taken apart while still alive by ants, which is a fate that often befalls weakened insects.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. I'm not sure if you received my email but I think my bee did indeed survive after 2 nights - although I didn't personally see it fly away so I can't be 100% certain.... tonight I just found another one in the pool filter and thought it was dead for sure but it stirred after I blew on it and gave it some sugar water. As the sun has already set, I've decided to keep it indoors for the night. I hope I'm doing the right thing. It's 17 degrees Celcius (our winters are mild). It's climbing up the sides of the shoebox inside so I'm wondering if I should put it outside with the lid off - or wait until the morning? Also, my apartment is close to the pool in the complex so when I find them in the pool, should I take them back out there or is it ok to let go in my backyard. I feel it's safer there in case not strong enough to fly over the pool. I love your website - so helpful!

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Lynne Kyle

        1. I did receive your email, and was happy to hear that your first bee in all likelihood survived :)

          Yes, that is a mild nighttime temperature, and it shouldn’t be any issue leaving bees outdoors once they show signs of life and you’ve given them some sugar-water. I wouldn’t leave sugar-water mix in an open box if you leave your bee outdoors, in case it attracts ants, which sometimes attack weakened bees. It’s not going to hurt to keep your bee in at night, so long as you keep her in a ventilated box at a similar temperature to the outdoors. I think if they’re really buzzing, let them out, but if they’re just walking and exploring their box, they’ll be fine indoors for one (or even two, as you found) overnights.

          So long as your apartment is close enough to the pool, your bees should be fine reorienting themselves if you let them out at a slightly different location. It’s important to try to let them out near where you found them, but they’ll quickly gain an aerial view. Honey bees especially will be able to manage, as they may travel up to 10 miles from their hives to forage.

          I should also note that for honey bees and bumble bees (both social bees that live together in colonies), it is possible to be admitted to a honey bee hive or a bumble bee nest that is not their own, so long as the bee comes bringing pollen and nectar :)

          Did I mention that you might try putting a shallow dish with water and pebbles in it out for the bees? They may still be attracted to the pool as well, but it’d be much safer for them to drink from, and they do like to have water available.

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  732. Hi the bee we have found is a worker bee and it was laying on its back, we tried to let it latch onto a stick and flip it over onto its legs. It got onto its legs then flopped back over. We tried to see if it needed to be dried off so we set it into the sun. We left it for about 20-30 minutes. No change so we google what to do when a bee wont get off of its back. We got the recipe of the water and sugar. We put the bee in a bowl ( with a see through lid, with many holes ) and put a little spoonful of the mixture into the corner of the bowl (that way the bee doesn't drown in it, and can go drink/eat it when wanted). So we were wondering if there was anything else we could do, or leave it alone, or just give it time.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Elena

    1. That doesn’t sound so good, to be honest, but I would try to place the bee on its legs with its head/ mouthparts as close as possible to the small spoonful of sugar-water mix. Ideally she’d stick out her little tongue to drink from it. But if warming her up in the sun—and attempting to get energy into her by way of sugar-water—doesn’t work, then there’s unfortunately little else you can do. She may simply be at the end of her natural life, sadly.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Ok thank you, I mean she is still wiggling her legs around and I tried to move her closer to the mixture and she ended up getting her wings soaked so I set her in the sun again. The rain clouds are rolling in, so i moved her under a bright light. I really hope that it isn't the end of her life:(

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Elena

        1. You can tell her age by her wing tips to some extent… if they look tattered and frayed at the edges, that’s an indication she’s an older forager, and in summer honey bee workers only live a few weeks. I’m sorry she fell in the mixture, it can be difficult though if they’re weak for them to figure out where to go to drink, which is why I suggested trying to get her closer to it. Placing a single drop right beneath her head might still be a good idea. Warmth and sugar-water will help any bee that’s struggling, unless there’s something else going on with them (such as nearing the end of their lifespan, acute exposure to pesticides, internal parasites or other illness). Thank you for trying to help your bee, it’s important to do what we can for each of them individually, as well as for all of them more generally.

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  733. I just gave a tired bee maple syrup, is that ok as I had no sugar?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kerry Maczohan

    1. It's ok! The reason to avoid brown sugar, molasses, and the like is that it can give bees diarrhea. Maple sap though, like some other tree saps, is something that some bees will nibble on when other nectar resources are scarce. I would say stick with white sugar for bee rescues whenever possible, but don't worry if you fed a bee a small amount of maple syrup once.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  734. Hello! I rescued a bee from a pool and brought it home, it seems rejuvenated now, but it didn't drink much sugar water. I'm also curious because he or she send to be cleaning themselves, running their arms over their face and antennas a lot. Is there anything I can help with? Also it's so cute!!! It's just resting on my hand

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Ralph Black (female with a weird name)

    1. Well, he or she is much better, but now he or she's flying around. Is there any way I can lure then back so I can take him it her outside? Thank you!!! Your site is great, by the way.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Ralph Black (female with a weird name)

      1. Ah, haha yes that is a bit of an issue ;) Hmm… honestly, I don’t know of anything that would “lure” her particularly, not really light even, though that was my first inclination, since she’ll want to go outdoors, and they often fly to windows. I have a bug catcher here that I use to bus all the errant insects back outdoors where they want to be. A glass and a piece of card works equally well. I’d probably use that approach… wait until she alights on something, however briefly, and kind of pounce with the glass and slide the card beneath it in order to release your now recovered and buzzy little friend safely outdoors!!

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

        1. Well unfortunately I lost track of him or her and now I can't find them! Oh dear. Just wait until morning and then open the curtains? Thank you so much! Who didn't think bees are cute? Even the emoji is cute.

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Ralph Black (female with a weird name)

          1. Ah yes I was a little worried that might happen too… they’re quite easy to lose track of :) It won’t hurt for her to spend the night indoors. I’d listen very carefully for buzzing in the morning… that’s often how I find them when I’m out taking their little photos. I do think she’ll end up at the windows in the morning too, since it’ll look like the outdoors to her, so yes, just wait until morning and open the curtains, and listen for that adorable little buzzing sound in order to escort her back out ;)

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

            1. Sad news! I woke up this morning and didn't hear any cute little buzzing! It stopped soon after it took off, and I couldn't find it. :-( I'm not sure what happened as I had to leave the hotel room, but I hope lil Benjal is okay. (I named it hehe.) Thank you so much for your help!! You're a great resource.

              Reply

              Leave a Reply to Ralph Black (female with a weird name)

    2. That’s wonderful! It’s up to them how much they drink, and an individual bee doesn’t need too much, being quite small already. I’m sure your bee will really enjoy the warmth of your hand, that’s another way of helping too :) I can think of nothing else you could help with, and she’ll very likely be buzzing off on her way soon. It’s not at all surprising that she (she in all likelihood) would want to clean herself up quite a bit too, they’re quite fastidious little creatures. And so so cute, I totally agree, they’re adorable!!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  735. Hi, I have just found a huge bumble bee larvae that is still alive as it’s moving ??? I placed it in a open dish with flowers and leaves outside and when I went to check on it, it was sucking on the flowers (eating the pollen) it’s now the evening and I have decided to place the larvae in my conservatory over night but now I’m thinking what else can I do for this little fella??? I know it’s survival chance is very slim but you never know lol worth a try ... any advice

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sheryl

    1. That’s very unusual to find bee larvae. Bee larvae look rather like white-ish “grubs”, but they’re usually safe in some nesting tunnel, colony, or hive, depending on the bee. Yes, they do eat pollen mixed with nectar, so providing a source of that is the only thing I can think to do as well… along with protecting it from any predators (so your conservatory is a good idea). A larvae still needs to go through pupation before becoming an adult bee. I’m not sure there is much chance of success without adult bees there (especially bumble bees, which are social), but solitary bees manage the whole thing on their own with simply a provision of pollen and nectar, so possibly there’s a chance of survival. I assume a bumble bee colony was raided, and that’s why you found a bumble bee larvae. Badgers particularly love to raid bumble bee nests, often with calamitous results for the colony :(

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  736. Hi I have a bee that seems dusty and keeps trying to clean itself. I have already fed which it took

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Anthony

    1. I wouldn’t worry too much about the dust, I’d let the bee clean itself, because bees are so small and delicate, so better at cleaning themselves than we would be. That’s good that your bee took some sugar-water mix, that’ll give your bee an energy boost :) Let me know if you notice anything problematic about the dust, but so long as the bee’s ability to fly is not impacted, your bee should be just fine.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. So the bee basically dropped of my window ledge onto the neighbours ledge below. When I find it, it's being weaved into a spider's web. So I run back to mine get a cup of water and threw it as it was out of reach. The spider backs off so I then run back for the broom to nudge it off. The bee is now drenched so I have placed it in a tray with tissue.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Anthony

        1. I think it’s late where you are, so since there’s no chance of your bee warming up and drying off in the sun, it’s likely a good idea to let her recover from her recent soaking with some more sugar-water mix. I do hope she was not bitten by the spider, since those bites are venomous. I’m glad you retrieved her from the web! I’d keep an eye on your bee this evening to ensure she’s recovering well. Depending on outdoor temperatures, I might bring her in for the night in a ventilated box, but if it’s normal summer temperatures then she’ll be fine recovering outdoors. The only danger is that a cold, wet bee will be easier prey, so she should be left in a safe, sheltered spot outdoors if you don’t bring her in. In the morning, make sure she’s warmed up with a bit more sugar-water too… placing her in the sun when it comes up should help too!

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

          1. I've put it in a shoe box and pierced it several times and left sugar water in a bottle lid. Will that do until the morning?

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to Anthony

            1. Just make sure that the sugar water isn’t too deep (kind of depends on the bottle lid depth)… just so there are no accidents in the night. I assume your bee is rather sluggish at the moment? Just put the box somewhere sheltered, if indoors then not in any overly warm spot, or otherwise outdoors (just to make sure that your bee doesn’t get confused about night/day, basically outdoor-type temperature, but sheltered from predators like spiders while she’s still recovering). Bees are not particularly early risers, but once the sun is up, open up the box and place it in full sun so that she can warm up and bee on her way!

              Reply

              Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

              1. Thanks for the help

                Reply

                Leave a Reply to Anthony

  737. Hi,

    I got a bee drop on my balcony floor for at least 2 days during cold winter about (5-12 C°) was rained at least couple of times.

    Do you think it could revive?

    Surprisingly on the third day it revived in the morning, flying next to my window so I can see. I did search the balcony floor could not find the bee.

    Do you think this is possible? Please reply with your knowledge. Thank you.

    Kind regards,

    Hong

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to steeldetailingsystem

    1. Yes, definitely a bee might appear to revive, after having looked almost dead for several days. When bees are cold, they cannot generate their own warmth (unless they’re bumble bees… but even those can’t do much if they’re really cold). So to us they look unmoving and therefore dead, but they’re simply very cold, resulting in a state of torpor where they use up very little energy. Once the weather warms up, they may well bee on their way again!

