I don't need to tell you how important bees are not only to the environment but for us. Without them doing their work there would not be so many of our tasty foods available.
This time of year, you may find bees on the floor looking dazed and exhausted, we can help by offering them an energy boost until they find their own source of food by giving them a sugar syrup mixture. It is simple to make....2 parts white sugar, 1 part warm (but not hot) water to dissolve the sugar. Give it a mix and I tend to put it on a teaspoon and lay it just in front of the bee.
It is fascinating to watch them tuck in, then give it a few minutes...and off they go! One life saved and you have done a good deed!
Please don't every feed bees honey. Unless it is from there own colony, it can carry harmful spores which can be deadly to the bee.
Often when admiring a bumble bee at work, you may notice little lumps. These are mites. (Like shown in the photo) quite often they are not a problem to the bee, they are just catching a ride. Once in the nest, they eat the pollen debris and other insects, so not harming the bee at all. When they reach a certain stage, they hitch a lift back to a flower waiting to be picked up by the next bumblebee. But there are times when they can be harmful and this is when a bee becomes too weighed down by so many mites. If this is the case, you can entice a bumblebee onto a spoon and dip it into warm water. The mites will jump off or at least loosen. (You may have to dip a couple of times.) BUT I must emphasize please only do this if you see the bee is in trouble. Why get their fluffy trousers wet unnecessarily! But ultimately the best thing we can do is plant bee-friendly plants in our gardens.
Stay safe my friends and bee đ happy! đș