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Good morning rain again and bumblebees

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  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    I read somewhere that you should give sugar rather than honey in case it spreads a virus or whatever. I suppose a bit of jam would save dissolving tge sugar.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • HippophaeHippophae Posts: 154
    edited June 2019
    A bumblee trying to hide or seek shelter from the rain in a pineapple broom (Cytisus battandieri) flower cluster. I found the bum and rear legs hanging out quite comical. 

  • RubytooRubytoo Posts: 1,630
    Nice @Hippophae Sweet and amusing poor thing :)

    @dappledshade We do the same to "blot" the bees also useful for spiders that fall in the bath/shower. It wicks the water away gently.

    @B3 I have read the same but hands up, been guilty of giving honey in the past. I thought ours was heat treated and would be okay, but now I am not so sure.

    I am now thinking it does not take a minute to drop a little sugar in warm water to dissolve.
    I will try to be calmer and not panic that they need a quick fix, they won't die in that  minutes it takes.

    Jam what a good idea wonder what flavour they might prefer :D

    @Papi Jo  Had your bee in salvia been overnight in rough weather or rain?
    Like Hippophaes but yours had even less "shelter"
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I had a couple like that hanging out of the first peony flower the other day, Hippophae  :D
    We wouldn't have bees or butterflies at all here if they couldn't cope with several days of rain. Glesgae bees though - they're 'hard'  ;)  
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    Tried to rescue one this morning that l found in one of the empty plant trays. Thought it had drowned but it was still alive, so did the water and sugar treatment. Never thought to try kitchen towel,  l will do that next time. Last time l saw it, it was on a hardy geranium, but amazingly it's raining yet again,  so l will check later. Poor bees.
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