Mary Fisher says...
The best way to warm one is to cup your hands together with the bee inside
then gently blow warm air into the cavity. After a minute or so she'll start
to tremble, then you can open your hands and she'll fly off - unless she's
hungry. It's a good idea to prepare for this before you hold her (she's not
going to fly away) by preparing a solution of sugar in warm water. You need
no more than an eighth of a teaspoon. Put it on the end of your finger and
she'll find it as she moves from your palm. You'll be able to see her long
tongue 'pump' up the solution. It's not pumping but it looks like it. When
she's had enough she'll clean her tongue and antennae and fly off.

That WILL be a good deed!

Oh - by the way, she might well get into a defensive position when you pick
her up by lifting a middle leg to fend you off but she won't sting.

Do you promise it won't sting? While I have some affection
for bumble bees it is also mixed with a certain
apprehension - especially the thought of cupping one
between my hands.

Spiders are not a problem, but then they never seem to
inflict any bites, so I always cup those between my hands
and take them outside. It feels a bit tickly though while
they run round and round inside my cupped hands.
--
David in Normandy.
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