I had a bee. A bumble bee.
In my garden this week I saw a big bumble bee crawl into a hole in the rockery (please don’t judge me harshly for having a rockery).
I looked it up, Queen bees hibernate. At this time of year, as the soil gets warmer they wake up and try to find a nest, often a disused mouse hole in a rockery. These are cozy places as mice fill their holes up with leaves and fluff for a warm bed. She then sets up her home and starts to produce babies. All the honey that’s made goes to her baby bees. Grub for grubs. There’s not enough left to feed me honey for my morning toast as well but that’s ok.
A full bee belly holds enough sugary solution for 40 minutes flying time, about an album worth. Often the little buggers get caught short between gardens. Some are just knackered with old age though and beyond saving.
When you see a bee crawling along the pavement, you can help resuscitate it by bringing it to a flower or a flower to it so that it can eat up some nectar. Yum. If you are so inclined a sugar solution will do the trick.
Bumble bees very rarely sting unless you really pester them. They tend to just get on with being a bee. Buzzing around on nice days and pollinating apple blossom trees.
If you like fruit, look after your bees.
And one for Ray Manzarek.
Happy spring.