Bumble bees ?

[louisesgarden]

Ive just been in the garden and noticed quite a few dead bumble bees on my lawn, they look intact no damage etc ? they are the ones with the bright orange bottom ?

[Two_Sheds]

Have you or your neighbours sprayed any weedkiller etc?

[Two_Sheds]

Throughout the life of the nest a large number of smaller worker bees help the nest to grow by collecting nectar and pollen - these are the bees that you see out and about in summer.
These workers only live 2 weeks or so, and then sadly die. It's therefore quite normal to see a small number of dead bees in the garden.

so says bumble bee conservation

[louisesgarden]

Have you or your neighbours sprayed any weedkiller etc?

No we havent, and i dont think the neighbours have either as they have allotments in their gardens like me.

[kirsty b]

I have seen bumble bees too, dead or dying as well as a very lively one that I helped out of my GH the other day. A big shame to see them covered with little mites too - could they be varroa mites? I hear they are a huge menace to bee populations.

[Two_Sheds]

"mites do not actually harm bees directly"... Mites

[smallblueplanet]

I heard the bit about bumblebee mites not harming them on Radio 4 - apparently they 'scavenge' at the bottom of bee nests and at this time of year after winter are hitching a lift on the bees to new nests.

[HeyWayne]

I've seen a few 'bumbling' about in the garden. Bean loves to watch them!

[SueA]

It does sound odd Louise, the bumble bees you see around first in the spring are the mated female queens who have hibernated over winter & they live in holes in the ground so possibly could have been living in your lawn or borders. Maybe they've just not been able to get enough food in time as the spring flowers have been so late this year. When they wake up they look for a suitable hole such as a mouse hole & lay their eggs & the cycle starts again.