      It’s still a good idea to offer any future cold/sluggish bees you find a 50/50 sugar-water mix, so that they can be off on their way sooner (depending on the weather), and also to make sure they have sufficient energy reserves to wait out the weather and bee on their way once it gets warmer!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  738. There is a large bee that appears to be stuck ion my screen door. It's antenna or head somehow appears to be stuck in the tiny holes of the screen. I tried lifting it's body with a plastic spoon to give it a different angle for better leverage to dislodge itself but it didn't work, and I am afraid of hurting it. I don't know what to do! It's breaking my heart to watch it struggle. Any suggestions?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jamie Jones

    1. Oh no! Can you ever so carefully clip some of the wire screen around it, right up to the point where it would free the bee? I mean, I know you’ll be damaging your screen door, but they can be repaired afterwards.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  739. Hi there, early this morning I found a rather large bee which I'm assuming is a bumble bee at my work, I've gave it some sugar water and placed it in the sun. It still hasn't moved, although it does appear to be cleaning its self alot more frequently than it was earlier, problem being I work on a building site and I'm a little worried it may have came into contact with some rather nasty dust from the site. Is there anything else I can do to help?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Gary

    1. Sorry for my late reply, I only just woke up as I’m on the West Coast, U.S. So my reply may well come long after your concerns have passed… at least I hope so! My suggestions would have been to do exactly as you did though, and there’s little else one can do besides giving them a quick boost of sugar-water and placing them in the sun to recover. Any dust she might have come into contact with will be better removed by the bee than by a human, because it’s just so hard (and possibly traumatic for them) to try to clean a bee as carefully as a bee is able to clean herself. Frequent cleaning is a good sign though, and I hope she buzzed off soon after you sent this message!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  740. I found a big bumble bee today in a bucket of water at 5pm . Put it on some kitchen roll and it did dry off . Have it some sugary water which it did take and I put it on a leaf on my plant pot . It’s legs are splayed out , just 2 off them are , which looks strange ! I ve just checked on it again and it still seems sluggish but is still moving this is now 11pm I’ve popped a plant pot kinda at the side off it to keep the draught off it but I haven’t brought it in , it’s pretty mild outside but it’s too hot inside . I hope it survives

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Debbie Simpson

    1. I would imagine your bee will be just fine outdoors. I think the only danger that comes of leaving them outdoors is that occasionally ants may attack bees that are weakened but still alive. But your bee should be just fine on a leaf with draft protection from the plant pot you placed near her. You may well still see her tomorrow morning, that is, unless the sun has been up for awhile before you check on her. The warmth of the sun should revive her without any further intervention, but if she still looks sluggish in the morning even after it warms up, you might offer another few sips of sugar-water to speed her recovery.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Oh my wee bee is still alive and is basking in the sun . I’ve given it some more sugary water and it buzzed a few times . I think I’ve saved it , I’m so happy I could cry xx

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Debbie

        1. That’s wonderful news!! I’m so happy your bee is recovering and feeling her buzzy self again :)

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  741. I found a sweet little bee trying to get into her hive and fell down and was being attacked by ants. She is still breathing but she doesn't seem to want the sugar water I made her. Can the ant bites kill her? I have her indoors in a little container to keep her safe.she isn't moving much, do you think she is done for?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Tia

    1. I found what I think is a honey bee worker at the bottom of a bin lying on its back wriggling its legs!! I got it out and gave it some sugar water but it doesn't seem to even be able to move, it has only been wriggling its 2 front legs and its antennas. It also has kept its tounge out since I gave it the sugar water? I have tried with the sugar water a few more times but I can’t tell if its actually drinking it. Is it too late for this little bee? I feel so bad about how I found it and maybe there is nothing I can do to help, I have it indoors with me and have done for 1 day now.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Rachel

      1. Hmm, the fact that you’ve had your bee for a day now and she’s still not showing improvement is worrying. And to be honest with you, I’ve often seen honey bees pass away with their tongues sticking out :’( Have you tried putting your bee out in the sun, or warming her up in some other way? Is she on her legs normally, and just resting most of the time, or is she struggling to stand up properly?

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

    2. The ant bites certainly aren’t going to be good for her, but I think her chances probably depend on where they bit her, especially with respect to her wings (sometimes ants bite wings to disable their prey). It’s definitely good that you managed to separate her from the ants! Can you put the container with her inside it somewhere warm (either indoors if it’s nice and warm, or ideally a sunny, ant-free location outdoors) and observe her to see if the warmth perks her up and she begins to recover?

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Yes I am. I have had her inside for a little bit now and she did start cleaning herself but then stopped and has just been laying there. She is still breathing though. Sleeping and taking a break possibly?

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Tia

        1. Great, I would continue keeping her somewhere warm with a very small shallow dish or spoon of sugar water mix near her. Either put her box somewhere so she can bee on her way once she feels better, or simply keep an eye on her until she starts moving around more again and looks as though she’s feeling better. I think her injuries depend on how many ants successfully bit her, but it makes total sense that she’ll need some time just to rest and recover from her experience. Keeping her warm with an energy source like sugar-water nearby should aid in her recovery. Keep me updated if anything changes with her!

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  742. I saved a baby bumble tonight. I hope! I'm a carer and at a clients house I found this bee on the soap dish. I gave it some sugar water and it perked up nicely. But, I couldn't leave it in the house or take it with me... so I put him outside in a plant pot on a paper towel with the spoon of sugar water. It's a dry night atm but expected rain in the small hours. I really hope he survives.please tell me I did the right thing!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kerry Knowles

    1. Yes, you definitely did the right thing under the circumstances. In fact, better to leave your bee there than take it with you, because they really should be released back to the same area in which they were found. Leaving the bee somewhere reasonably safe like a plant pot, with extra sugar-water, should ensure your bee has the energy to bee on its way the following morning (and your bee may well have buzzed off home even in the late hours, depending on the bee)!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  743. Thanks for this lovely info

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Emma Foxon

    1. You're welcome! I'm happy it helps so many folks with their bees :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  744. I saved a honey bee worker today thanks to this information. Thank you so much it was such a nice thing to see a once sluggish bee later buzzing about and flying back out into the outdoors.

    She was on my window ledge and it was raining heavily so I gave her some sugar water and it worked wonders. She then waited till the rain had stopped to bee on her way!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Georgia Bedford

    1. That's great to hear! It's amazing how quickly bees buzz back to life with a little sugar-water pick-me-up :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  745. I tried feeding a tired bee brown sugar water last nite and it was still there this morning. So I found your website and fed him white sugar mix 50:50 this morning and he was off in a few minutes. Feeling really happy, I think it was a burrowing bee. You are truly saving bees! Thank you so much!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sarah

    1. That's wonderful! It's so rewarding to save a bee, and I love hearing from people all over the world who find bees in trouble and revive them with these simple methods :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  746. I've saved a bee who Is very 'wobbly' isn't buzzing or flying. I've tried the sugar water and he doesn't seem to be drinking any. Just slowly but frantically trying to climb the box. Worried about putting him outside but he won't stop moving. He seems far to wobbly and flippy to release. Not sure how else to help him

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Alex

    1. Was it sunny when you found the bee, or cold and overcast? Is it a large and very fluffy bee like a bumble bee?

      Typically when I see bumble bees “wobbling” it’s because they’re cold (though it can also point to internal issues such as parasites). So I might try warming your bee up, either by breathing on it or by putting it near (but not too near) some other source of warmth (such as an old-style lightbulb). If warming the bee up doesn’t seem to help at all (and since it’s getting later where you are), you might try keeping your bee overnight in a ventilated box, and see how the bee is behaving in the morning. Hopefully the day will be sunny, and you can place your bee in direct sun and observe its behavior (trying again with the sugar-water mix at that time).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  747. Me and my 5yo found a still bee last evening as we went out to water our flowers on the patio. Found this site and brought the bee in due to it only being 50degrees and going lower. Bee is moving around like crazy and is even trying to fly in the Big home that I made for her. But now today it’s gloomy and rainy. Temps are still 50 and going to be as low as 43 again with no increase of temp till tomorrow. It should be in the low 60s and sunny. Can I keep the bee again for the night? I’ve seen this bee before and I would hate to send it on it’s way for something worse to happen. But I also only have some water in a shallow dish inside. I could probably get some sugar water in with a syringe but this bee is moving and could escape into my home lol. Let me know what you think we could do!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jackie W

    1. Where are you located (is it the start of your day there)? And where is the bee’s box in your house, indoors where it’s warm or in some intermediate spot like a garage? Is she a big, fuzzy bee or a smaller, less fuzzy bee?

      Yes, you can keep your bee another night, so long as you can get some food into her box (the sugar water mix). If she’s in a warm spot in your home right now, try moving her box to a sheltered outdoor area such as a porch or garage and leave her there for a half hour or so. Once she’s slowed down by the cooler temperature, you should find it much easier to place sugar water in her box.

      You’re right that releasing her on a warmer, sunny day would be ideal. If she’s flying and butting against the box in an effort to get out though (even after having put her box in a cooler area for a half hour or more), then it’s possible that you should let her go regardless of the weather, especially if it’s just the start of your day there, only because we don’t want her to do any damage to her wings (nor to feel “trapped”, to the extent that bees appear to have emotional states—some studies show something akin to pessimism in bees depending on their circumstances).

      If she’s a big, fuzzy bee (a bumble bee), then she can generate her own heat too (by vibrating her wing muscles), and because of this, she can fly in lower temperatures… even in the rain. Still, she’ll be happier on a warm, sunny day, so long as you can give her some food and keep her at temperatures very similar to the outdoors (rather than warmer, as our homes tend to be).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. It’s 11:35 and it’s fuzzy. Not flying around to the point where it would be injuring it self I don’t think but I’m going to try and google bees and see if I can find out what kind of bee I have. I’m in Sheboygan wi

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Jackie W

        1. I also added a few photos to my post here, showing some bumble bees versus honey bees, since those two types of bees are the most common ones to find in trouble. People tend to find honey bees drowning in pools of water (easily helped by getting them out into the sun to warm up, and offering sugar-water as a boost). Bumble bees, on the other hand, are often found when the weather suddenly takes a turn for the worse, and they get stuck out, unable to go on with their day or get back to their nest.

          Thank you for prompting me to add these photos to this page! I'll expand the bee identification section with more photos and information when I have time, but these photos should help determine between two common types of bees at least. It's wonderful that you're helping your bee too, she'll certainly be better off if released during good weather, but I like to leave it up to the bee to some extent, since they know best as to whether or not they can handle flying in certain temperatures with some rain.

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

        2. It sounds like a bumble bee (carpenter bees tend to be large and stocky like a bumble bee, but not as fuzzy). So my inclination is to put her box in a sheltered, cooler area matching the temperature outdoors and keep an eye on her at various times today. If she continues to show signs of vigorous activity (with some flying and buzzing about), especially as the day goes on, that I'd consider letting her out.

          If she instead slows down with her box sitting in a cool place, then I'd slip some sugar-water mix into her dish, and wait until tomorrow's warmer, sunnier weather comes before opening up her box to release her. I'd keep her overnight in her box in a spot where it'll be a similar temperature to the outdoors (as well as dark at night), just so as not to throw her off in terms of her perception of day and night!

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

        3. Bee has a black abdomen if im wording that correctly. Fuzzy but not all yellow and black striping. Thinking it’s a bumble or carpenter

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Jackie W

  748. I love in Michigan and I think I found a Rusty Patch Bumblebee. It’s been flying around my home for the last day or so. Well I think my husband hit it when he opened the shed because it was laying by the door rolling and trying to walk. Hubby wanted to “put it out of its misery”, but I picked it up and made sugar water like I do when I find a bee. Did my research and it looks like a queen Rusty Patch. We just got some warm weather so I think it’s a queen trying to find a nest. Anyway, she drank up the sugar quickly. She moved quite a bit but didn’t seem to want to fly. So I moved her into a bug cage with some grass. After a few hours she buzzed her wings but wasn’t flying. I have her in my window sill in the box currently. I included the flat piece that you put on jars with more sugar water. I hope she’s fine in the morning. Rusty patches are endangered.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sarah Dirkse

    1. Oh my goodness, I do hope she’s ok! One queen bumble bee can produce hundreds of bumble bees, so we need every queen! Rusty-patched bumble bees are quite distinctive with their “rusty” patches. I’m glad she has some food for the night too, though as long as it’s cool where her box is, she’ll likely not need food again until morning. If you do keep her inside for the night, put her somewhere dark that’s a similar temperature to the outdoors, so that she isn’t confused. I’ve seen bumble bee queens recover from careening into windows, so we can hope for the best!

