ChatterBank0 min ago
A winter Bee.
12 Answers
I just found a live bee in my garage. Is this a record? I do not live near any hives or apiaries. Should they not be dead or hibernating or something?
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Well if you think you may have a record Wardy, then I've just beat it!
During a recent mild and sunny spell, I've seen some bumble bee's visiting some winter flowering shrubs in my garden topping up on some nectar.
At a guess I'd say they was temporarily awoken from their torpid state and took the opportunity to raise their energy levels on what was available, this lead me to realise that, yes there is indeed a reason and a purpose for winter flowering plants, other than just looking pretty for us humans.
During a recent mild and sunny spell, I've seen some bumble bee's visiting some winter flowering shrubs in my garden topping up on some nectar.
At a guess I'd say they was temporarily awoken from their torpid state and took the opportunity to raise their energy levels on what was available, this lead me to realise that, yes there is indeed a reason and a purpose for winter flowering plants, other than just looking pretty for us humans.
As a bee-keeper here in the western U.S., we find that when the temperature reaches at or above 45 to 55 degrees (F) we have to be alert to feed the hives of bees. They become more active, especially if the hives are protected from the wind. We feed them a mixture of ordinary sugar and water in a jar and device that is attached to the entrance to their hives. We do mix certain antibiotics with the sugar water to aid in controlling such diseases as foulbrood and nosema, as well as certain parasites.
By the way, honeybees do not hibernate. Their activity slows and they live off the excess honey that wasn't harvested by the bee keepr in the fall. Estimating the hives neccessary reserves is always a guessing game, hence the occasional need to feed them. We do wrap the hives in insulatied blankets when the temperatures dip below 0 (F) for extended periods...
By the way, honeybees do not hibernate. Their activity slows and they live off the excess honey that wasn't harvested by the bee keepr in the fall. Estimating the hives neccessary reserves is always a guessing game, hence the occasional need to feed them. We do wrap the hives in insulatied blankets when the temperatures dip below 0 (F) for extended periods...
Had a massive bee in our living room about 2 weeks ago trying to get into a hole under our living room window. It was like a 'double bee' and looked quite foreign. Don't know if it was. I picked it up on a magazine and put it outside near the house but in a shrub. Don't know if it would survive or not!! Hope so.
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