bumble bee deaths

[catbee]

I found a couple of dozen dead bees im my conservatory a few weeks ago. I hadn't used insecticides. I then found that spiders had blocked the open windows with a sticky web. Many of the bees looked as if they had got tangled up in this.
The bumblebee conservation trust has always been helpful when I have contacted them with bumblebee queries. The website is
The Bumblebee Conservation Trust
I am sure that they would be interested in this thread.

[beech]

A few years ago I came accross around 10 or more dead bumbles under some birch trees, On inspection I found all had a single small hole in the abdomen, apart from this they were intact. It was spring and I thought they may have been infected with some sort of parasite, but could,nt understand why so many were in the same area

[Cheesemonkey]

I'm situated right on the very edge of Dartmoor National Park,
and I have noticed about 30 or so dead Bumble bees outside today, they have been dropping for a few days now and I can't understand why! so I googled.....which is how I ended up here.
I've just read through these posts and went outside to look at our dead and dying bees, no sign of damage by birds, and the dead ones! I've just turned over to find they do not appear to be hollow. No Lime tree near by either! Warm sunny weather too! I have friends higher up the road who keep hives of hunny bees maybe I should ask their opinon.

[nightshade]

The Great Tits very occasionally take bumbles, especially if the feeders are empty and leave a corpse as described with the abdomen empty, but dont Hornets do the same?
http://www.bumblebee.org/PREDATORS.htm