Handling a Bee and removing excess mites without harming it.

JamesHamilton · #1 (**permalink**) 22-03-2010, 10:34 AM

Hello There,

I don't know if anyone can help at all. We found a distressed and weak bumble bee in our garden yesterday. It's quite small (similar to the tip of a man's little finger). I went straight on to Google to find ways to help it, and it seemed to go straight for the honey and sugared water I put in the box with it.

It seems a little stronger now but I noticed that it has a lot of little white mites on it, way more than I have seen in pictures on the internet and from what people seem to be saying are normal amounts, and they seemed to be really annoying it and impeding its flight (you can see it trying to brush them off). I don't know the mite's technical name but they seem to be the ones that just use the bee for transport rather than actually feed off or damage it.

I tried the 'dunking' technique shown in How to Repair a Bumble Bee - UK Safari but the mites didn't come off, and it led to a very annoyed bee indeed. It's now dry but still annoyed by the mites (and me). I managed to pick off one or two with tweezers as they walked over the bee, but the bee panics every time I pick one off. There's possibly 40 mites on it, but it could be more. It also seems to randomly lift a front leg every now and then and hold it there (not always the same leg).

I'd just like to know how to sedate the bee so I might be able to pick off the mites with tweezers. They look easy enough to get to but I just need a still and calm bee in order to do it, and want to know how to handle the bee so I can move it around to get access to the mites without hurting the bee. I'm especially worried about damaging its wings.

I've read in a couple of places that I could put in in the fridge for a while to sedate it but I don't know if that works, or how long I should do that for without harming it?

Can anyone advise at all, or know who I could ask?

James Hamilton

JRsbugs · #2 (**permalink**) 22-03-2010, 01:21 PM

Hi James, welcome to WAB.

You could try putting it in the fridge, I haven't done that and I couldn't say how long you would need to do it for but I personally wouldn't like to distress the bee more. It may be the best way however, as it will be distressed anyway.

The way I removed masses of mites when I found one struggling was with two thin twigs. I held it down gently on the grass with one twig, and gently prodded the mites with the other. The bee was tumbled around a bit too, when some jumped off but prodding them makes them jump off.

They have a very tough body casing and are not easily damaged, if it was a small bumble it's probably Bombus pratorum and at this time of year will be a queen. Does it have a red tail tip and yellow bands?

I was also worried about damaging the wings, but I held them up with a twig and prodded off the mites, there was plenty under the wings, it's whole body was covered in them. The wings didn't get damaged.

It took me at least half an hour with maybe one or two I couldn't get so I left them, then I placed the bumble on an Anemone blanda flower where it proceeded to clean itself up and have a rest. I saw it later feeding, a happy bee!

Janet

paulinemiller10 · #3 (**permalink**) 22-03-2010, 02:05 PM

They should come off with dunking in the water James, it needs to be less than hand warm, put bumble on a stick or something, and then use a small paintbrush to brush them into the water, take your time, don't worry about bumble getting cross, she will soon recover, I put them under a lamp to dry, or use a hairdryer.

Or you could just keep her in a bed with food and bedding, after a while the mites will settle in the bedding, you then just have to change it a few times to get rid of most of them, I don't think they bite bumble, just use her for a lift to the next nest where they make their home, but when there are too many, it makes it hard for bumble to fly with the extra weight and weak after hibernation. Pauline.

You might like to read my Bumble Story.

Cowgirl · #4 (**permalink**) 22-03-2010, 03:30 PM

Definately recommend reading Pauline's bumble bee story. Worth it even if you don't have a bee to rescue.

Beekeeper · #5 (**permalink**) 22-03-2010, 08:22 PM

Tobacco smoke will usually force the mites to vacate their host, the bumble wont like it much but its only for a few seconds, i did try the water treatment on one sometime ago and the shock of the cold water finished off the weak bumble.

Ian

JamesHamilton · #6 (**permalink**) 23-03-2010, 09:11 AM

Thank you very much for your replies JRsbugs, paulinemiller10, Cowgirl & Beekeeper!

This story had a happy ending, which I was pleased about considering the bee had pretty much given up by the time I found it.

