The Bee Kind Challenge Step 5
The best way to be kind to bees is to provide them with food, water and a home ( steps 1 - 4) but you might, in hot weather and urban environments, come across tired bees that have run out of energy.
If you see a bee on the ground it could be a tired bee that simply needs a rest and an energy boost in which case you can be kind and offer a helping hand. It's important to be careful when rescuing bees though, for yourself as well as the bees.
The simplest and best solution is to place the bee in a nearby flower where it can rest and restore itself. We have found tired bees to be gentle but as they might be distressed use a leaf, a twig, a spoon or your sleeve to lift the bee safely to the nearest bee friendly flower.
If there aren’t any flowers nearby you could try giving the bee a few drops of sugar water. Sometimes this quick energy boost is enough to help the bee on it’s way.
Prepare sugar water by mixing equal parts of white sugar and water. You only need a few drops so ¼ teaspoon of sugar mixed with ¼ teaspoon of water should be enough. Offer the bee a few drops by placing it near the bee on a teaspoon, or a bottle top, or dip a flower in the sugar water and offer that to the bee. If the bee has simply run out of energy it will drink some sugar water, rest and hopefully bee on it’s way.
Please don’t be tempted to leave sugar water out for bees at other times, this should only be used in an emergency as it does not provide them with the vital nutrients they get from nectar and pollen. Please do not give honey to tired bees either, it might seem like the obvious solution but expert advice is that bees should only consume honey from their own hive and giving it to them from somewhere else could be harmful and spread disease.
In early spring you might find Queen bees resting on the ground but these bees do not need your help, recent research at Queen Mary University of London has shown that these Queens spend the majority of their time resting on the ground between very short flights in Spring, before mating and looking for a home. They just need you to let them bee.
Bees are facing so many challenges but these small steps can help so next time you see a bee on the ground check if it’s still alive and maybe give it a lift to a nearby flower.
A bumblebee on a welsh poppy, an excellent flower to look for nearby if you see a bee in need.
Dealing with the issue of human impacts on the natural world is not only hard for bees, it can be hard for us too. Feelings of eco anxiety can leave us feeling anxious and overwhelmed. Experts agree though that the best way to deal with eco anxiety is to take action. Even a small action like rescuing a bee helps us to shift from feeling helpless to being helpful and feeling hopeful.