UK gardening

Author

XB's

Uncle Marvo

2007-07-23, 9:25 am

I have six bees on the lawn, bumble-type bees, big fat hairy stripey ones,
and all quite dead.

Considering that I have never ever seen one dead bee on the grass before,
six at a time seems a bit coincidental.

Are there any bee-people (Mary?) who would know why this has happened all of
a sudden?

It has been wet, but not that wet. My feeble brane says that it is just
possible that bees are flying along, in defiance of all the laws of
aerodynamics, and get caught in a downpour, get waterlogged, and just fall
out of the sky. But that sounds a bit far-fetched.

The bees show no signs of having been mauled by an animal or suchlike.

2007-07-23, 9:25 am

Uncle Marvo <paul.r@deletethisbitfortescue.org.uk> writes
>I have six bees on the lawn, bumble-type bees, big fat hairy stripey ones,
>and all quite dead.
>
>Considering that I have never ever seen one dead bee on the grass before,
>six at a time seems a bit coincidental.
>
>Are there any bee-people (Mary?) who would know why this has happened all of
>a sudden?
>
>It has been wet, but not that wet. My feeble brane says that it is just
>possible that bees are flying along, in defiance of all the laws of
>aerodynamics, and get caught in a downpour, get waterlogged, and just fall
>out of the sky. But that sounds a bit far-fetched.
>
>The bees show no signs of having been mauled by an animal or suchlike.
>
We went through this about a month back. General consensus was that
someone had been spraying in the vicinity. At the time I didn't feel
that was likely since the bees were in both my garden and another one a
quarter of a mile away, but there have been none since, so maybe that
was the answer.
>

--
Kay

Cat(h)

2007-07-23, 9:25 am

On Jul 23, 1:53 pm, K <k...@scarboro.demon.co.uk> wrote:
> Uncle Marvo <pau...@deletethisbitfortescue.org.uk> writes
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> We went through this about a month back. General consensus was that
> someone had been spraying in the vicinity. At the time I didn't feel
> that was likely since the bees were in both my garden and another one a
> quarter of a mile away, but there have been none since, so maybe that
> was the answer.
>
>
>
> --
> Kay- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Could it simply be that they just die when they're finished doing what
the Great Spaghetti Monster* put them on the planet to do?

*or other deity of your choice

Cat(h)

La Puce

2007-07-23, 9:25 am

On 23 Jul, 14:17, "Cat(h)" <cathy...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Could it simply be that they just die when they're finished doing what
> the Great Spaghetti Monster* put them on the planet to do?
> *or other deity of your choice

Interesting cult you've got going there. This conjured up an image of
Uncle Marvo's lawn as a Waco scenario where all the bees held hands
and prayed and then died ... Maybe I'll get that tin foil hat now ;o)

Cat(h)

2007-07-23, 9:25 am

On Jul 23, 2:27 pm, La Puce <hel...@rudlin.co.uk> wrote:
> On 23 Jul, 14:17, "Cat(h)" <cathy...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
> Interesting cult you've got going there. This conjured up an image of
> Uncle Marvo's lawn as a Waco scenario where all the bees held hands
> and prayed and then died ... Maybe I'll get that tin foil hat now ;o)

But seriously, could it be that, around this time of year, bumble bees
are done with breeding, forageing, etc. and simply come to the end of
their natural life?
I read in this that the forager bumblebee's lifespan is about 4 to 7
weeks (depending on whether you include the larval stages).

http://www.bio-bee.com/english/bombus/live.htm

Cat(h)

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