      For others reading this comment who are interested in identifying the endangered rusty-patched bumble bee, take a look at the Xerces Society's rusty-patched bumble bee information, or watch this video A Ghost in the Making: Searching for the Rusty-patched Bumble Bee.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Might have an issue. She slept last night and was moving around this morning, but seemed content to just walk around. I put the container outside and dropped kids off at school. When I got back she seemed lazy. I attempted to give her more sugar water, but she didn’t want it. I kept the container open. After a few hours she is still sitting there but moving her body. Had errands to do, so I left and came back. Well due to the sugar water, the container had ants. So I took her out and placed her on the grass. She booked it to hide. But still not flying. Should I keep her longer? Is something wrong? What can I do?

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Sarah

        1. Ah yes ants can be a problem sometimes :( Is it sunny out? Is she sitting in direct sun? That really should do the trick, the warm sun, and she should fly off naturally once she’s nice and warm. So no, it’s not sounding normal to me, unfortunately :`( She needs to be able to fly for sure to survive, since as a queen she has first to forage as well as establish a nest before there will be worker bees to do that work for her (once there are workers, she just lives in the nest).

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

          1. It’s very sunny and warm right now. Perfect weather. Should I just bring her back in side in the cage to avoid ants?

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to Sarah

            1. No I think you should leave her out in direct sun, honestly (without sugar water). Just to see if time out there in the sun helps. Maybe I’d be tempted to try offer sugar water again, just under her tongue, just in case. Is there a flower there that you could place her on in direct sun to see if that might help her (something bee-friendly)?

              Reply

              Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

              1. She just refused sugar water again. She is making me nervous. I checked her for mites. Zero. My 3 year keeps telling me to take her to a dr Haha. I have some red potted flowers my mother in law gave me but I don’t know if bee friendly. I have a crab apple tree that is in full bloom and all the bees are loving. But it’s a tree and I don’t want her to fall.

                Reply

                Leave a Reply to Sarah Dirkse

                1. Putting a cluster on the ground in full sun sounds like a good thought. Unfortunately, there's not much more to do for her, other than hope for the best, because repairing wings or other internal issues she may have is not possible.

                  Reply

                  Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

                2. She is going through spurts of energy and laziness. With energy it looks like she is cleaning herself and wiggling her butt. She climbs and walks fairly fast. Just refuses to fly. No low clusters. Maybe I can put some on the ground with her.

                  Reply

                  Leave a Reply to Sarah Dirkse

                3. Yes it’s hard to know what to do here. The reason I suggest keeping her outdoors though is that it’ll warm her much faster (being in direct sun), and also I hoped that all the familiar outdoors smells and sights might help revive her. The crab apple definitely sounds like the best spot for her, are there any low clusters of blooms perhaps? Is she moving about much at all?

                  Reply

                  Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  749. How do i help a big bumble bee that keeps flipping itself on to its back ? Ive tryed sugar water but doesnt seen to be any good

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lawrence

    1. Unfortunately, that’s not normal behavior, and it likely means there is something going on with your bee internally that’s causing issues (internal parasites have weird effects on their behavior, as does acute pesticide exposure). It could also be a problem with her wings. I’m sorry to say there’s little to do in such a case, other than make your bee as comfortable as possible :(

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  750. I followed the sugar water recipe and it worked it was beautiful to watch the bee fly away ! I saw the bee on the table outside last night and when I saw that it was still there this morning I knew it wasn't dying because it stung something or someone so I googled it and found this website it was a great lesson for my eight year old grandson as well, we both watched the bee drink and then fly off a minute later, thank you for your website.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kim &amp; Adam

    1. That's wonderful to hear! I'm so glad your bee made it (and it's a lot of fun watching them lap up the sugar solution, I remember the first time I ever saw a bee's tongue, and it's nothing like what you'd imagine it might be)! It's so good to connect young people with bees too, and I think seeing a bee recover as a result of our help is something so important :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  751. Today I found a large bumble bee outside of my house and she/he was soaking wet and acting drunk. You could tell she was tired after we had such strong storms. So I made up a small amount of sugar water and spoon fed her for a few minutes and you could see her tiny thread-like tongue lapping up the mix from the spoon. Hopefully after a little while she'll regain her composure, dry off and fly off. I hate to see bees die for any reason and I even hand catch the honeybees that get into my house and turn them loose once caught.

    Bee kind to bees. Without bees, WE die.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Chris McClelland

    1. You’re so right, our world depends on bees! That’s wonderful to hear you’re on the lookout for any bees that might need a helping hand :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  752. This is great information! Thank you for posting. Me and my 5 year old found a small bumble bee clinging onto a leaf in her paddling pool :( I scooped it out and placed it in the sun. We gave it some maple syrup (hope that was ok to do) and its little tongue was coming in and out and melted my heart!! (also very educational for my little girl!) The sun then went in and it started to rain. the bee was still soaked so we got out a butterfly enclosure we had and bought the bee inside overnight. Today she is buzzing and her wings are fully out! She then has a little sleep again. Im not sure wether to wait another day, the weather is warming up from tomorrow I think?! Or let her go today but its raining here at the mo.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to hayley mullins

    1. I don’t know if my reply will be in time, but here’s a thought to test whether to let her out today, even in the rain. Because if your bee wants to go, I think it’s important to let her go, since bees are adapted to inclement weather so long as it doesn’t catch them when they’re totally out of energy… and they do have places to bee in their short lifespans :)

      So try putting the butterfly enclosure out for 15 minutes or so, and if she’s still very buzzy, open it up and let her out. And so long as it’s not tipping down with rain, and the temperature is over 55F or 12C, especially if there’s some sun, it should be fine to let her out, especially since she’s had some sugary energy to help her on her way.

      Maple syrup will do in a pinch, but it’s also another reason to let her go sooner, so that she can get some real nectar inside her!

      That’s wonderful that your little girl was able to bee involved in this bee rescue too :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thank you for your reply Elise :) ... We did indeed let her go yesterday at about 3pm, the sun came out and warmed up! I stood outside and she started buzzing around in the enclosure, I opened the lid and she crawled all the way up to the top then flew off REALLY strong!! It was lovely to see seeing as she started off soaked and rolling around not able to stand! ... After reading your advice we made up some sugar water on a spoon too. Thank you for this page! Great work! (My sister is called Elyse, you don't hear it often!)

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Hayley Mullins

  753. I found a bee floating in the toilet at work(!) I thought it was already dead as it wasn’t moving, but I took pity on it and decided to at least give it a more dignified funeral than flushing it down the pan...

    I’m really glad I did. As soon as I scooped it out with a pair of gloves and some stiff paper, it started weakly crawling around! I wouldn’t have been able to mix up any sugar water, unfortunately, but I put it outside in a patch of sun, in a corner away from any dangerous feet, and when I checked on it twenty minutes later it had totally vanished.

    I wasn’t sure if bees could actually fly again after be(e)ing so heavily soaked in water, and I came across this blog while trying to find the answer. I’m super relieved that I apparently did the right thing. ☺️

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Krill

    1. Wonderful, another bee happily on its way in the world, and it would never have made it without your help :)

      Yes, once they warm up and dry off, they're often ready-to-go again, even without the extra sugar-water boost!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  754. I found a bee that was barely moving I think about 29 hours ago, I gave it sugar water, kept it in a box over night and then put it outside in its little plastic box of flowers and leaves and grass to warm up in the morning, it began to move a bit but not much, I went to college and during the day my mum text me saying they'd put it in a tulip because there were ants in its box and the sky was going grey. When i got back I looked at it and it was barely moving and it was raining so I redid the box and brought it back inside, I made it some even more sugary water and attempted to warm it up, now it's staying a second night, it's barely moving, what do it do

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Madison Allen

    1. Was it warmer and sunnier earlier in the day when you left it out? If it was warm and sunny, and the bee was in the sun, then it should definitely have been able to fly off easily. If this is the case, then it’s likely that something else may be wrong with your bee (which unfortunately would be very hard to diagnose, especially internal issues like parasites).

      If it was cooler and overcast/rainy, then it’s not surprising at all to find the bee where you left it, and for it still to be moving very slowly if at all. Simply continue with the sugar water and housing it overnight until a warmer, sunnier day.

      Is this a very large, fluffy bee, like a queen bumble bee?

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. It was quite sunny yes but we'd had some rain earlier in the day, I also think it's too small to be a queen. When I woke up this morning I rolled it onto its stomach and one leg stretched out but there's no other movement, I think it may be dead ;-;

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Madison Allen

        1. I am sorry to hear that, it sounds like perhaps a forager-sized bee. It may simply be her time (worn out with pollinating work), or there may be something else internal going on, but if she’s not responding as a healthy bee would, then there’s nothing else I can recommend :’-( She has at least been comfortable and not set upon by ants and such in your care (ants may begin dismembering insects before they’re dead… I know you mentioned ants, but if there were any sugar-water remnants at all, ants would have been attracted to those instead as an easier meal).

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

          1. That's so sad : ( Thank you for all your help though, I greatly appreciate it, I put the bee in a partially opened tulip outside so he's protected what ever happens ;-;

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to Madison Allen

  755. I almost stepped on a bee on my carpet basement floor! I scooped it on a piece of paper, and it baaarely moved. I set the paper in a window box (with no flowers in it) under our covered porch. It’s about 55 today and rainy. I went out to check on it probably 20 minutes later, and it hadn’t moved at all :( So, I brought it inside and followed everything on this forum. It immediately started drinking the mixture for at least 10 seconds! It was super exciting seeing it’s tongue going crazy haha. I even made an overnight shoebox for it, because I really didn’t think it was going to recover quickly. I set the box in a window sill even though it’s overcast, and within 10 minutes it was much more active and started flying!!!! It was trying to get out the window, so I opened it and let it go! I hope it’s not too cold out, but seeing it finally moving and trying to get outside I had to let it do it’s thing. I’m so excited! Haha how rewarding

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Erin

    1. That’s great to hear :) Yes, if they’re ready to go buzzing off on their way, then by all means it’s good to let them do so. It’s just amazing how fast they can recover with a bit of energy!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  756. I am petrified of bees and wasps and tbh most bugs (and I'm a ruddy bodybuilder go figure) but on my way to taking my 9 year old son to school we saw a huge bee in our padling pool so I toto the opportunity to educate my son aswell as save a life. We scooped her out and made some sugar water as above and left her on our path to dry out. By the time I got back from the school walk (all the whilst telling my son how important bees are) I got back and sat with her for a few minutes so no birds ate her and I sware to god she said thankyou. She stumbled over to my foot and got on, at this point I'm thinking f#&k she's gonna sting me lol, after being on my foot for a few seconds off she flew to a flowering tree. Not going to lie it felt good to help out a bee and I'm a little less frightened now

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jason

    1. Good for you! That’s such a nice story, and it’s so good to be educating upcoming generations on the critical importance of bees too :)

      And yes, it can seem strange when they first crawl on you, but so long as they don’t feel threatened, they’re as peaceable as can bee! Some bees like to warm themselves on us. And other bees even like our sweat ;)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  757. my cat came across a very sluggish queen bee today, I thought sge was on her last legs! Did the mixture of white sugar and water. Amazing her long tongue was lapping it up and after a couple of minutes she was able to fly off to the nearest hedge. Thanks for this website as Id never have thought of doing this. So rewarding to save her .....

