Why are bumble bees in our yard dying? - Ask Extension
We have seen dozens of bumble bees crawling on the ground in the last week or so. When we pick them up and let them go, they drop to the ground - cann...
Knowledgebase
Why are bumble bees in our yard dying? #880075
Asked August 03, 2024, 8:38 PM EDT
We have seen dozens of bumble bees crawling on the ground in the last week or so. When we pick them up and let them go, they drop to the ground - cannot fly. Why is this happening? We do not use any pesticides or herbicides in our yard. We had a bee swarm take up residence in an empty barrel last summer, but they are no longer with us - apparently died of mites infection? Could that have impacted the bumble bees also? I don't know what kind of bumble bees they are, but i do have pictures. Maybe the Bombus variety? We are located on the Willamette River, in Keizer. I am so sad to see all these beautiful bees crawling endlessly across the yard. Is there anything we can do?
Marion County Oregon
Expert Response
Thanks, for keeping an eye out for our bees. I'd be happy to come take a look when I am swinging up to Portland on Sunday (just shoot me a message through my cell phone <personal data hidden>). It is late in the year for many of our bumble bees, as their nests are finishing for the year, so I suspect it is simply worn out bees. But it certainly has nothing to do with the swarm from last year.
Thanks for the response. The bees seem to have almost disappeared - I saw only one crawling on the ground today. Do they have a common nest? With lots of larvae there? When should we expect to see young ones around? I believe they nest in the ground, right? I am glad they weren't contaminated from the honey bees.
I am isolating with COVID right now, but hope to be socially available by next Sunday (the 11th). If I don't see any more bees, though, no need in dropping by I guess.
On Tue, 6 Aug, 2024 at 2:48 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:
To: klincoln
I hope you recover quickly! It's hard to know if these bees were all from the same nest or not without looking more closely. Yes, the nests of the species you have in the picture is hidden under ground, typically in an abandoned rodent hole. The larvae never leave the nest; the bees only leave the nest after they turn into adults.
Thank you! Interesting.
On Wed, 7 Aug, 2024 at 5:36 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:
To: klincoln
