Didn't get to witness it today, but when I got home from work and checked the hive I found a dead bumblebee on the ground in front of the hive and probably 5 or 6 dead honey bees. Not sure if the bumblebee caused their death as there has been dead honey bees on the ground every once in awhile. Do I need to worry about more bumblebees showing up? or will the hive take care of it?
Jeff
bumble bee no worries- yellow jacket time to reduce entrance in less it is supper clony.your call RDY-B
Thanks, this is my first year just thought i should get some input in case theres something i should be doing.
jeff
I've seen bumblers and yellow jackets dead outside of my hives where last year I found one yellow jacket and one red wasp for the whole year. There were a lot more hornets and wasp queens looking for places to winter last year than I've seen in the past sixteen years here. The new hives had their entrances reduced anyway. The rest have just been strong.
Just thought I'd tell this short story about bumble bees and my honeybees.
I've watched more than once this yr. bumblebees nosing around the hive entrances and several guard bees of the hive intercept it and ride it to the ground. I think they were biting it - not stinging because it looked like all the guard bees flew back to the hive. The bumblebee just walked around on the ground after being pounded..... I don't think they every get their flight wings back...