Bumble Bee Story.

[paulinemiller10]

I 've been watching the bumbles for a few years, and have done a little bit to help them every year, it is very interesting, and I did more this year, making plans for next year, somethings I do don t always work, and some do, but I m learning all the time, I have put a web page together to show you some of the things I've done, and the story of some bumbles that would have died if I had'nt moved them to a better place, and it was lovely to watch the new queens on live cam going off to start their new life.
http://www.geocities.com/paulinemill...?1163613824468
Hope you enjoy the Bumble Story, and if anyone has any advice they would like to share, I would love to hear from them. Pauline.

[Wild-Woman]

What a smashing story and what a caring person you must be. Very impressive. The accomodation looks brilliant. What lucky bumbles.
I look forward to next years episode. julie

[aeshna5]

I try + grow as many bumblebee plants as possible. It's been shown that in recent winters that there are winter-active colonies of Bombus terrestris at least in the south. I'm still seeing workers of B. pascuorum on my Hebes (particularly Midsummer Beauty which is a great nectar plant), so I'm wondering whether this species is now following suit + overwintering or whether the summer colonies are just prolonged due to mild conditions, though we did have 3/4 frosty nights a week or so back?

[paulinemiller10]

Glad you enjoyed my bumble bee story Julie, I don t have so many bumble bees visiting or nesting in my garden these last two years, so thought I would try and get a few more in my garden, but will have to wait and see if it works.

I have only seen honey bees since the frost Aeshna5, I had a look on the last sunny day, I was in the garden most of the day and I did nt see one, only the honey bees.
Yes I ve been getting plants for bumbles, they like the willow tree in early Spring, and they love the fuschia, I have two large bushes by my back door, and when I go through the door in the summer, there is buzzing every where, and they get used to people back and fore, so they get quite tame. Pauline

[nightshade]

I read your story today (it was unavailable yesterday) you really seem to have your bees sorted
I have tried bamboo tubes around 3"dia filled with sheeps wool (yes off the barbed wire)
and a hanging basket mix of wool and horsehair/moss(asda).The tubes have the ends plugged and a long entrance fitted and are placed anywhere bumble bees search in the garden ,secured with zip-ties(cable ties)to fences or shrubs
Alas still no takers but at least I am giving them a chance (bee-napping bee-ing considered)

[paulinemiller10]

That sounds a good idea Nightshade, I think it maybe getting the place right, and maybe the entrance hole,they need to be able to see it, but I ve found once they nest in a place, the new queens will come back and nest in the same place if the bird box is still there, so I m going to put cardboard boxes inside the bird boxes, and when they settle in, I can lift the box out and put it in the new box where they will be safe, I know it works as I moved two this year, but it was later in the year, so did nt save so many queens, but will move them earlier next year, they should do well.
I ll have to looking for sheeps wool lol, must keep my bumbles warm. Pauline.

[paulinemiller10]

28th November
A loud buzzing woke me up this morning, buzz buzz buzz, it was on the window, looked behind the curtains, and there was a queen bumble bee, got a box and put her in, its cold out, she looked thin and a bit slow, and looking closer she was covered in mites, all crawling around, thought I would put her in one of the new bumble boxes, did nt take long to set it up, gave her a honey drink, she was very hungry, and some flowers in her box, then put a cam on her.

She spent most of her time scratching, I think there are just too many mites on her, and maybe that’s why she is out in November, I remember reading about a lady who washed the bumbles, so I could do it too, a bowl of warm water, rubber gloves, bit scary….brought the bumble box in, she had settled down as it was cold and was quiet now, so picked her up and put her straight in the water, and gave her a cork to hang on to, then with a small paint brush, brushed at the mites, there were loads of them, they must have been thick around her thin waist, and they were all dropping off in the water, had to pour away and get fresh, they were trying to climb on her face, poor bumble, she was being bitten to bits, and now she had to put up with me trying to get them off, she kept buzzing, and trying to get out poor thing.

And when I put her back in bed, there seemed to be loads more jumping on her in the bed, so took her out, another wash, got rid of all the bedding I had only just put in for her, and got some more, put the small heater on for her in the shelter, and she is now nice and warm in her clean bed, and nearly all the mites gone, somehow I don t think I would have got everyone, and I could’nt leave her in the water for too long.

So she is now quietly sleeping on the warm floorboards of her house, she has stopped scratching and looks nice and fluffy and happy, the heater is underneath her floorboards which are nice and warm, and she has found the warmest spot and is sleeping there, there is a baked bean can with a ten watt bulb under the floorboards and a dimmer to turn it to the right temperature, I know what to set the dimmer to as I tested it on the bumbles in the summer.

I will see how she is tomorrow, and if it’s a nice day and she is strong enough I will open her door, or she may have gone into hibernation, its so strange a bumble coming through my window, like she knew she would get help, I hav nt seen a bumble for a good while, did see some honey bee s a few weeks ago.
Just been to check on bumble, and she was in her warm bed with her tongue out looking for food, so put a small bowl of honey drink in her bed so she does nt have to go out in the cold, and she had a drink while I was there, she looks a lot better, she s nice and fluffy now.

