How Do You Revive A Poorly Bumblebee?

[plowter]

How do you revive a poorly bumblebee?

There are loads of bumbees that end up in our office or on the stairs.
They're alive but very slow. Can't be the cold, so how do you revive the poor wee things?

[LoftyLottie]

Honey is apparently OK for bumble bees who are not affected by the virus.

[LoftyLottie]

Sorry, have been doing some research and didn't know Clarion had posted this.

[boxtops]

wow, like this? http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=green+bee&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=YJTlUQiNsYQHyLaAuAM&ved=0CEwQsAQ&biw=1002&bih=669#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=igwmfJnQaBFcsM%3A%3BjqZ0jxmg5bQHPM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252F2.bp.blogspot.com%252F-MRhTGM6z05k%252FT4KM9Oe5gmI%252FAAAAAAAAAMQ%252FdqOkSUOW-34%252Fs200%252Fgreen-bee_02tfk.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Ftim-todayilearned.blogspot.com%252F2012%252F04%252Fthere-are-blue-red-and-green-bees.html%3B800%3B600

[wiltsman]

The times I've revived bees, or attempted to, I put the sugary water on a damp piece of kitchen towel.

[ruthandsam]

Thinking about it now, we have a bee hive right outside my office window. Everyday there have been at least 11 bumble bees going in and out of it. Today, nothing! It's got me perplexed now wondering what it wrong.

[woofgang]

thanks for that, a bee person told me to only feed bumblies sugar and water.

[Chipchopper]

Funnily enough, I almost stepped on a poorly one, today in the garden. it looked a bit lethargic so I put it on a newly opened Budlea flower and it perked up within minutes.

[ruthandsam]

Ha haaa. Thanks for correcting me 10ClarionSt. I keep swapping between saying hives and nests. Now I know - I did wonder, duh!

[Clanad]

Attempts to revive a bumblebee are commendable, but one should keep in mind that they only live for about 2-3 weeks (some that only work in the nesting area can live 6 weeks) at any rate. So, it's probable that any such "poorly looking" bee may well be at the end of its life.

Additionally, mites can be internal as well as external so may not be visible.

Finally, although not normally agressive, bumblebees can and do sting but unlike noneybees they can sting repeatedly without harming themselves.

We grow/tend honeybees here in the U.S., but enjoy seeing the wild bumblebees. (You do know the queen and most of the workers hibernate in winter, right?)