I often find a solitary bee on the sidewalk, or on a picnic table or just about anywhere that seems to be struggling for some reason. They look like they are in distress somehow and squirming around on the ground and it’s always just a single bee. Now I do understand that not all bees live in large hives, but is this natural for a bee to just be struggling on the ground? How can I help, do they need water? Sugar water? Thanks!
In: Biology
It could be exhaustion and maybe they just need some water – if you have a bottle with you, pour some in the cap and put it on the ground. The bee might find its way over, have a sip and be right as rain.
However, bees also live fairly short lives. It could be that the bee on the ground is literally at the end of its life. They do a lot of work and don’t always have the luxury of expiring in the hive. Sometimes their body just goes “nope that’s enough, we’re done”.
It’s sad. But that’s how life works.
Bees that are dying will leave the hive so that they do not infect the hive with a virus or illness.
Not a beekeeper. Bees need water and some form of sugar to survive and keep the hive going. Without those, the bee will die, then so will the hive.
I’ve seen advice to pick up a solitary, struggling bee and place her on a flower, or next to a drop of sugar water, or to create a bee retreat with a pie pan, sugar water, and marbles (so the bees don’t drown).
Unless their stinger and abdomen is missing. This means they’ve stung someone or something, and are dying. Please be humane.
An abundance of bees in your general area is associated with lore and spiritually. Whether you believe this or not is up to you.
I fear that it is Round-up and other insecticides being sprayed everywhere. Even by back-yard gardeners.
My neighbor called me the other day when he found one in his yard doing this. The town had sprayed roundup earlier and I was concerned it had been poisoned. I went and picked up the bee and brought it to my water pool. It wasn’t interested in the water so I got it a clover flower from my yard. It munched hard on that flower and seemed to be moving around much better so I took it over to the clover patch and it went to a new flower and kept snacking. I left it for a while and when I came back it had left.
It’s been insanely hot here for a few weeks so I assume at this point it was just exhausted and needed that little bit of help. I have a hard time diagnosing these lil guys til I have taken steps to help them first. As this one took off of its own accord I don’t think it was poisoned but I’m no expert. I just do my best to help where I can.
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