All this happened two days ago.

Bumble is looking much better today, she s grown quite fat, and she s nice and fluffy, so I opened bumble's shutter today, and after about half an hour she came out, and flew off, its been quite nice here today with a warm wind, my pet bunz where enjoying the garden munching on the leaves, and when I went to check on them by the back door, there was my bumble, she was looking for the fuschia flowers that grow around the back door, so looks like she may stay around the garden, so hope she makes it through the winter and comes back in Spring.

I think I would have had second thoughts about letting bumble out today if I d seen how the weather was going to be like tonight, its blowing a gale , poor bumble I hope she s found a dry place for the night. Pauline.

[Wild-Woman]

Do you know what Pauline, that is one of the nicest things I've ever read on WAB. You've gone a long way in restoring my faith in human nature.
By the time I'd finished reading it, I had a real lump in my throat.
If only we were all as caring as that. That queen bumble DID know, I'm sure, that you were going to help her out.

I'm going to relay your story to the children in my environment club(with your permission of course) to get their reaction.
Of course I will also tell them that it's a job for bumble professionals like yourself and that although there is a small risk of being stung, it's best left to bee handlers.

Keep us updated Pauline,but for now-thank you-you've started my day off on a high.
Cheers

Julie

[RobSutton]

I'm not sure the mites would have been biting - they were probably just hitching a lift. The technical term is phoresis. The mites would have been feeding on the debris in the old nest and when the queen flies off to hibernate some of the mites go with her so that when a new nest is established next spring the mites drop off and feed again on the debris. You see a similar thing with dung beetles where mites hitch a lift from dropping to dropping. It's not in the mites interest to harm the bee or beetle, just think of them as harmless hitch-hikers trying to play their role in the ecosystem.

[smartie]

Just caught up with your story, Pauline. What a caring person. And how well you tell the stories, too. Please keep us updated on your bumbles next year.

Carol

[nightshade]

Hello Pauline,a well told tale.Are there more than one type of mite? I frequently see bumblebees grounded and buzzing furiously covered in mites these will now be rescued and bathed where ever possible (assume the wash was plain warm water)
I shall also be moving some of the buried flower-pot nests to see if a more suitable spot
sunny/dry can befound before the queens come out in the early spring,although there are still b/bees around today after the torrential rain we have had

[Susie]

What a lovely story and what a lovely person you must be to care so much about your bumbles, Pauline.

May I also say please keep us updated on how you and your bumbles progress.

[RobSutton]

Originally Posted by nightshade

Hello Pauline,a well told tale.Are there more than one type of mite? I frequently see bumblebees grounded and buzzing furiously covered in mites these will now be rescued and bathed where ever possible (assume the wash was plain warm water)

This idea seriously worries me. The mites you see on queen bumblebees in the autumn are not an infection, they are not parasites. It is simply the way in which the mites move from bumblebee nest to bumble nest.

There is evidence that in the nest they may help supress infection from moulds - so their presence in the nest is likely to be of benefit to the bees.

I'm not sure that anybody has looked but it is possible, maybe likely, that as the mites stay on the queens overwinter they help protect her for fungal infections - it is after-all to their benefit that the queen survives to form a new nest the following year.

Unless anybody can produce documented evidence that removing the mites from bumblebees increases they survival overwinter, and of their nests the following spring, then I suggest, strongly, that washing the bees is more likely to do harm than good.

It might make you feel good and make a good story but I think you need to really consider carefully what you hope to achieve by doing this.

[paulinemiller10]

Originally Posted by Wild-Woman

Do you know what Pauline, that is one of the nicest things I've ever read on WAB. You've gone a long way in restoring my faith in human nature.
By the time I'd finished reading it, I had a real lump in my throat.
If only we were all as caring as that. That queen bumble DID know, I'm sure, that you were going to help her out.

I'm going to relay your story to the children in my environment club(with your permission of course) to get their reaction.
Of course I will also tell them that it's a job for bumble professionals like yourself and that although there is a small risk of being stung, it's best left to bee handlers.

Keep us updated Pauline,but for now-thank you-you've started my day off on a high.
Cheers

Julie

Hi Julie, So glad you enjoyed the bumble story, you are very welcome to use it for your environment club, it s nice to show young people that small living things matter too.

Glad you enjoyed it too Carol and Susie.
Pauline.

[paulinemiller10]

Originally Posted by RobSutton

This idea seriously worries me. The mites you see on queen bumblebees in the autumn are not an infection, they are not parasites. It is simply the way in which the mites move from bumblebee nest to bumble nest.

There is evidence that in the nest they may help supress infection from moulds - so their presence in the nest is likely to be of benefit to the bees.

