Bumble bees in trouble?

Rita · #1 05/03/07, 02:20 PM

We have all heard about the honeybees problems but we have been noticing the large bumblebees seem weak, disoriented and sluggish. Gosh if they are in trouble too, small-time gardeners like me will have nothing left to do the pollinating. Hope this is only local and has something to do with the late freeze we had and maybe a lack of food for them due to the freeze. An example, today I was weeding the strawberry patch and one climbed up my leg! Anyone else notice a problem with bumblebees?

doodlemom · #2 05/03/07, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rita

We have all heard about the honeybees problems but we have been noticing the large bumblebees seem weak, disoriented and sluggish. Gosh if they are in trouble too, small-time gardeners like me will have nothing left to do the pollinating. Hope this is only local and has something to do with the late freeze we had and maybe a lack of food for them due to the freeze. An example, today I was weeding the strawberry patch and one climbed up my leg! Anyone else notice a problem with bumblebees?

Thats not too unusual about this time of year here. I'm 38 now, but when I was 13 one actually walked up my pant leg and proceeded to buzzing and off came those pants so fast I did not care. It happened again 2 years ago, but I just beat the heck out of my pant leg and went in the house to remove the bumblemoosh unstung.

Aintlifegrand · #3 05/03/07, 02:30 PM

Early March I saw a handful of bumble bees and just two honey bees...since Easter weekend I have not seen any bees and I look becasue I have a fruit orchard and vegitable garden that both need the bees. Typically this time of the year we are overrun with honey and bumble bees..so much so you can't set a coke down without them swarming to the can...not this year. We have a beegum festival going on this weekend and I plan to go to hear what the beekeepers locally have to say and hopefully buy a huge stock of honey before the prices are outrageous.

doodlemom · #4 05/03/07, 03:55 PM

Right here my rhododendrons are loaded with bumblebees and here are plenty of wasps, yellow jackets and carpenter bees, but yes I haven't seen many honeybees. Apple trees are just about to bloom, plums, peaches, cherries and some varieties of pear have just bloomed here.

PyroDon · #5 05/03/07, 04:40 PM

havent seen any bumble bees yet but all I have to do to be swarmed by honey bees is open a can of dr pepper and they are all over it there are currently 500 to a thousand buzzing my can bin.
Im sure the bumble bees will be out in force as soon as it gets sunny and flowers start blooming again.

anniew · #6 05/03/07, 04:59 PM

I saw two bumblebees today and NO honey bees. Plums are starting to bloom, and there are a few dandelions in bloom. A local beekeeper told me on Apr. 16 that he'd already lost about 85 percent of his bees. It's not good, but...
If you'll look in books on saving your own seed, you'll see that some things don't need pollinating, such as potatoes. Other things are self pollinating such as peas and beans. Still others can use vibration to pollinate, such as tomatoes...just shake the plants each day in the morning. Of course, corn is wind pollinated. Squashes and cucumbers could be pollinated by hand if you have open pollinated seed which should come true. By knowing your plants and their requirements, you may be able to get a lot more than you think.
I fear that we may have a hard time getting seed next season, so it'd be a good idea to order extra or start learning to save your own and pollinate them yourself if they need it. Just one person's opinion.
Ann

mayfair · #7 05/03/07, 07:18 PM

The bumblebees and carpenter bees look fine here- no honeybees at all, though. We also have a few mason bees.

muzzelloader · #8 05/03/07, 07:45 PM

We have a wild honey bee hive in a hollow tree by my drive way. They come to my bird bath for water. So far they seem to be doing well am keeping my fingers crossed.

Rockin'B · #9 05/03/07, 08:43 PM

Growing up in the Puget Sound area of Washington, we had wild honey bees all over the place. Sine getting (much) older and moving to the Midwest, I very rarely ever see them. I don't think I've ever seen one here in No. IL. We have plenty of wasps and hornets though. They are thick here.

Danaus29 · #10 05/03/07, 09:44 PM

Honey, bumble, carpenter, and sweat bees are all doing just fine here. I've seen them all over the flowers, especially the dandelions. Just started seeing wasps today.

Rita · #11 05/04/07, 08:06 AM

Well, it seems only in my area are they acting funny. I do think the bad freeze has hurt them as they have to hunt far and wide for some blossoms that haven't been frozen and are maybe getting weak. There will be no dogwood or other berries for the birds and no acorns or apples for the deer this year.

beowoulf90 · #12 05/04/07, 09:05 AM

I've heard that honey bees are dieing(confused) off. The only thing I can say is they can have the swarm at my house free for the taking. I have contacted beekeepers and they say they are so busy that they can't come for at least 2 weeks. So from this I can only assume that it isn't as bad as the media and others are saying. I mean here I am I have a swarm of honey bees that have been here 2 or 3 years, they are easy to get to (only about 3 1/2 to 4 feet off the ground) and no one really seems interested in them unless no one else will remove them. You would think that there would be more of an interest in them if the bees were in short supply. JMHO

suburbanite · #13 05/04/07, 09:16 AM

beowulf--be glad you have the bees. Seriously. In other parts of the country it is a true problem.

I am very concerned about my garden this year. Even when my citrus was in bloom there were few bees to pollenate it. When squash season comes around I may have to buy a paintbrush and hand-pollenate everything.

My problem is compounded by a new McMansion development that uprooted the grassy hillside that used to be the bumblebee's habitat, so their numbers are knocked way down.

I need to plant more sunflowers; the leafcutter bees love them and while I don't like the leaf damage they do, they may be the only decent pollenators left in my area.

beowoulf90 · #14 05/04/07, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by suburbanite

beowulf--be glad you have the bees. Seriously. In other parts of the country it is a true problem.

I am very concerned about my garden this year. Even when my citrus was in bloom there were few bees to pollenate it. When squash season comes around I may have to buy a paintbrush and hand-pollenate everything.

My problem is compounded by a new McMansion development that uprooted the grassy hillside that used to be the bumblebee's habitat, so their numbers are knocked way down.

I need to plant more sunflowers; the leafcutter bees love them and while I don't like the leaf damage they do, they may be the only decent pollenators left in my area.

You have to understand I have enough bumble bees, carpenter bees and wasps and of course this swarm of honey bees to last a life time. The carpenter bees and wasps I kill on sight, they are a pain in the backside and do more damage to my old house then I care to think about.

Now you have to understand that I've been stung so many times my body can no longer handle it and since the last time I got stung by some ground bees I have found out that I am now allergic to bee stings. I do walk through this swarm of honey bees about 10 times a day and they don't bother me, but the minute one of them stings me I will have to destroy their hive. I really don't want to have to do that because they are the ones pollenating the flowers and such and I understand that.
Oh and by the way according to the list I saw yesterday Pennsylvania is one of the States that is also having problems with the bees dieing off.

FUNKY PIONEER · #15 05/04/07, 10:30 AM

I haven't seen a single bee here in Idaho.