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A little adventure

josusa47josusa47 Posts: 2,217
in Wildlife gardening
Kneeling and wielding my trowel this afternoon, I felt something tickling my leg.  Resisting the instinct to give it a slap, I stood up carefully and gently shook the leg of my jeans.  Out fell a bumble bee - a lucky escape for us both!  I'm happy to say we parted as friends.  Now I'm wondering what it mistook me for.

Posts

  • Blue OnionBlue Onion Posts: 1,783
    Somewhere warm and cozy to spend the afternoon, likely!  
    Utah, USA.
  • PurplerainPurplerain Posts: 908
    I nearly drowned one this afternoon. I was so apologetic and lifted him gently (I had on rubber gloves) and placed him on some ivy. Not sure that was the right thing to do, but he had gone when I went back to look. He was a very big bee, too big for a girl I thought.
    SW Scotland
  • Blue OnionBlue Onion Posts: 1,783
    I saw two different bubble bees flying along today while on recess duty.. trying to make it into a 20mph headwind without much luck.  Not sure where they were off to, but they both seemed determined to get there.  
    Utah, USA.
  • wild edgeswild edges The north west of south east WalesPosts: 3,090
    Purplerain said:
    I nearly drowned one this afternoon. I was so apologetic and lifted him gently (I had on rubber gloves) and placed him on some ivy. Not sure that was the right thing to do, but he had gone when I went back to look. He was a very big bee, too big for a girl I thought.
    It would have been a female and most likely a queen if it was big. The queens are the only bumblebees to survive the winter and new males are only born late in the season ready to mate and die when the cold weather kicks in.

    with wet bees I fish out of the pond I use a bit of tissue paper to blot them dry. You only have to gently touch the bee and all the water is sucked right off them. Amazing to watch. Then put them in the sun (if we ever have any) and they'll warm back up in no time.
  • PurplerainPurplerain Posts: 908
    Thank you hernond. That was very interesting. I will know what to do if it happens again.
    SW Scotland
  • raisingirlraisingirl East Devon, on the Edge of Exmoor.Posts: 3,500
    If you find them apparently cold and/or soaked and torpid then you can put a little drop of sugar water on a leaf or in a spoon next to them to help them gain strength to fly. You're not supposed to give them honey, apparently, in case it's the wrong sort of honey
    It's hard to love, there's so much to hate
    Hanging on to hope when there is no hope to speak of
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