I'm not sure that anybody has looked but it is possible, maybe likely, that as the mites stay on the queens overwinter they help protect her for fungal infections - it is after-all to their benefit that the queen survives to form a new nest the following year.

Unless anybody can produce documented evidence that removing the mites from bumblebees increases they survival overwinter, and of their nests the following spring, then I suggest, strongly, that washing the bees is more likely to do harm than good.

It might make you feel good and make a good story but I think you need to really consider carefully what you hope to achieve by doing this.

I don t think you need worry too much about me washing one bumble bee Rob, or the few people that might try it, most will run a mile when they see how big she is, you need to worry about the people that don t like them in their gardens, and spray poison down their nests to kill them all, if you look up bumble bees on the net, you will find loads of places that tell you the best way to get rid of them, below are some letters from people that are paid to kill them.

Pest Control Forum - Dilemma

And as for the mites, I don t really know much about them, most sites don t say much, but watching this bumble on cam, you could see she was stressed, doing all she could to try and get rid of them, you could see the difference in her after removing the mites, she was much happier and settled down to sleep.
I used to have a lot of bumbles in my garden, and now I have very few, I want to know why, so I m trying to give them a helping hand and learning on the way, I ve found slugs eat their honey pots, and spiders catch them as they fly home through their holes.

I don t do this to make stories Rob, its my way of helping wildlife, I could write a book of all the different wildlife I have helped over the years, just thought I would share this story.

Below where I found out how to wash a bumble.
How to Repair a Bumble Bee - UK Safari
Pauline.

[Alan]

As far as mites go, most are believed to be harmless. And as was said above, most just hitchhike rides on the bees and live off the detritus and moulds in the nest, so may well be beneficial. However, there is the possibility that some species of mite (there are many, and some actually live on the mites themselves!) pass virulent microorganisms on, like the Varroa mite does in honeybees with devastating effect. Still much research is required to clarify these ideas though.

In the big scheme of things even if the mites are beneficial, I don’t think Pauline’s actions are particularly harmful - at least not to the species as a whole anyway. It would be different if there were a national campaign for the washing of bumbles! More clarification would certainly be needed then.

Who knows, and with our increasingly mild climate, the bee concerned may well fly off to feed on a late flower and pickup more mites anyway!

I think on the whole Pauline’s attitude should be applauded.

Alan

[paulinemiller10]

It will soon be time for the bumble bees to come out of hibernation, I expect some people have already seen them, I will be watching out for them like I do every Spring, on cold wet Spring days you will often find them cold and wet on pavements and car parks, or just on the lawn.

I pick these bumbles up and take them home, they are kept in a warm box with a sugar drink until they recover and are ready to fly off.
Posting a pick of one I found on the road last year, she seemed fine when I got her home, but noticed her foot was missing, she was drinking her sugar drink, but she still could nt fly and sadly died a week later, her foot may have got infected or something, she is the only bumble I have lost this way, most will recover in a day or two.
Posting pic of her showing her foot missing. Pauline.

http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/ar...Bumble_Bee.jpg

[Cowgirl]

I am inspired Pauline! What a wonderful tale. Not that I would wash them...too scared.

In future I am going to keep an eye out for any stray bees that need a bit of warmth & honey to pep them up. The mites may have been harmless but they must have been irritating. Around harvest time squillions of thrips are around & get everywhere on us. Totally harmless, but boy, are they itchy.

[aeshna5]

Even after the extreme spells of weather we've had this winter I'm still seeing worker bumblebees fairly regularly flying about. This is in the London area.

[Susie]

I've not seem a bee of any type for months. The cold weather has stopped just about all insects from flying. I was actually chuffed to see a fly the other day!

[paulinemiller10]

Glad your going to keep an eye on the bumbles Cowgirl, they only need a drink and warmth, once they can fly they are ready to go.

Its wonderful you have seen so many bumblebees about aeshna5, but it is always a lot warmer in London, I m hoping for lots in my garden this year.

I hav'nt seen any Bumbles here in West Wales either Susie, but I m looking forward to hearing them buzzing around again in the garden.

Pauline

[Hedgehoggy]

Just catching up with this thread, and your stories are truly inspirational, Pauline Keep up the good work, and please keep us all updated with any new tales, I really enjoyed reading this thread

[paulinemiller10]

I m just writing about last years tale Hedgehoggy, its nice to know people enjoy reading them, I m very fond of the bumble bees, I love watching them buzzing about, and in this next story I m going to write about how my bumbles became my little friends. Pauline.

[Tracey.A]

Just read your Bumble Bee story, it was lovely and very heart warming I will be looking out for other tales. I love the way you told this story. I have a ten year old son and I think he will enjoy reading it as well

Tracey

[Tracey.A]

Pauline, Just read your story to my son, he loved it! He didn't know you could give a bee a honey drink or that bees can sometimes be covered in mites, so not only did he enjoy the story he learnt something as well.

Tracey