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to SUSAN CLUTTERBUCK

    1. Excellent, I'm so happy to hear that! It's amazing how bees spring back to life with a little jump-start in the way of sugar-water :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  758. I saved one today! Found it on our bedroom windowsill - popped it outside and it didn't fly away. Mixed some caster sugar with water (we didn't have organic) and popped some on the ground in front of it! It took a long drink and flew off - so rewarding to have done this :-)

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Tracey

    1. Wonderful! It's really neat to see them stick out their little tongues and lap up a sugar-water pick-me-up before buzzing off happily :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  759. Large, mainly black, bumble bee in my bath. Thanks for your tips so that I can release it in tomorrow's sunshine.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jane Lennie

    1. Wonderful! She sounds like a bumble bee queen, being large and also given the time of year. A bumble bee queen saved means several hundred future bees saved if her colony is successful this year :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  760. Thank you so much for posting this! I've followed your exact instructions and expect to set my little bumblebee free tomorrow around noon, we're expecting 50 + and plenty of sunshine. It was amazing to see it come back to life!!!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Caroline K

    1. Wonderful! Yes, it is amazing how they come back to life with just a little sugar-water and warmth :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  761. I am so happy to see your website and can't believe the amount of people that are actually saving bees. Amazing!!!

    I constantly am fishing bees out of my pool setting them in the sun and watching them fly away. I even had one come to my glass door yesterday 3 times (I believe trying to get my attention) I went running downstairs to find two bees in the pool and ended up having them fly away as well. Today I found one at sunset and it was already getting a bit windy and cold I tried setting it indoors in the sun but the little one wasn't recovering quickly enough before the sun went away. So I google what to do with bees at night and eventually found your site. Thank you for all the great suggestions. It is now safe and sound in a box with a little blanket. It kept gravitating to my blanket so I put it in there with it. I don't have sugar in my home but I have Manuka honey, it is supposed to be pure so I'm hoping this is fine. The Bee gravitated straight to it and seemed to get energy right away! Thanks to your suggestion it is now sleeping in a box with the blanket and I'll give you an update tomorrow. Thank you so much for this incredible forum for Bee Rescuing!!!!!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Isabel

    1. I'm so happy to hear you've been rescuing so many bees :) I'm glad I turned comments on for this post about a year ago, because you're right, it's wonderful to see all of these stories from people all over the world saving bees! I've learned from their experiences too, expanding the info here as a result.

      I think when people make a connection with an individual bee, it's a wonderful experience, and each bee saved is one (sometimes many more) in the world! Many warm buzzes to you and your bee :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  762. Found a cold bumble bee today on my allotment put it on a daffodil and put it under my bench seat so it will dry itself and will fly off soon we'll that's another bee saved I do find a lot of them throughout the year and always save them.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Pat burdit

    1. Wonderful! Just as a note to others who may read this comment... daffodils tend not to be good pollinator flowers because they've been bred so long for the showiness of their flowers, rather than for their nectar-bearing qualities.

      Not that a bee won't dry off perfectly well on a daffodil, but if you want to give your bee access to a natural nectar boost too, better to place it on a dandelion or other pollinator-friendly flower.

      Dandelions are nice because they're easy to find, and their nectar is readily accessible to a wide variety of pollinators (compared to some flowers which are only suitable for certain pollinators).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  763. Currently attempting to House a bumble bee, I’m really concerned this bee is dead. But I am going to house it overnight and see what happens. This article was very useful and informative. Thank you

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kareena Rios

    1. Thank you for caring so much about your bumble bee. If she’s dead, then you’ll see her in the exact same spot in which you placed her the following morning. But let’s hope not, because bees are often found in a kind of torpor resulting from unseasonably cold weather and/or a lack of food. A combination of warmth, shelter and sugar-water may resuscitate them in such cases. I’m glad you found my article helpful, as I’ve lately expanded it significantly based on my own experiences and those of the many kind, bee-loving folks who have been in touch with me over the years.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  764. I found a wasp in my home, it may have been injured. Laying on its side but moving a leg and antenae. Put it in a box w/ some sugar water. Not much change. I have open Easter lily, should I add a blossom? It is big. I placed one scented geranium leaf and short 2-3'" sprig from a forsythia with woody buds. Some blooming crocus outside. It is cold here in northern NY state. When the sun comes in this time of year we do get wasps indoors and lady bugs. I think this bee was injured while under a chocolate egg...I would like to try to help it and being a horticulturist, I could build a nice environment for it, for now though, it is near a puddle of sugar water. Thank you for any information. All the best, Abeille.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Abeille

    1. Hmm, I’m not sure what to say for your wasp. I wish there were ways to help pollinators and other insects beyond the basics of giving them food/water and shelter. If it really is injured, then probably the best scenario is simply to make it comfortable, with the hope that sugar-water (in a puddle or very small dish) and shelter give it time to heal on its own.

      Flowers are mostly decorative (since they’re not good food sources for long once removed from the plant)… I recommend flowers only so that bees feel they have something akin to a natural environment if they overnight with you, rather than keeping them inside a bare box where they might feel more trapped.

      Have you tried your wasp with fruit? It may respond well to that as a possible food source, depending on the type of wasp (assuming it is a wasp and not a bee… you mention both terms in your message, but bees are generally much fluffier than their mostly fluff-less wasp relatives).

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  765. Hi there,

    I found a Queen bee in my Balcony day before yesterday, as it was very cold I ended up after 1 hour or so bringing it inside. After warming up a little, I could see slow movements. But it was chilly outside and raining, she wasn’t moving sufficiently after popping her outside, she stopped moving and I brought her back indoors. I cut a flower and read on your page to give sugar water. Suddenly she was eating from the flower but it was so cold and windy I thought it best to wait until this morning. I was dissapointed to find her almost lifeless, but I know from bringing in other tired bees that blowing in them gently helps and this worked. I put her outside and she just couldn’t muster the strength to take off and again stopped moving until I blew gently on her. Can you advise if there’s any more I can do- it’s such a shame after two days, to give up...

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Karen

    1. Sorry that should say-brought her In & blew on her- not in!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Karen

      1. I’m not sure what else to suggest, other than to warm her up more artificially by moving her into a much warmer room for a bit preceding releasing her. Is there any sunlight at all expected tomorrow? They warm up quite fast in sunlight, but I’m sure that’s already occurred to you. This time of year, the weather is hard on queen bumble bees, but I’ve seen them remain motionless for days around this time of year, only to revive once the weather is favorable (though they do need a bit of sugar-water/nectar to tide them over while they’re waiting… I’ve seem them hiding in crocus flowers that close around them for that reason, which provide both shelter and food until the weather changes).

        So my advice is probably just to wait the weather out even if she spends a few more days with you, keeping her supplied her with sugar-water and a sheltered place until she’s ready to bee on her way.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  766. Hi, I've found a bee in my garden that I think has been there for 2/3 days. At first he wasn't moving at all. Brought him in and given him sugar water which seemed to perk him up but he's still very sluggish. Wobbles about it doesn't seem to be pushing myself up properly to walk. I've noticed some small mites on him (look like little spiders). He's in a box with some flowers which perked him up but he doesn't seem to have enough strength to do anything. Is there anything more I can do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sophie

    1. If she’s a big furry bee then most likely (given the time of year) she’s a bumble bee queen. The mites on her are not going to affect her, they’re not like the mites on honey bees (a different species). They are there to hitch a ride on her back to her nest, where they will feed on leftover bits of pollen and other detritus.

      I know it’s getting late where you are now, but has she responded to warmth at all (just being indoors)? Since it’s evening where you are, it’s not going to be a good idea to try warming her up too much, but if you haven’t yet, and if she’s still alright but sluggish by morning, it’s another thing to try. Ideally the sun would warm her up, but if there’s no sun where you are, you might try her in a warmer room in the morning (some people are even so bold as to let bumble bees climb onto their hands/arms, because our body heat warms them up quite well)!

      Sugar-water, warmth, and shelter until a better, sunnier, warmer day are really the only things you can do. There are other things that can go wrong for bumble bees (internal parasites, for example), about which there’s really nothing you can do. Hopefully your bee will perk up by morning, and it’s very kind of you to have helped her.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  767. Fantastic. My mum used to rescue bees just like this & I have too. I especially remember one bee that looked like it had drowned... I got it out wirh a large leaf & sat it in the sun. Sure enough as the sun shone on her she warmed up & finally buzzed happily away made me feel very warm too Thank you xx

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Carole Hough

    1. I meant to reply sooner, but life got in the way and it wasn’t a bee emergency! I just wanted to say that it’s wonderful to hear that other people are helping bees in this way too, it warms my heart so much :) We need every bee we have, and the more people looking out for them, the better!!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  768. Hi, can you please help? My husband and I brought a bee in from the snow believing she was dead. We put her in the garage yesterday on a piece of wood and after a while she started to move round. We put a pot plant in there with her and she has been on there ever since walking around the plant which does have flowers on. I remembered sugar water and gave her some but it was golden caster sugar and after reading your website I’m now very worried. It’s still too cold to let her back outside. What should I do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Lisa

    1. Just as an addendum to my previous reply, I wanted to note that you may well need to warm your bee up prior to releasing her on a day with better weather. I suggested keeping her box somewhere cool because you don’t want her to be too out-of-sync with the temperatures she’d expect outdoors at this time of year, and if she’s too warm, she’ll buzz about the box thinking it’s time to go, and might damage her wings.

      But before she leaves you (when it looks to you like a better day for her to go out), do make sure to warm her up indoors beforehand, as well as making sure she’s had a little sugar-water, so that she’ll have her best chances outdoors. I should also note that bees in general are not early risers, so you may decide to let her out in the later morning on a nicer day. Hopefully there’s a bit of sun on the day you release her, and she can warm up in the sun first before she goes.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

    2. I’m on the West Coast U.S. here, so just received your message. I’m not too concerned, having looked up golden caster sugar (I didn’t know what it was beforehand)! It’s definitely made without the molasses, and so it should be alright for your bee as far as I know.

      If it’s still too cold (and evening I assume), I’d put your bee in a ventilated box, maybe with the pot plant as something of interest in there, and also leave a little lid or small spoon of sugar-water available for her. Will the weather be better tomorrow? It sounds like you’re having unseasonable weather, as we are here, which is hard on bumble bee queens emerging at this time of year (and some other kinds of bees too, but most of the bees people find in early spring are large furry bumble bee queens).

      Place her box somewhere that’s not too warm and not too terribly cold overnight. You can keep her for several days in her box with sugar water while you’re waiting for better weather, which for a bee would be a day when the temperature will get to at least 10-12C (50-55F). She may become eager to go out, but so long as she’s kept somewhere cool, she’ll be just fine in her box until it’s a better day to try her luck outdoors.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  769. Hello, I found a Bee on the cold snowy ground yesterday. At first I thought it had died but brought it home, put some sugar water beside it and waited. To my astonishment it came back to life and was buzzing about the box happily. But..when I went to put it outside I'm afraid some of the water must've coated it's body because it went all curled up and didn't move. I bought it back indoors to revive it but it just seems to be very sluggish again and I don't know what to do? Do I leave it in the ventilated box with a little lid of sugar water and wait it out?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Chrissie

    1. I apologize for my late reply, I’m on the West Coast in the U.S. I’m thinking my message will now be too late, but my inclination would be to keep your bee inside the ventilated box with a little sugar water and wait until the temperatures are warmer outdoors. It sounds as if it’s just too cold for her outdoors right now, and keeping her from freezing is important.

      It’s surprising that it was such an immediate change from buzzing about to curling and not moving again… usually they’ll have enough warmth stored up (at least briefly) to buzz on their way, even in colder temperatures. You’d be able to tell if she was wet by looking at her fluff, which clumps together when that happens. It might just be that it’s too cold out, and her timing emerging from hibernation has landed her in a bit of trouble. If you can house her and feed her until a day between 10-12C (or 50-55F) she should bee on her way happily.

