Bumble Bee !

[Elphinstone's Army]

I have a large bumble bee in my bathroom clinging to the edge of the window ledge, and unable to upload a picture.

He is handsome but doomed this cold weather surely. What can I do with him?

[BunnyBurrow]

You're not the first... I found one a couple of months ago and then found this thread on the forum...

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,1897556,1899227#msg-1899227

I think the overall message was to put it outside in a sheltered / safe area, after giving it some sugar water if you can.

But please read the other responses and see what you think!

[BigED]

Give it a bit of sugar or honey diluted in water. The weather is improving over the week and the hive will be waking up for spring. Unless it isn't a hive kind of bee, in which case it will just go wherever it came from.

[Sue]

Oh dear, I had the same on Sunday.

A large bumble bee suddenly started buzzing round my living room.

We put him outside in a sheltered place where there wasn't any snow. He wasn't there later, so I hope he managed to survive.

Don't know how he got into the house without our noticing, possibly when a friend went into the garden the previous day for a smoke.

Hope he (probably a he?) and the other bees will be OK. At least the temperature is rising a bit now.

[Elphinstone's Army]

bulletin - I remembered the sugar water advice, put some on a jar lid and some local honey, and with a tissue eased him onto the (large) lid, and watched him eat, he was weak, he suddenly buzzed, rose vertically, so I opened the window and out he flew - I do not have access to a garden, or I would have put him outside in a sheltered spot.

I say 'he' Sue, as he was so large, just guessing really, I hope he will be fine, thank you for replies and concern.

I was pleased to be able to view him at close quarters whilst he was greedily feeding, a privilege.

[Penguin68]

The only bumble bee you will see at the moment is an overwintering queen - workers and drones die off in autumn. The average nest size is around 50-100 when fully operational (so much smaller than honeybee communities). Bumble bees can fly when temperatures reach around 7C (45F) - normal temperatures at this time of year, though not sadly now. Giving a sugar water solution and leaving them in a sheltered position may be the best option for survival - they may well have come in from outside to escape freezing conditions. Normally they over-winter somewhere sheltered, and can survive, but not fly in, quite cold conditions - i.e. below freezing.

[Mystic Mog]

https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/winter-active-bumblebees/

This is very helpful.