Thanks for reading/caring. PLEASE #retweet this forward. The more informed, the more queens survive and the more #bumblebees we have. Simple. Our native wild #bees are in trouble and we need to be there for them every way we can. Thanks again for helping! Have a great one. 8/8

Many people asking us about #bumblebees at the moment - why they’re seeing them on the ground - so here’s a quick thread to explain what they’re up to. Please #retweet as every #queen that survives means a new colony that gets to exist & produce new queen #bees for next year! 1/8

#Bumblebee queens emerge in early spring from #hibernation and immediately need to feed - that’s why early flowering plants are so important. Apart from feeding their mission at this time is to find a suitable site to establish a nest. Hence you will observe queens flying low 2/8

…to the ground zig-zagging across the landscape - they’re house-hunting. Stopping to explore in long grass and vegetation, hollows in trees, stone walls, under sheds and even compost heaps. During this time #bumblebee queens spend a lot of their time resting between flights. 3/8

These between flight stopovers can last for up to an hour and #bees are not always careful about where they take them - sometimes the middle of a footpath can be the ‘ideal’ spot! So if you see a big #bumblebee chilling on the ground don’t always presume she needs rescuing! 4/8

As with sleeping dogs leave resting #bees lie - for up to an hour before intervening. (Unless of course she is in imminent danger whereby she should be carefully moved to a safe place). If after about an hour she is still present then she may need assistance. 5/8

In this case preference is to move her to a nearby source of #nectar - a #flower! If no flowers are nearby she can be offered a 50/50 mix of white sugar and water. NEVER offer her honey as although it would seem to be the obvious action honey can contain pathogens that may 6/8

..be harmful to #bumblebees. Usually once she takes on some sugars & heats up she’ll happily fly off. Don’t bring her indoors for long periods! If she has already established a nest and laid eggs she needs to get back to sit on them before they cool down. 7/8

Sitting in the company of #birds by the big #pond here on the sanctuary between showers looking at your response to this thread. I’m not one who does hope, preferring action, but your response has me close. Thank you. We go again tomorrow! Have a great evening. 🙏🏼 people. 🐝

Great thread.. this beauty resting on a iris rhizome… before heading on its way.

Removed this one from the pavement today and popped her on a dandelion.

Thanks for the thread. We bought this key ring recently… a clever idea worth sharing

@friendofthefox A brilliant thread. Thanks. I observed a bumble bee, which seemed to be exploring my dead hedge. So very much hoping she'll make her nest there. A big problem is mowing by the LA. Dandelions flowering now, which are such an essential pollen and nectar source.

I have often offered sugary water to tired looking bees in my garden. Wet here in the west of Scotland, so it can be hard for them. Saw the first bumble bee yesterday (31st March).

This bee was in my greenhouse the other day@- feeding but then resting I thought she was ill. But when I ret'd she was gone. Thanks for info!

Thanks for tweeting this - great thread 👍 👏 Found a Queen (I assume?) wandering across the bedroom floor the other week. Took her outside, placed her in the garden by some flowers, and gave her a puddle of sugar water, which she seemed to enjoy. Fingers crossed, all good 🤞

Thank you so much for that. We saw a bee on the ground while on a walk last weekend, and we did wonder what she was up to!

You’re welcome Jayne. Thank you.🙏🏼🐝