      There is always the chance that something else is going on with your bee that we can’t diagnose (for instance, they sometimes suffer from internal parasites that worsen as they warm up). It’s also not ideal (for the sake of her wings) to keep your bee enclosed when she’s buzzing away and thinks she’s ready to go (until she finds she can’t when she feels how cold it is out). So ideally, find a place to keep her box that’s not too warm but not too cold.

      Update: Chrissy wrote to tell me the happy news of how this story ended:

      I'm very pleased to tell you that after I brought my queen in and added a tiny sprig of Lavender to the box, she came to life. She was all over it for around 20 minutes, so much so that I (after checking it wasn't snowing/raining any more) put the box outside and opened the lid. She buzzed about over the Lavender a bit longer then off she happily went. I was so truly happy for her and myself that I sensed she needed help and was able to assist.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  770. Is sugar from coconut blossom nectar safe to give to bees? I was thinking it would be the most natural kind of sugar for a bee. I have a large furry bee in my bathroom and it's snowing outside, I don't know if he/she will survive in this weather outside. Should I leave the window open a crack or maybe put him/her in a shoe box? Any advice welcome please.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jo

    1. I’m honestly not familiar with coconut blossom nectar sugar. Is it brown? I ask because brown sugar isn’t so good for bees… there are certain (nutritional to us) constituents in brown sugar that can cause gastrointestinal problems in bees. That’s why I recommend a mix of 50/50 granulated white sugar to room temperature water when mixing up food for them.

      At this time of year, a large furry bee is going to be a bumble bee queen. She’ll have just emerged from hibernation recently, and she’ll be looking for an abandoned mouse burrow or similar spot in the ground in which to start her new bumble bee colony.

      My inclination if it’s snowing outdoors is to keep her in a ventilated shoebox or some other container until it’s predicted to be at least 10-12C, and then release her the morning you expect such warmer temperatures (by release, I mean just putting her box outdoors with the lid off, and letting her take her time in deciding when to go).

      Don’t keep her box anywhere too warm or too terribly cold, and if it’s going to be more than an overnight stay for her (depending on your upcoming weather), add some greenery insider her box to give it a more natural and less stark feel (not flowers though, since they won’t keep their nectar, and may confuse the poor bee).

      Do leave a small spoon or some other very small and shallow lid with a sugar-water mix in her box. And keep an eye on her from time to time to see how’s she’s doing. Bumble bees can produce their own heat (by decoupling their wings from their flight muscles), and this is the time of year when bumble bee queens everywhere are taking their chances with the weather. But she would freeze aboveground in the weather you describe, so it’s a good idea to keep her warm and fed until the weather changes for the better.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  771. I NEED ADVICE PLEASE!

    I've just found a Bumble Bee huddled under my bell, freezing cold and hardly moving. He was unprotected from the wind and the cold and will surely die if he stays there over the weekend. So I've put him in a tissue and put him just inside my front door. I was going to keep him there until the freezing weather passes. Do you think I've done the right thing, is there something better I can do for him? I just don't want him to die in this freezing weather we're going to have. (Birmingham UK)

    HELP!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Marilyn

    1. Have you offered your bumble bee some sugar water? A mix of 50/50 granulated white sugar in room temperature water will do a world of good for a distressed bee.

      My advice would be to place your bee in a ventilated shoebox or some other such container, with very little inside in which the bee could get caught up accidentally (so no fabric or cotton wool that might catch on her legs or feet). Also place a very small and shallow lid of some kind (or simply a small spoon) with sugar water in her box if she needs it.

      And if the temperatures are predicted to be freezing for several days, then add a little outdoor greenery to the box, so that it’s not just a bee kept in a stark and otherwise empty box (adding flowers won’t add nectar though, so probably best not to confuse the bee with flowers that don’t have nectar to drink).

      Definitely let her out as soon as the weather is not freezing, so at the beginning of any day where you’d expect temperatures of at least 10-12C. Try to keep her in a sheltered, “in-between” area temperature-wise, so not too warm during the day, nor too cold at night.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  772. Thank you for this! I found a soaked and lethargic queen bumble bee clinging to some flowers on my walk home and immediately looked up what to do to help her. I brought her home and gave her some sugar water and shelter from the rain. It was late and I was worried about her surviving the night but she made it, and now today it is sunny so I moved her into the sun with some more sugar water. Within a few minutes she recovered enough strength to fly away! :D

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Riley

    1. Fabulous, I’m so happy to hear that! It really does work to revive them and help them on their way, so long as they’re not too weakened by other circumstances. Thank you so much for taking care of your bee! Helping a queen bumble bee is equivalent to helping many bees too, since she’ll be starting her new colony soon :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  773. Hello there! it's been in the low to mid forties (thats in F), but we had some warmer days that seems to have tricked the bees. Yesterday it was about 45F and me and my daughter found a bee ont he ground. I'm ashamed to say I was too scared to pick it up and so we simply managed to scoot it away from where it was so it wouldnt be stepped on. I brought gloves with me today and we came across it in the same place. So I picked it up and brought it inside. I have it in a little plastic container (no top) in the sun light and i think I might have seen its antennae move a little earlier (i'm not 100% sure..) it's been inside and in the sun for about 1.5 hours and i havent seen any other movement. Do you think it's a lost cause or should i keep waiting?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Zai Rodriguez

    1. Yes, this is a tricky time of year to be a bee! Have you tried mixing up a little sugar water (50/50 mix of white granulated sugar to room temperature water) and placing a drop or two of that near the bee’s head to see if she will stick out her tongue? She may simply need energy as well as warmth to get going again. If she was in the same place as yesterday, she is probably in need of food and liquid.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Hello Elise. So sorry to reply to this message but I can't figure out how to post a new question!! I have just read that you're not supposed to put honey out for bees but I did that a couple of days ago because I found a couple of dead bees outside my house and thought that their little friends might need some food. Anyway, I've had a load finishing off the saucer of honey today (next time I'll put sugar water!!) and one of the little beasties was on his back in the honey. I got him out and later another bee seemed to be cleaning him off but he has been there all afternoon not moving much. What can I do? I foolishly thought it might be useful to wash the poor little thing but now I've probably caused him to get cold. It's has been about 15°C on my patio today but now it's getting chilly. I have put him in a cardboard biscuit box but I can't find out any more info on how to help him..... can you give me some advice? Shall I put him in my garage which is heated (very low heat)? Thanks in advance. Rebecca

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Rebecca Hall

        1. If the bee in question is not moving much, still a bit wet, and it’s getting chilly, I’d definitely keep her in a ventilated box overnight somewhere not too warm, just like your garage. Hopefully she’s just a bit wet rather than still sticky (usually bees will clean other bees off if they’re covered in honey).

          In the morning, offer her a small amount of sugar water mix (a few drops near her head), and put her out in what hopefully will be warm sun, near where you found her.

          Sugar water is helpful when a bee is in trouble, but if there are flowers about, it’s best only to put out a saucer of water for them (with some pebbles in it so if they fall in, they can climb out easily). Although sugar/water is a quick source of food, it’s not as nutritious as flower nectar :)

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

          1. Thank you for your reply! He was on his side looking quite dead and I offered him some sugar water and he got up and was crawling around for a little while but then got a little tired again. I have put him in the garage where it's not so cold with a little capful of sugar water. He'll be diabetic in the morning....!! Thanks for your advice, I'll put a little saucer with pebbles outside in the future. We're only just getting into Spring here in France (I'm in the Savoie region, in the Alps) so not many about yet. There are about 30 hives just 30m from my house so we get loads of bees in the garden! Gorgeous little beasties!

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to Rebecca Hall

      2. I did! It's tongue is out but I'm not sure when it stuck its tongue out (or if it was out all along) but it hasn't gone back in. I made sure to use white sugar 50/50 and to put a small drop near the tip of its tongue. I'm almost positive it's a little queen from what all I've read on this site and googling, so I'm hopeful she pulls through. We keep it at about 74F in the house and shes in the sun so I can only hope. I've also made a little ventilated shoebox to keep her in tonight in the hope she just needs time and warmth.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Zai Rodriguez

        1. I hope she drinks up some of the sugar/water mix and is able to recuperate as she warms up. Make sure she doesn’t get too hot in a plastic container in the sun. Direct sun overhead will be good for her though, for sure! Thank you for taking care of her today, I hope she pulls through with care :)

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

          1. I SAW HER LITTLE BUTT TWITCH! We're all very excited to have seen that. I wasn't sure what else to put her in, as we don't have much space on our window sills and a very curious 2 year old xD but she seems to be getting her sun and hopefully she'll be strong enough to drink and grow strong. It's supposed to be 60F tomorrow so it'll be a perfect day to let her free if shes strong enough. thank you for your suggestions!

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to Zai Rodriguez

  774. Hi, I have had a Queen Bee in my flat now for two weeks. I feed her on sugar and water when I'm home on Isle of Wight at weekends. She lives in the cushions by the window and comes out when I turn the heating on, but only showed interest in getting out once when the sun was shining by butting the window. It's freezing outside with snow and ice. My question is how much longer will she stay before I start charging her for food and lodging? Rod, Seaview, Isle of Wight.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Rod Parker

    1. That's quite an amusing question, and certainly the longest I've heard of someone hosting a bumble bee queen guest inside their house! You should open up an Air Bee-n-Bee :) I'm very happy to hear she's buzzing around well, and I do hope your unfavorable weather conditions let up soon, so that you may both resume life as normal (which for her will be setting up a new bumble bee colony for the season)!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  775. I have saved a bee,it's now in a box with air holes ,but the weather is freezing ,advice please?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jennifer Sturgess

    1. From Twitter I see yours is a bumble bee queen, so she can take the cold better than other bees. That's because bumble bees can generate their own heat (by vibrating their flight muscles). She'll have emerged from hibernation recently and be looking to make a nest. So she's expecting cold weather!

      I'm sure she wants to go out, but if it's very late in the day where you are, you might want to keep her overnight in an area that's not too warm but not too cold either (in-between areas like garages or greenhouses can work well at this time of year). Make sure to give her a little sugar water from time to time so she doesn't run out of energy.

      She'll be able to fly once it's around 50-55F (10-12C), and she'll spend quite a lot of her time on the ground anyway at this time of year, searching for the perfect abandoned mouse burrow or other hole in the ground in which to start her new bumble bee colony for the year :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  776. Today, around 3:30, I rescued 3 bees from my pool. It was raining a little, so I put them on a table outside under some cover, and offered them some flowers with heads dipped in sugar water. Since it's about 60 degrees outside, and about 4pm, should I try to let them go, or should I keep them overnight in a ventilated shoebox? I'm a little worried, since it's supposed to rain about an hour from now, and it seems the rain has only let up for a little. The fact that two of them are hardly moving is also a little concerning. What should I do?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Sylvi

    1. I do apologize for my late reply, I try to write back immediately in these circumstances, because I know what it’s like to wonder what to do for the best! Pool rescues can be challenging, because depending on how long the bees have been in, it affects their ability to recover.

      My advice would have been to keep an eye on them, and if they flew off, that would be great, but if 2 or 3 were still there in an hour, I’d move them to a ventilated shoebox and keep them overnight somewhere in-between in temperatures (like a garage).

      I’d then try opening the box the next morning outdoors, towards the warmest part of the day, and offer a small spoonful of 50/50 room temperature sugar water to give them energy for leaving. If you put a spoonful just under their head, they often extend a tongue to drink (and when they’re so cold and tired, there’s little worry about them reacting defensively).

      If it's cold and rainy the next day, I'd wait to release them until it's at least 50-55F (10-12C) and not raining. If you kept them for a day or two, I'd suggest the same ventilated shoebox in a not-too-warm and not-too-cold area, offering the sugar-water mixture several times a day.

