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Bees & Beekeeping

Do Bumble bees nap?

16 years ago

At 9am, bees are all over my cantaloupe vine going from flower to flower. 1pm... They're really at it. 7pm, most are gone but I now see 3 Bumble bees just sitting, as if they were sleeping. 2 were in cantaloupe flowers and 1 was in a cucumber plant flower. Is this normal? And if you, what are they doing, sleeping, resting of did they die from working to hard?

Comments (4)

blueheron
16 years ago
I've seen bumblebees like that, too. I always think they're dead, but they make some movement that shows they're alive.
dragonplant
16 years ago
I'm no bee expert, but I've seen that enough times to think it must be normal. I used to have what I suspect was the same bumblebee that always took a nap on my hand railing by my door every afternoon. It would leave after a few minutes, but often napped in the same place (the only reason I have for thinking it was the same one). I've seen them nap in zucchini flowers too, then leave after awhile.

Last year I saw 20 or so bumblebees napping almost all at once on my dwarf orange tree...that I'm less inclined to believe is normal. A few were flying from flower to flower (it was in full bloom), but most were asleep in flowers...that and one other time I spilled orange icing and it put the ants to sleep makes me think orange flavored /scented stuff will make them nap unnaturally.
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lunelli
16 years ago
I've seen them all over my chive plants, maybe 20 or even 30 of them, holding on for dear life in cool breezy weather. I thought they were all dead but the next day they had gone, so I can only presume they were having a break and didn't fancy the trip home.
oxmyx
16 years ago
they get tired. give them a pet or 2, they dont mind. If it bothers them they just stick up there hind feet as if to say go away! Seriously!

I really like these, most friendly of bees that have replace the honey bee in my area.

Oh, did you notice they seem to prefer blue flowers?

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