Thinking of bees

Yes, I know it's a bit late to be showing you pictures of apple blossom but it makes the prettiest picture. And just think of all those ripe rosy apples that will be ready for picking in late summer.

In spring our little orchard is always alive with the sound of busy bees working their way from flower to flower, but there could be troubled times ahead.

Honey bees around the world are suffering from a deadly virus that is eliminating thousands of colonies with the result that in some places fruit blossom is not getting fully pollinated. The worry is that if these busy little insects continue to disappear there could soon be an enormous shortage of fruit and veg worldwide.

Wild bumble bees do an excellent job pollinating our fruit blossom but when warm spring weather suddenly turns chill (which it frequently does in Britain) these fluffy little creatures become tired and lethargic and seem to give up the will to live. If a warm day suddenly turns cold and the sun disappears behind clouds I know I will find at least one solitary bumble bee sitting motionless on the driveway. Touch him and he won't fly away but simply raises his legs as if to say "keep away, I'm cold and tired"...... This is when I know it's time for action!

I put a pinch of sugar in a teaspoon.

Then I pour on 2 or 3 drops of warm water and mix well with my finger until all the grains of sugar are dissolved. (As an alternative to sugar you can use a tiny amount of honey)

Then its back to the sleepy bee with the restorative mixture. Just one drop placed right under his nose and the sweet smell attracts him immediately and he will sup it for several minutes.

Then, with his energy restored, he'll walk a short distance to get his bearings and fly straight back to work on his favourite flowers.

My dad, who was an amateur beekeeper, showed me how to help bees in this way when I was a child and I've always done it. Its my little way of repaying the tiny creatures that do so much for us.

Where would we be without them?

Until next time,
Eli

 

Comments

[Carol (Wee Cute Treasures)]

Hi Eli

Always love seeing your garden. We share this love of nature. Thank you so much for that tip on reviving bumble bees. I too find them just as you describe but until now never knew what to do. Nurse Carol will spring into action next time she finds such a weary warrier.

My pyracantha is alive with bees this year because it is covered with blossom. Gladdens my heart.

Thank you for sharing Eli, and fingers cross that we (in these temperate climes) have a good summer! Talk soon, Carol :)

[Debbie]

Thank you for this information on Bumble bees Eli. There was one on my patio just the other day and I wish I had known what to do to help him. I will be ready with my bee 'refreshments' in future.
Debbie
p.s Your garden looks absolutely beautful.

[Madai]

Hi there, I came over from Paula's Rose Cottage by the Lake and I was so happy to see your post about the bees and to find someone who cares about them enough to do this! Thank you for sharing and I will keep this hint for if I ever see a little friend that needs help :)
You have a gorgeous blog!
Madai

[Paula]

Dear Eli,

What a delightful post! I enjoyed seeing the beautiful photos of the lovely apple blossoms and the darling bees... just precious! Pearl the poodle and I love bees, and are quite concerned about them. I am so glad you shared the importance of helping these little creatures out, as much of our food supply is dependent upon them for pollination! Thank you so much for sharing the sugar water tip! I will be certain to do that in the future if I find a bee in need. I love to sit on the ground in my garden amongst the flowers and watch the bees work so diligently and listen to their buzzing and humming. The large bumblebee makes quite the racket and those are the ones Pearl likes to gently press her nose against. They don't seem to mind it at all and she never harms them. How wonderful that your dad was a beekeeper and taught you how to care for them. I would love to keep bees at the back of our garden, until then, I provide lots of flowers to attract them, and we garden 100% organically!

The basket of apples looks so delicious! I can imagine how wonderful they taste! Thank you dear Eli for sharing such beautiful photos and wise words! I always enjoy my visits with you!

Love, Paula

[Marqueta]

Dear Eli,

What beautiful blossoms and wonderful fruit you will have! We are very concerned for the bees, too. We wish we could talk people out of using poisons in their yards and on their crops. When will we wake up to how delicate life on this planet is?

Thanks for the tip about helping sad bees. We'll definitely use it.

Love,

Marqueta

[carolyn]

We're seeing more bees this year which is good, maybe the "proper" winter was good for them?

[clarice]

Wow, I did not kwow that about the feeding them. I have been worried for a while about the bees too. I will remember your tip. Clarice

[sabine]

What a great tip! I never knew what to do with a "sleepy" bee, I always put them on a flower or a plant, in the hope that they would regain their strength.
Bumblebees are such wonderful creatures, I think it's very important to have a bee-friendly garden.

[Rhondi]

What an interesting story about bees. I'll keep that in mind if I see any sluggish ones!

[Alenka]

I just found your super cute blogtour. I love your story and look forward to the last parts. What a great idea! I put in on my blog for others to see.