Queen Bee

[moonstar1964]

hi there, this may border on insane, but i have found a large bee (possibly a queen bee) on my stairs, moving very slowly and not attempting to fly... its night time and wonder if any beekeepers out there could advise me what to do with her (its cold outside!) many thanks,

[Clanad]

It's not a Queen, but more likely a bumblebee. They will be quite sluggish if it's cold. Here in the U.S., I've had the pleasure of keeping bees for several years, and you'll find the actual honey bee is about the size of a small moth, maybe a very large house fly. The queen never leaves the hive except when she's ready to be bred, but not this time of year, but in the spring... Make sure your not mistaking the critter for a bee when it may be a wasp. They look quite a bit different though with the classic "wasp waist" and bold black and yellow striping on the body...

[Clanad]

Re-reading your question, I see I haven't advised what to do with the insect. Best just to put it outside. If it is a bee, it probably won't survive but that's the way of nature... not to be hard hearted... Use a tissue to pick it up...

[Mr Veritas]

I agree with Clanad,
Queen Honey Bees NEVERR leave the hive,unless they are a second Queen,in which case they take a "swarm" with them,mate with as many males as possible and then find a new hive (usually supplied by a friendly beekeper,who gets a whole new hive population for free).
On the other hand a (wild) Queen Bumblebee at the end of the year will seek somewhere to overwinter.She is the last survivor of her (usually) underground nest.All her drone/workers will be dead by now because of the lack of flowers fror nectar.She will have inside her thousands of fertilised eggs,which she will lay in the Spring,they will hatch into workers who will go out and forage for nectar to feed the brood that the Queen will be laying.
Also as Clanad says,the only thing to do really is put her outside and hope she finds somehwere to hibernate until the Spring.

[DaisyMae]

It would be kinder to keep her in a cardboard box until the warmest part of the day and then place her gently in a sheltered part of the garden, if it is raining I tend to use the compost bin - it is easy to get out but is protected from harsh winds and rain. I believe all bees are protected species so it is our responsibility to make sure they are treated carefully and given every opportunity to fulfil their purpose.

[momac]

We always dip the end of a stick in some honey,put it in front of the bee,it usually gives them the strength to come round and fly off....aww.