Before your posts came through, I thought I'd try the tweezer technique again as the mites did seem to go for a wander over the bee a lot, giving me a chance to pick them off one at a time. The bee seemed to realise I wasn't trying to harm it this time and was much more patient with me doing that (or maybe thought I'd bath it again if it didn't comply!), so I was able to remove most of the economy travellers with a little patience.

After a break and more honey & sugared water, the bee seemed to come into it's own and started to fly around the box (it tried to fly a while after it's first feeding the day before but could not take off). It looked quite strong and confident now so I took the box into the garden and removed the lid. A few moments later it took to the skies and off it went, looking like a totally new bee. It was a pleasure to watch.

JRsbugs, it did have a red tail tip and yellow bands. Beautiful little thing.

Pauline, I've found numerous comments about your Bumble Story on Google but the only link I found for it didn't work. Could you tell me the correct link, I'd love to read it.

Thanks again for all your advice, it will certainly help in future as I'm sure I will get the occasional guest bee that needs some help so I'll be better prepared this time.

I hope you all have a good week,

James.

Cowgirl · #7 (**permalink**) 23-03-2010, 03:45 PM

Here you go James (Hope this works!)

Bumble Bee Story.

paulinemiller10 · #8 (**permalink**) 27-03-2010, 11:35 AM

Pauline, I've found numerous comments about your Bumble Story on Google but the only link I found for it didn't work. Could you tell me the correct link, I'd love to read it.

Thanks again for all your advice, it will certainly help in future as I'm sure I will get the occasional guest bee that needs some help so I'll be better prepared this time.

I hope you all have a good week,

James.[/quote]

Sorry the link did'nt work James, the page was in yahoo geocities, but yahoo sent us notice to say they were closing it all down, it closed about a year ago.
At the bottom of the bumble bee story there are page no's 1,2,3, there are pics of the feeder story from last year if you hav'nt read it. Pauline.

brianholland · #9 (**permalink**) 02-04-2010, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesHamilton

Hello There,

I don't know if anyone can help at all. We found a distressed and weak bumble bee in our garden yesterday. It's quite small (similar to the tip of a man's little finger). I went straight on to Google to find ways to help it, and it seemed to go straight for the honey and sugared water I put in the box with it.

It seems a little stronger now but I noticed that it has a lot of little white mites on it, way more than I have seen in pictures on the internet and from what people seem to be saying are normal amounts, and they seemed to be really annoying it and impeding its flight (you can see it trying to brush them off). I don't know the mite's technical name but they seem to be the ones that just use the bee for transport rather than actually feed off or damage it.

I tried the 'dunking' technique shown in How to Repair a Bumble Bee - UK Safari but the mites didn't come off, and it led to a very annoyed bee indeed. It's now dry but still annoyed by the mites (and me). I managed to pick off one or two with tweezers as they walked over the bee, but the bee panics every time I pick one off. There's possibly 40 mites on it, but it could be more. It also seems to randomly lift a front leg every now and then and hold it there (not always the same leg).

I'd just like to know how to sedate the bee so I might be able to pick off the mites with tweezers. They look easy enough to get to but I just need a still and calm bee in order to do it, and want to know how to handle the bee so I can move it around to get access to the mites without hurting the bee. I'm especially worried about damaging its wings.

I've read in a couple of places that I could put in in the fridge for a while to sedate it but I don't know if that works, or how long I should do that for without harming it?

Can anyone advise at all, or know who I could ask?

James Hamilton

James how interesting as my wife took a photograph of a red tailed bumble bee with mites and I wonder if the mites on the bee she photographed are the same as the ones that were troubling your bee. Here is the bee in question.

Very interested in the replies you received - all very helpful.

Brian.

stripee · #10 (**permalink**) 02-04-2010, 01:10 PM

I heard on Radio 4 last week, that the bumble bees that are seen now are the queen bees that have overwintered - the rest of the hive dying off. The mites live normally with the bumbles in the nest, and climb onto the queen when she emerges in the Spring. They are all looking for a new home together. The programme said the mites were not harmful to the bees although some bees do seem to have an excessive number.

I had a crowd of bumble bees a couple of weeks ago, some keeled over exhausted after briefly coming indoors. One died, one was revived with sugary water. Possibly it was the lack of flowers and cold that they seemed so weak. I've tried in the past to remove the mites, but now I think it could be other things that cause bumble death.

Since then, probably because of bad weather, I haven't see any bumble bees at all.