Sheffield bumble bees dropping like flies?

[birobasher]

i don't think your supposed to give them honey, I could be wrong though. thought it was something to do with disease spread if the honey was contaminated.

 

Honey is bad for them, it contains toxins that could kill them. A mixture of sugar and water is better.

 

---------- Post added 02-07-2016 at 09:49 ----------

 

There's a lot of studies going on to discover the causes of bee decline, in particular what's known as 'Colony Collapse Disorder', which as the name suggests, has entire hives dying off at once. Some theories: industrialised farming of honey via monoculture crops lowers bee resistance to disease. Also, when the monoculture crop is gone, there's vast swathes of countryside (particularly in USA) with almost no alternate pollinator plants, hence no food within reach of the bees.

 

Neonicotinoid pesticides contain toxins that impair bees movement and ability to forage. The movement is important because they 'dance' to communicate to others in the hive where they found pollen. The EU had banned neonicotinoids on a precautionary principle, based on existing research, but agrichemical corporations are fighting hard to ignore that and keep selling the pesticide.

[The Oil Man]

Bee hive yourself!

 

Not very often I laugh out loud but this made me, such a long time since I heard the parrot sketch and it`s funnier wrote down, well done.

[Jimi Hendrix]

Due to the bad weather ( Rain / Cold etc.) They are starving as the cannot get to the flowers to feed, if it is raining. A mate of mine keeps Bee's and he was saying the other day, that he had a message from the Bee Keepers Association, instructing them to feed the bees with Sugar Water, which is something they only do through the Winter Months or times like now due to the bad weather. Sometimes bees can look dead but are just starving or dehydrated... Bees need looking after because without them, the world would not survive as a civilization due to the important part they play in our eco system..

Edited July 3, 2016 by Jimi Hendrix

[S1 1DJ]

Pop round to mine, I got a nest.

 

Encountered a couple now - one flew into me whilst cycling and had one rest up during a storm on my landing!

Edited July 5, 2016 by S1 1DJ

[sheffbloomer]

I love Bees and really want to help them. I heard that they are becoming an endangered species!

Please guys, don't squash or spray bees-they aren't aggressive and will VERY rarely sting you (they die after they sting so only use it when very scared)

Wasps on the other hand are the little asbo cousins that enjoy causing trouble

[Mr Bloke]

I love Bees and really want to help them. I heard that they are becoming an endangered species!

Please guys, don't squash or spray bees-they aren't aggressive and will VERY rarely sting you (they die after they sting so only use it when very scared)

Wasps on the other hand are the little asbo cousins that enjoy causing trouble

Which raises some interesting philosophical questions...

 

... How do they know they're going to die if they use their sting, and if they do know, then why would they use it anyway?

 

Do we now have a new generation of extremist bees who are prepared to die for their cause?

[nicecraig]

Some bees have taken over 1 of my nesting boxes not bumble bees they look like honey bees they are no bother to anyone,so are welcome to stay,i wonder if they will stay there right through the winter also?

[brian1941]

I was waiting for a bus at end of Cricket In rd this Monday near

Hyde Park flat, there were lots of bees on the bushes that had flowers on.

Funny thing was as you've mentioned there were bees on the floor and

looks though they were dying. Not sure what type the bees were.

[Goldhead]

Systemic insecticides have a lot to answer for..... and badgers (I suspect) have dug out a bumble bee nest in my strawberry bed, leading to a lot of angry and confused bees. This in turn makes picking strawberries a risky affair!

[Jen17]

I've had loads of bees in the garden on plants but also seen many dead - even found some in the house.

I even rescued one from inside the toilet cistern yesterday !

I was sat on the loo, quietly minding my own business, when I heard it. Searched all over before I located the little buzzer ! It flew off quite happily when it was put outside.