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Good morning rain again and bumblebees

BrexiteerBrexiteer Birmingham Posts: 955
in Wildlife gardening
How long can bees go without food or collecting pollen ?? I ask because we're on our 5th constant day of rain or drizzle and plants that are usually full of bees are empty. Also butterflies can't fly in the rain  i presume so how long can they last ??
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  • OmoriOmori North YorkshirePosts: 1,659
    I don't have the specific answer to your question, but it is currently raining here and the bees are still visiting our Foxgloves.  These are growing towards the edge of a canopy of conifers, and are a bit sheltered from the worst of the rain, so perhaps the various pollinators find these types of sources.
  • wild edgeswild edges The north west of south east WalesPosts: 8,878
    They're cold blooded so they don't need food in the way we do. Bumblebees use a huge amount of energy to fly though. It's something crazy like a human sized bumblebee needing a constant supply of mars bars just to fly. If they can't get nectar they just have to chill out and down tools until the weather improves. They build wax pots in the nest to store food for a literal rainy day to keep the grubs growing though. The bees were doing a late shift here last night collecting food until it was nearly dark just to make use of a break in the weather.
    Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people
  • RubytooRubytoo On the sofa, Southerly aspect.Posts: 1,287
    edited June 2019
    We had a bumble bee sat overnight in a clematis cirrhosa flower earlier in the year.
    I had noticed a big dark mark in one thinking the flower was damaged or rotting. Went out in the morning to see a bumble hanging on. It had been horrible and windy during the night, I felt so bad I had not checked .
    Brought it in and fed it, warmed and dried, it flew off home.
    Warm fuzzy feeling :)
  • CeresCeres Posts: 2,149
    We've had bumble bees on the nepeta throughout the rain.
  • Papi JoPapi Jo Brittany, France Posts: 3,706
    I posted a related (picture) story on my garden site a few years ago:


    You are invited to a virtual visit of my garden (in English or in French).
  • ElizaRoseElizaRose East AngliaPosts: 121
    I saw two dead bumble bees on the pavement when I went for a coffee break. A third was alive on the pavement. I thought it might want water so I picked up a wet branch and put it near the bee. It flew up into a plant. I forgot that there was water all around. I was glad the bee was still alive. I don't know how the others died. Maybe got squashed by pedestrians or hit by a car? I'm in Cambridge and today was the first day of the week without rain.
  • dappledshadedappledshade Top of the Hill, North London Posts: 982
    BirminghamMarc1972 said:
    How long can bees go without food or collecting pollen ?? I ask because we're on our 5th constant day of rain or drizzle and plants that are usually full of bees are empty. Also butterflies can't fly in the rain  i presume so how long can they last ??
    I saw a couple of very bedraggled bees trying to fly in the downpours, poor things. I was wondering how long they could go without food too...
  • dappledshadedappledshade Top of the Hill, North London Posts: 982
    Rubytoo said:
    We had a bumble bee sat overnight in a clematis cirrhosa flower earlier in the year.
    I had noticed a big dark mark in one thinking the flower was damaged or rotting. Went out in the morning to see a bumble hanging on. It had been horrible and windy during the night, I felt so bad I had not checked .
    Brought it in and fed it, warmed and dried, it flew off home.
    Warm fuzzy feeling :)
    My daughter scooped one up that was looking very much the worst for wear...put it in on a sheet of kitchen roll to blot it out, then gave it a tiny blob of honey. In went the proboscis, minutes later it flew off 😁
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Central Norfolk UKPosts: 82,263
    Thats why bees make honey ... to eat when the weather is too cold for them to get nectar. 
    “I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” Winnie the Pooh







  • BrexiteerBrexiteer Birmingham Posts: 955
    You learn something new every day thank you 👍👍
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