      Note that bees can be clumsy when cold and wet, so it's best not to leave the sugar-water mixture in with them unattended. Putting the sugar-water mixture on the flowers as you did would help the bees not get coated in it accidentally, but I’m not sure if they’d get enough of the mixture off the flowers or not… it depends how much stays on as droplets caught between pieces of the flowers.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  777. Hello! So I had left me window open and when I came home a found a bee in my fish tank! He managed to get through the lid and he was still alive and moving around on the surface quite a bit. I panicked as I am deathly afraid of any type of bug. I pulled him out of the fish tank and without thinking threw him outside. I quickly realized I shouldn't have done that. It was late at night and 33 degrees outside and he was still wet. I went to see if he was still there and I didn't see him at first so I grabbed the fishnet I scooped him up with to put it away. When I realized he was still on it I panicked yet again and threw it outside. Now I can't find him and I realize he probably didn't make it. Is there any chance he'll make it home to the hive?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Emily

    1. I'd say the odds are stacked heavily against that bee, being tossed out at near freezing temperatures late at night while wet. Bees need the temperature to be above 55°F to fly.

      If there is a next time, take a deep breath, and think about how the bee feels… cold, wet, confused, unable to fly, and in need of a helping hand from a nearby human. When they're cold and wet, there's really no need to worry about them interacting with you... they're almost immobilized at such times. Carefully deposit your bee into a sealed but ventilated box of some kind, and leave it somewhere warm overnight.

      Ideally (and I realize this is hard for someone afraid of bugs), you'd also offer a 50/50 mix of room temperature water with white sugar, on a spoon or tiny dish in front of the bee. It is unlikely the bee would be able to move much at all, but it might well put out its tongue to drink and regain some energy.

      Then you'd release the bee the next day, just when the temperature was heading into the warmest part of the day. That would offer the best chances for the bee’s well-beeing.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  778. Hello,

    I opened up my container of lettuce from the store and was started to see a tan bee. I live in a high rise on the 26th floor. Then we was moving around slowly. It was dark outside and hard to see, so I banged the container of lettuce on the balcony railing. I am so worried that he did not fly away. I love bees and no how desperately we need them. I live in miami and it is cooler out right now as a change. Do you think he was able to fly right away? Within 2 minutes of being pulled out of the fridge or do you think I killed him. Please let me know, I'm so upset!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Jordan

    1. Hmm… well, I guess we can hope for the best, since insects are resilient, even when they fall. But… it needs to be around 55° F before a bee can fly properly. A refrigerated bee is unlikely to be able to move much or fly at all. Releasing at nighttime is the least desirable time, in terms of setting the bee up for success. I’m sorry to be the bringer of such news, but I feel I should be honest here.

      That said, a beetle can fall that distance and still be ok, but their delicate wings are protected inside their hardened wing cases. So it kind of depends how the bee landed when it fell, in terms of whether any damage was done to its wings. At best, it fell by chance on its legs, and then one would just hope it fell somewhere safe, as it would have needed to warm up before flying, probably only after the sun came out (or the temperature warmed up) sometime the following day.

      If there is ever a next time, the best thing to do is to transfer your bee into a ventilated box for the night, offering a 50/50 mix of room temperature sugar water (white sugar only) right after you find the bee, and then again offering that sugar mixture in the morning, before releasing your bee as the warmest part of the day is approaching. There’s no need to worry about getting stung by a cold bee, as they’re almost incapable of movement.

      As I said, we can hope for the best, as they’re resilient, but I’d say the odds were stacked against that bee’s survival. I’d like to end this on a positive note though, and there are other ways that you can help our buzzy friends in the future. Do you have a balcony garden? Here’s a great example of one. You can also spread the word to other people about the importance of bees, and what to do if someone finds a cold or distressed bee in the future!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  779. I have 2 bees in my room. Different them sugar water and they drank it up. Idk where they went though. I'm keeping my eye out. Now I'm at work and I found a wasp on the ground. Picked him up with a piece of paper. It's cold here in Maryland and idk if I should put the bees and the wasp outside or just let them be. My cats might eventually go after the bees if they see them which I don't want. And this wasp is at my job and I'm not sure if outside is safer or if I could find him a hiding spot here or what..he is sluggish. The bees in my room had hidden somewhere but I used regular white sugar..so I'm not sure if I did the best thing now...i hope they're ok...any advice would be great. I'm sitting here with the wasp...if anyone has an input on this guy too

    Thank you.

    -Bridgette

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Bridgette Vitilio

    1. I wouldn’t worry too much about the white sugar, it’s far better to use regular white sugar than something like brown sugar (which bees have trouble digesting properly) or honey (which can spread bee diseases).

      Definitely keep an eye out for your bees, especially with cats! Ideally keep the bees in a ventilated shoebox (or similar container) overnight, checking first to see if they want some sugar water (but probably taking it away overnight to avoid accidents). Then let them out in hopefully the warmest part of the day, again after offering sugar water. That way they’re warmed up and energized to find their way back to where they need to be (since they can’t live completely on sugar water).

      For the wasp, I’d put it out in the sun (if there is any) in the warmest part of the day. If you have any fruit that you could cut up and offer it first, that might be helpful too (I say fruit because it has natural sugars, like half a grape, a piece of melon, a berry, or similar). The wasp will also do better outside once it has some energy and has warmed up a bit from being inside :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  780. I unknowingly took what appeared to be a honey bee to work with me, a distance of about 8 miles. I saw a black spot on the window when I got into the car but didnt think much of it. When I got to work I realised it was a bee that had taken refuge on the window. The weather was a chilly 50 degrees and the bee was sluggish. I scooped it up with a piece of paper and sat down in the car where with the heater on but left the door open in case it wanted to fly. It seemed to recover quickly and after grooming itself it started to crawl around like crazy on the piece of paper. It was so neat to watch it up close. However, I'm afraid to say that I accidentally dropped the paper with the bee and couldn't find it after that. I'm hoping it flew away but that had me wondering. The bee is far from home and most likely from a hive. Did it have a good chance of survival in the cold and lost? What typically happens to bees that are inadvertently transplanted? It may sound silly but I really hope the little thing made it!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Bee Curious

    1. I hope your little bee made it home too! She will have been right on the edge of her maximum foraging range at 8 miles, but we can hope that she recognized some landmarks from previous foraging trips and made her way back. Bees are certainly good at recognizing landmarks, even when transplanted, so long as they don't end up so far out that they don't recognize anything. Sometimes lone honey bees do join other hives too, so that's also a possibility in this case. At least she was well-warmed for venturing out... 55 F is usually about as low as they like, but I've seen them out at just around 50 F too.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  781. I found a bee that my brother thought was dead. I thought it could be alive, so I took it in and warmed it up. It started moving and is doing great:) But now I don't know what to do, because it's winter and it's all alone... :( I know it's natural to hibernate, but will it die if it can't find it's hive? Please help! Thanks in advance. Oh and now it started snowing a little bit, I'm not sure how to care for a bee, or if it will like it... but I do have a tank.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Eva

    1. I’m glad your bee is doing better now you’ve brought it in! Ideally you’d let it warm up a bit (as you’ve done), and keep it overnight (if it’s late where you are) in a ventilated box of some kind.

      If it’s a large, really fluffy-looking bee, then it’s a bumble bee. Bumble bee queens hibernate through winter (except for some species in warmer winter climates). Bumble bee queens dig a hole in the soil in which to hibernate outdoors.

      If it’s a honey bee instead (a much thinner and less furry bee), then she will return to her hive in the morning.

      Either way, in the morning, make sure she has energy (offer a 50/50 sugar and room temp water mix). Then release her with the best part of the day ahead.

      Let me know if there’s anything else I can help with, thanks for caring about your bee!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. I really need some advice please Elise. I found a bumblebee in my garden this morning sitting on the edge of a garden step. Bought it into the conservatory and tried to give it sugared water but it was not interested. It has been walking about a bit but very slowly. I have a bug box outside so have brought it into the conservatory and it has now got in amongst the straw area. Think I will leave it there until tomorrow and see what is going on in the morning and if all seems well put the bug box back outside. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Mrs Maureen Adlam

        1. Depending on where you live (if you're in a warmer winter climate), it's possible to have winter-active colonies of bumble bees. It's quite late in the year for bumble bees to be starting their hibernation, but if she's a very large bumble bee, then she's probably a queen.

          It sounds like you're doing the right thing by keeping an eye on her, and hopefully she'll be on her way in the morning. I'd try offering sugar water again if she seems sluggish, and if there's any sunlight then definitely try placing her out in the sun to warm up as well, so that she has the energy to be on her way again!

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      2. Thank you! I think it is a honey bee... It wont freeze? Will it remember where to go, and then hibernate?

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Eva

        1. Well, she won’t freeze if you let her out well warmed and fed, with the best part of the day ahead of her. She’ll know her way back to her hive, where she’ll hibernate with the other bees. Honey bees form a ball to keep each other warm (with bees moving always through the ball from the cold edge to the center to keep warm). They eat from their honey stores during winter, and don’t come out again until spring.

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  782. Just saved a queen bee this morning after looking on here for advise, She had got inside and landed in a vase full of water, looked as if she was about to give up so I scooped her out, wrapped her in some dry tissue covered box and placed it next to the heater fan, within 20mins she was drying herself off then flying around the kitchen then off she went. :)

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Conn

    1. Wonderful news! That's fantastic you helped your queen bumble bee, ensuring a new generation of little bees to come :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  783. Good evening,

    I found a big sluggish bumble bee ( female as has pointy end..?) This evening on my decking. I've brought her in and given sugar water and she's crawling all over the tub ive popped her, so warm and ready to go but it's freezing out. Do i keep her in overnight or release her into the night?

    Thanks so much

    Kayleigh

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Kayleigh Topham

    1. If she’s a large bumble bee still alive at this time of year, then she’s almost certainly a queen. Most of the time, bumble bees hibernate in winter, although in parts of southern England, there are winter-active populations. Either way though, my inclination is to keep her in a well ventilated container overnight, and release her once it’s warmer in the later morning. If she’s winter-active, she’ll find her way home then. If she needs to hibernate, better that she has energy for digging by staying in rather than wandering about outside overnight. I wouldn’t leave her somewhere too warm though… some place protected such as a garage or shed, or some “in-between” space, temperature-wise, would be my inclination.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Thanks Elise! Will do, I live in Devon, so a little milder here but not tonight! Will get her settled in for the night :) will let you know all's well tomorrow.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Kayleigh Topham

  784. Hi, I found what looks like a big bumble bee in the grass yesterday evening. It was very wet and look covered with mud - to the point where you couldn't see the distinctive yellow colouring. It was super sluggish but still reacting to me when trying to move it somewhere safe. I don't know if I did the right thing but I put it on a small plastic tray and poured a little water over it in an attempt to wash off the worst of the mud (I was worried that if it dried with that much mud it would make the bee completely stuck to itself). I offered it sugar water but it didn't seem interested. I left it there overnight.

    This morning, the bee was still outside, still super sluggish. It's a bit brighter today so I've moved it into a sunny patch. It's still not interesting in sugar water. I'll keep an eye on it but not sure if the best thing to do is to keep it inside in a box if it's meant to be hibernating? It still looks very wet, hopefully the sunny patch will help it dry off.

    Any advice?

    Thanks

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Nyan Panda

    1. Update! The bee seems to have dried off a bit and it walked off seemingly looking for shelter. I can see it's colouring a bit better now. It's so cold outside so I decided to put it in a small cardboard box and keep it inside for now. It seems quite content in the box. Not sure what to do now though!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Nyan Panda

      1. Another update! It started to try and escape from the box, it's now wandering around outside. I am keeping an eye on it... really not sure where it wants to go!

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Nyan Panda

        1. It's hard to help them hibernate, but that is what she'll need to do, assuming she's a young queen bumble bee (and being a large bumble bee at this time of year, that's almost certainly the case)! She'll need energy to search out a spot, so it's good you warmed her up a bit. Hopefully she'll find what she feels is the perfect spot to dig a hole and curl up safely for winter :)

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

          1. Thanks for your reply. I just checked on her and she was outside on the concrete nowhere near a suitable digging spot. I brought her back in the warmth for a bit (it's cold and dark outside now) and offered her some more sugar (still no interest!) then once she livened up again I've put her back outside somewhere more suitable for digging. Fingers crossed! Thanks for getting back to me :-)

            Reply

            Leave a Reply to Nyan Panda

  785. Hi, I found a large bee-like creature yesterday, maybe a type of bumble bee (?), in my kitchen sink. I kept hearing a buzzing noise and I finally went to look for the source, and the bee was in the sink, caught in the water in some dishes. I have a picture if you can tell me how to attach here or send to an email address.

    I kept the bee in a box with holes and fed it a little sugar water. I am concerned about releasing it because it can't manage itself well and it is raining and very wet out. One wing is tattered at the end, and while the bee seems very alive, constantly cleaning its front and back legs, it ends up upside down most of the time after buzzing about in a haphazard manner, sometimes in circles. It has been 24 hours. I am wondering what I can do next. Maybe I can give it to our local wildlife center? It seems like it needs some rehab, considering its wing as well as its back - it is spiky and seems like something happened to it - it is permanently "wet" looking. I have it in a plain cardboard box, about 6" by 8" by 3" and I have not added any grass or anything since the bee "scoots around" haphazardly, I don't want to "lose" it if I open the box. I can see it through a clear plastic top and I feed it with a little syringe that I poke through a hole and drop the drops onto the box "floor". I don't want to put too much in since the bee scoots around on its feet as well as its wings/back (poor thing)!

    Thank you for any advice to get this guy/gal through to tomorrow! Let me know how to send a picture for identification if possible ...

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Diana

    1. Hi, I should have looked this up before I posted! I found a website called "What's that Bug" and found out my bee is not a bee, but a Tachinid Fly. A very buzzy one! Sigh, well, I will see what my wildlife center has to say! Sorry for the diversion!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Diana

      1. Ah yes, a tachinid fly would be much more spiky looking, compared with a fluffy bee! I do need to put up some photos here soon of insects that are easily mistaken for bees :)

        It's wonderful to hear that you cared so much about your fly... I love flies as well, and tachinid flies are good pollinators too! I'm sorry to hear about its wing. I once read of a fellow who repaired monarch wings successfully (so they could continue their migration), and I've always wished I could do something similar for other winged insects.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  786. Hi, I’m in the Uk and found a grounded bumble bee yesterday, I placed her (assume it’s a queen) somewhere safe and and put some honey down ( I have since replaced with sugar water) I hoped she would have gone to her nest before the night but this morning she was still there. Still sluggish but will raise legs as if threatened. It’s really cold today around 9c and I think she should be hibernating, I have brought her inside to warm up and hopefully let her go later (it’s midday here). Fingers crossed!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Tracy

    1. Yes, if she is a queen, it’s time for her to be hibernating. I’d recommend stocking her up with as much sugar water as she can drink, as she’ll need a good bit of energy to dig a hole in which to hibernate. Hopefully she has already built up fat and glycogen reserves from foraging while there were still plenty of flowers about!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  787. I'm not sure where to keep my bee? I just rescued a bee, and I am not sure where to put him for the night.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Emma

    1. Many folks use a shoebox or something similar with some sort of lining and holes punched in the lid. For the lining, it’s good not to use anything fluffy that the bee’s legs might get caught up in. An unlined box is actually just fine too. :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  788. I have been saving bees from my pool since last fall but I didn't know how to help them other than fish them out of my pool and lay them on leaves. So happy to have found your site. I just put 2 struggling honeybees in a small aquarium with plenty of ventilation, some leaves, flowers and drops of sugar water. The two bees are inside my house for the night warming up and regaining their strength. Thank you for all the good advice!!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Tami

    1. That's wonderful to hear that you're saving bees, and I'm glad my advice has helped. Every bee saved is one more bee in the world! Let me know how your bees are doing this morning :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  789. Today I saw a couple wasps in the pool. I picked one of them up with my hand and let it sit in my hand and walk around drying off. Then I saw another and put it on my other hand eventually I had four of them all drying off in my hands. They werent mean they just needed some help drying off. The first one ended up curling up in a ball and died. I made a little spot with flowers for it to rest in peace on. All of them flew away after drying off. I am not sure if I did the right thing. Am I exposing them to the salt on my hands and its bad?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Ali

    1. You did all the right things… they love warming up on people! It’s perfectly safe—from an insect's perspective—to be on your hand. The one that died, in your case, did so for some other reason, perhaps related to how long it might have been in the pool before you found it? In spring, I often notice that bees like to warm up on my skin. It's a good way for them to get warm quickly!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  790. Yesterday my children were in the pool saying that they had found a wasp. I went to investigate and realized that it was a bumble bee. I rescued it and although very wet, it was still alive. I tried to put it in the sun, on some flowers, but the only thing it wanted to do was sit in my hand. After about 10 minutes it had dried off, squirted "water" out it's back end and flew off. What was the water?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Christina Huppe

    1. That’s great that you saved your bumble bee :) And yes, they love to warm up on people’s hands, and it’s perfectly safe (for the bees) to let them do so. They’ll warm up fast! Typically bees don’t urinate noticeably (just small drops), but I once saw a photo of a bee with a stream shooting out its rear end. Perhaps because your bee had taken in so much excess water, it had more to expel more liquid than bees usually do?

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  791. Will it sting me if I save it? I'm allergic to bees; I get hives. Oh the irony :(

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Joy

    1. I’d say the likelihood of a sting is very, very low indeed, especially when the bee is cold, wet, or otherwise exhausted and in need of saving. That said, there is always the possibility (if the bee is female), however unlikely. Things you can do to minimize this possibility even further include using a leaf or something else to pick up the bee, and keeping a close eye on its behavior (if it’s very slow-moving, there’s really no reason to worry at all). And don’t worry if you see the bee’s abdomen pulsing… it’s just a way of moving air through its body, to breathe and warm itself!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  792. I cant believe this, I love Bumble Bees, and when i find one in the garden lying there exhausted, i mix a bit of sugar with water and let them crawl on my hand have a drink, then they sleep for 3 minutes and fly off revitalized. Well. i found one lying on the lawn in a bad state, so i did my usual, NOW he has stayed on my hand and wont go away, he stayed there whilst i mowed the lawn, and he is still here 1 hour later, he has stayed on my finger whilst I am typing, so i put him on a piece of kitchen roll next to me on the table. he then started searching for my finger after 10 minutes, i put my finger in front of him and he felt it with his antennas and then tried to climb on my finger, so I moved my finger to the left and he followed it, I did the same to the right and he followed it, I have let him climb back on my hand and he has now gone to sleep, so here i am 3 hours later he is still on my hand, he walks around finds a different spot on my finger or palm then goes to sleep again, I put him on a piece of white roll on tha table whilst i had my meal, now you will find this unbelievable, he panicked and walked around the table very quickly, I put my hand out and he climbed back onto it and settled down went to sleep. incredible. at to prove all this i have taken photographs, you are welcome to look at them. just ask and i will send them. at this very moment he is stretching his bck legs and just buzzed his little wings, hes adorable, and i am a 63yr old guy..

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to John Sessions

    1. I found a honey bee yesterday morning dead between the slats on my outside table, it was the 2nd November so the night had been cold. I thought the poor thing must had ran out of energy. I got into my car to go out and had a thought. I wondered if I put the bee into the sun maybe it wasn't dead just in a hibernate state. I left it in the leaf of my Cala Lily. I came home 4 hours later and it was moving about in the leaf. I took it into the house and gave it some sugar water. I left it over night and was pleased to find it very active the following morning. I gave it some more sugar water and released it into my hot lips shrub.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Amanda Bailey

      1. That’s wonderful! They can indeed appear dead when they’re very cold. Thank you for thinking of the possibility, and saving your bee as a result :)

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

    2. Hello John, My name is Amanda.

      I just read your bee story, and I am completely moved.

      I just saved a bee with some honeycomb & a drop of water, and was wondering if other people had done the same.

      That's when I ran across your adorable bee story.

      I am quite curious to know what happened to your little bee friend. Did he stick around for much longer afterwards?

      I am assuming he had to go back to his hive eventually... Did he ever return? I hope he did.

      Do you still have pictures?

      I hope I'm not being too forward...

      Thanks for reading my email.

      Have A Blessed Day!

      Amanda B.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Amanda

      1. Hi Amanda, I have just posted John's story, along with his photos (and a video!) here: John's story of the 'Bee that Stayed' There you'll be able to find out what happened to his little bumble bee friend :)

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

    3. That is a really charming story :)

      I can definitely bee-lieve it too (for one thing, they do like the warmth from our bodies). Though I’ve never heard of a bee sounding quite so attached to one person!!

      I’d love to see your photos when you get a chance to send them (see my email to you), and perhaps post one or two with your permission? It’s always nice for people to see how gentle and adorable bees are, and how there’s no reason to be afraid to help them!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  793. Hello :-) I have recently started providing water to an ever increasing number of honeybees. It is super hot right now in my part of Texas and though I've tried to create shade over the water source (flat dishes with rocks and clear glass marbles) it's still super hot! Are they not affected by standing on the sun heated rocks drinking that hot water? I've found a couple of bees that died in the water but hundreds are drinking and it's become quite the place to hangout, it would seem! I am just super worried for them. I do refresh the water multiple times each day, but the heat is extreme and the water is hot within minutes. Thank you for any input!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to BeefriendTX

    1. Honey bees can take quite a bit of heat, so I wouldn’t be too worried about the water temperature. No matter what the season, they keep their own hives around 95 degrees (the optimal temperature for developing bees). It’s a little hard to say for sure how hot your water is without measuring it. If you’re concerned, what I would do is to use light- or white-colored dishes with clear glass marbles and light-colored rocks. It would be just a bit cooler for them that way.

      The reason so many honey bees are coming to visit you is to bring water back to their hives :) They store the water in a special stomach, often called the honey stomach or crop (usually used for nectar). The water is then used to maintain their hive temperature and cool their developing young. They spread the water in a thin layer across sealed brood, or along the edges of cells containing larvae and eggs. Other bees then fan the water with their wings, evaporating it and creating a cooling effect (in a similar way to an air conditioner)!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. A note about my previous comment: when you're providing water in a dish for lots of bees (on a hot summer day), make sure only to use water (don't add sugar). Honey bees need pure water in order to cool their hives in summer. Also, sugar is not ideal food for any bee... it's good as an emergency measure (getting energy to an exhausted bee fast), but it's important that bees get all the additional nutrients from flower nectar in their daily lives.

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  794. Hi i have been finding dead bees of every species around my garden i fear a neighbour is using spray pesticides i found a red tailed bee in a poor shape yesterday looked on the outside beautiful but not moving very fast pulling her legs into her body i fed her sugar water which she took and sheltered her for the night she seems to become more active after a feed but is still not moving as i would expect i have rescued many bees over the years her wings are moving at times she cleans herself her legs are moving slowly but i am on night number 2 and there is no sign of improvement just the same im hoping she makes it through the night is there anything i can do with pesticide poisoning? I have approached the neighbour but i didnt get far...

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Mia Bee saver

    1. I fear you may be right with your diagnosis of acute pesticide poisoning, given the dead bees of other species you're finding in your garden :( My first thought is to keep doing exactly what you're doing, just making the bee as comfortable as possible. My next thought is to hope that flushing her system with sugar water might help remove some of the toxins from her body. I do not know of any other way to help her though, I wish I did... I don't think there's anything else that can be done. And I'm sorry to hear about your neighbor, it seems impossible to convince some people of the vital importance bees have to all of us.

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. She passed during the night but i know she was comfortable and will keep up the good fight!

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Mia Bee saver

  795. I just saved a bee from my pool. It was holding onto the hose for the vacuum and kept getting swamped by ripples. I managed to get them out of the water but it wouldn't leave the hose until it had completed cleaning. I was so scared but when it stuck it's toung out and started cleaning it's antenna. I thought it was the cutest thing.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Tori

    1. That's wonderful! They're simply adorable, aren't they?! :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. I was terrified. But yeah they are cute. The problem is when they do a top gun fly by 1/2 an inch from my head and they scare the crap out of me

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Tori

  796. I think we might have given the bee too much sugar water (before reading this page!) and it looks a little bit wet now....and still looks like it is struggling. What should we do - give the bee time to drink more of the sugar water before moving it (again....as we moved it from the floor on a bust high street to the floor of our balcony), or should we try and give it a chance to wash some of the sticky sugar water off? I don't want to do more harm than good :(

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Annette

    1. I’d advise holding back on anything further and just letting the bee rest on your balcony. I would give the bee plenty of time to clean itself off, and not disturb it further by moving it, unless it’s in danger of getting far messier still if it’s near a large puddle of sugar water. If it is near such a puddle, instead of moving the bee, try using a paper towel to absorb some excess (not on the bee itself, just nearby). I’d then let the bee alone, because moving it may stress it further. She (or he) will be able to clean their body off given time, and will absorb energy from the sugar water by doing so too.

      I hope this helps! Bees can clean themselves off very effectively, and I would just leave this bee to do so in its own time. Having had the sugar water to begin with should have helped, even if it did get everywhere! I’d just advise against any further intervention until the bee starts to look as though it’s recovering and moving about more again. Also, if it’s in the sun, perhaps shade it a bit (without moving it) so that it has more of a chance to clean off the sugar water before it dries.

      I wish you and your bee all the best! Thank you for caring about this bee and taking good care of it :)

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  797. Um this isn't really about a wet bee but when the beekeeper came to help us extract the honey the other day a couple bees got stuck in the honey and their wings were coated. I think they made it since I didnt see them where I placed them outside when I went back out but is there a proper way to address this problem?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Eryn

    1. Their sisters will help clean them off :) It really takes another bee (or few bees) to address this problem. They're able to clean each other off in a way we never could, using their tongues to remove all the honey. I've seen it once and been amazed at how they can clean each other up! So you did the right thing, just getting them out of the honey!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  798. Hi there. Today I found a bee in my pool. I have no idea how long it was in there for but when I got it out it was not moving. I let it go for a few moments thinking it was dead. Then about 3 minutes later I nudged it and it's arms moved. I've been trying to put flowers near by it and give it a warm area however it's about 60° f where I live and I'm concerned that the bee won't get the sun that it needs to dry.... it's also almost night... is there any alternatives I can do to dry it??? Thank you.

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Carlie

    1. Do you have a heat lamp that you could place perhaps a foot away or so? Or perhaps you might put the bee in something like a shoebox with a few smaller-than-bee-sized-holes for air, and then bring it into your house where it’s warmer for the night? You could then release the bee in the morning if she’s doing ok.

      It’d be great if you could also mix up some sugar water too, just normal sugar (not brown), mixed 50/50 with room temperature water. You could put a few drops on a small spoon near the bee in the box. If her tongue is hanging out, you might even maneuver a drop directly under her tongue?

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. Hi there, thank you for the immediate response.... I'd love to take the bee inside however I have two cats.... The bee started to walk on its own. I put it in the bottom of a flower pot so it can easily get in and out.... I also put clovers in it... and it has the option to get out and roam, but it won't even when I nudged it it kinda just moved around in there. I tried to give it some sugar water however it completely ignored it.... do you think I should try to put it in my shed with the show box idea or let it on its own??

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Carlie

        1. I probably wouldn’t put her in the shed, only because if she wants to leave, it'll be harder for her (I was just thinking of warming her up by bringing her indoors, and keeping her safe from escape by putting her in a box). If you were to put her in the shed, I’d leave whatever she’s in open (flower pot or box), with the door ajar too so that she can easily leave if she’s interested in doing so.

          As long as she has some food easily accessible, I’m hopeful for her chance of success! Bees are accustomed to being cold at night, so don’t be surprised still to find the bee where you left her in the morning. Hopefully with the morning sun she’ll warm up (that is, if she doesn’t leave before then). Walking on her own already is a very good sign indeed! :)

          And if you do put her somewhere sheltered for the night, and she’s still there in the early morning, I’d make sure to move her into the bright sun as soon as it’s up, to speed her recovery further! The only reason to shelter her for the night, even outdoors, is that she’ll be a target for predators until she’s feeling better and can move quickly and fly again. But she might have her own plans (if she starts feeling much better), which is why I suggest leaving a door (or window) open for her so that she can go back to her nest if she’s able!

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  799. Hi I found two bees in my pool today I scooped them out and put them on some kitchen roll I tried drying them off as much as I could and blew on them to dry them more then I have put them on more kitchen roll and left them on my windowsill in the sun will they be alright they are not moving at all and I fear they may already be dead

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Faith

    1. Thank you for taking the time to scoop bees out of your pool!

      I fear though that they may have been in there too long, judging from your comments. If they do not respond or move at all when you gently nudge them, then they are indeed probably dead :( Unfortunately, they will have expended a great deal of energy trying to free themselves from the water, before you came to save them.

      If you find other bees that are still moving in your pool in the future, try giving them a 50/50 mix of sugar with room temperature water, placing several drops near them. This will help restore their energy after a near-drowning experience.

      It’s also a good idea to let bees air-dry in the sun, as it’s very difficult to dry them off. Bees can recover well after getting a bit wet, but the longer they spend in the water, the more trouble they’ll have. Giving them sugar-water and a safe, sunny spot to dry off helps in most cases.

      One idea to help is also to put out a shallow dish of water with stones in it for perches, placing it near your pool. Bees get thirsty too, and if they’re looking for a drink, they’ll find a safer place this way!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  800. i just found about 10 sluggish bees in my apartment's stairwell (around midnight). i scooped them up and brought them out to my pool area where there are plants they can rest on. i found about 10 more bees in the pool and 20 just around the door. i scooped all the pool bees out ,and i could hear and feel them buzz, but there won't be sunlight for another 7 hours. will the bees be ok? and do you have any idea why so many are crawling, not flying, down a stairwell and flying into the pool at midnight? is it the light in the pool maybe? thanks!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to nico h

    1. This has me a bit stumped. I wonder if you might be able to send me a photo of your bees (if they’re still around)? Or do you happen to know if they’re honey bees, bumble bees, or some other type of bee?

      Bees aren’t attracted to lights at night, so that’s a bit odd too. Almost all bees (with a few tropical exceptions) are day-flying only, and stay in hives, holes in the ground, hollow tunnels in wood or dried stems, or flowers at night (depending on the type of bee and its gender).

      How are they doing this morning (if they’re still there)? As for flying into the pool, they may be thirsty (bees need water too). What I do is put out a shallow dish with some pebbles in it (for landing perches) on hot days. But that still doesn’t explain why they’re in the stairwell or around the door, which is really puzzling me!

      I’m hoping that seeing a photo of the bees will shed more light on this, because it does depend on the type of bee, in terms of what the reason might be for where you found them.

      Thank you for rescuing them from the pool and indoors, they certainly shouldn’t be in those places!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. It turns out these were honey bees. Apparently a colony had established itself on the roof of the building and needed relocating. If you ever know of honey bees that are unwanted in their location, call a local beekeeper. They will either come to fetch the bees themselves with proper equipment, or put you in touch with someone who will!

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  801. I found a bee in my paddling pool today - I scooped it out and gave it a little bit of honey!! ( then I read this!)

    It is 7pm so no sunlight! Where is the best place for him overnight??

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Nicebee

    1. How is your bee now? If your bee is mostly dry and moving around well (wings buzzing a bit?), I'd suggest putting your bee outdoors somewhere that looks safe and sheltered near where you found it (but not too close to the pool)! If your bee is still wet and not moving around much, I'd suggest putting him or her in a shoebox with holes punched for air, and waiting to release the bee in the early morning. This would keep your bee safe from predators while recovering. A snack of sugar water might be just the thing for the morning too, if you do keep your bee overnight... but your bee might well be nicely dry and just buzz right off by then!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  802. I found a bee who's right wing was pretty tattered he was in the sink and I got him out with a spoon. I put him on a tissue after letting him drink his fill of sugar and water as said above. He appears to be sleeping. Do bees sleep? Email me please

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Seaera

    1. Is it sunny where you are? Can you put your bee out in the sun? They do rest and sleep, but not during the day (though they’re late up and early to bed, typically). Tattered wings are usually a sign of age, though if it’s just one wing, then maybe something else caused it (like struggling in the water). Was the bee simply struggling weakly when you got him (or her) out, or was the bee still energetic at that point?

      Thank you so much for caring enough to look this up and to try to save your bee :) Fingers crossed, your bee will get better… warming up in the sun is a good way to dry off and recharge after a near-drowning experience! Was it just water in the sink, or soapy water?

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

  803. This is great. Very informative! Thank you!

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Erykah

  804. Hi, I have a phobia of flying insects but understand the importance of bees. I just found a (large!) bumble bee in my toilet!

    I was about to flush it when I realised it was moving! I scooped it out with a mug (shouting "please don't fly!" At it the whole time) and tipped it on to outside window ledge in my kitchen. I gave it some sugar water. It was upside down so I used a spoon to help it stand up. I was SO scared the whole time. I shut the window for 5 mins to wash my hands, and when I opened it the bee was gone. I hope it survived.

    Anyways my question is WHY was it in my toilet!? How did it get in my house, and why would it go in the toilet! Can they swim like that? How long do you reckon it would have been there for? I'm trying to figure out if it came in when I got home from work or if it was already in the house. I'm so frightened in case there are other bees! Please can you email me?

    Reply

    Leave a Reply to Do bees not drown

    1. That’s so great that you saved your bee!! :) She would certainly have not been in your toilet for long. They can only survive for some number of minutes (not quite sure how long) in water before drowning. It’s hard to say if she was already in the house, or if she came in later when you got back home. Either way, she likely stumbled into the bathroom, perhaps looking for a drink of water?

      If she was a big bumble bee, she was probably a queen bumble bee. She’ll be alone, so there won’t be others in your home, not to worry! She would have got confused once indoors, and if it was cool indoors, she would have been slowed down by that... and by falling in the water! Poor little bee, but you did all the right things, and not finding her on your window ledge afterwards is a really good sign! Giving her sugar water is absolutely the thing to do to help her on her way too :) And since she was a big bumble bee, probably a queen, you’ll have saved more than just her life, because she’ll start a little bumble bee colony of her own (somewhere safely outdoors), which is great, because we need every bee!

      If you’d like to put out water for bees (they need water too sometimes), a shallow dish with little pebbles in it is a great way to do that. Sometimes it’s hard for them to find water that’s easy for them to drink from without risking drowning!

      Reply

      Leave a Reply to Elise Fog

      1. I have just watched on tv that you should not give bees water and sugar as it can cause bees harm .

        Reply

        Leave a Reply to D. Smyth

        1. It depends on the type of sugar (as above). It is also important (as I indicate on this page) only to feed bees sugar water in an emergency, not typically. However, if fed in an emergency, it enables folks to save bee lives. I’ve heard many such success stories, as well as having had it work for me personally many times. The Bumblebee Conservation Trust also recommends sugar water in such cases: https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/winter-active-bumblebees/

          Reply

          Leave a Reply to Elise Fog