I have three very lovely Karma fuschiana Dahlias out at the moment.
Being unstable some flowers are single, some are full.

The bees adore the single ones but why do you find bees at the end of
the day motionless inside flowers. If you touch them gently they do
respond if somewhat lethargicly but have they caught a mysterious
disease are they just out late or are they dying or what?

janet
--
Janet T.
Amersham

On 11/08/2013 11:54, Janet Tweedy wrote:
I have three very lovely Karma fuschiana Dahlias out at the moment.
Being unstable some flowers are single, some are full.

The bees adore the single ones but why do you find bees at the end of
the day motionless inside flowers. If you touch them gently they do
respond if somewhat lethargicly but have they caught a mysterious
disease are they just out late or are they dying or what?

janet

They might just be knackered after the end of a beesy day?

Wouldn't you be after all that 'flying' around?

Janet Tweedy wrote:
The bees adore the single ones but why do you find bees at the end of
the day motionless inside flowers. If you touch them gently they do
respond if somewhat lethargicly but have they caught a mysterious
disease are they just out late or are they dying or what?

We noticed this on the lavender and leek heads last week. They look
asleep. Nick seemed amused and a little surprised, but not concerned.
I'll ask him if it's normal.

Odd though, that we noticed it now and you noticed it now, so it's
obviously (maybe) not been happening before ...

On 2013-08-11 13:21:01 +0100, Victoria Conlan said:

Janet Tweedy wrote:
The bees adore the single ones but why do you find bees at the end of
the day motionless inside flowers. If you touch them gently they do
respond if somewhat lethargicly but have they caught a mysterious
disease are they just out late or are they dying or what?

We noticed this on the lavender and leek heads last week. They look
asleep. Nick seemed amused and a little surprised, but not concerned.
I'll ask him if it's normal.

Odd though, that we noticed it now and you noticed it now, so it's
obviously (maybe) not been happening before ...

Drunk?
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

On 11/08/2013 11:54, Janet Tweedy wrote:
I have three very lovely Karma fuschiana Dahlias out at the moment.
Being unstable some flowers are single, some are full.

The bees adore the single ones but why do you find bees at the end of
the day motionless inside flowers. If you touch them gently they do
respond if somewhat lethargicly but have they caught a mysterious
disease are they just out late or are they dying or what?

janet

I think they book in for bed and breakfast.

On 11/08/2013 13:21, Victoria Conlan wrote:
Janet Tweedy wrote:
The bees adore the single ones but why do you find bees at the end of
the day motionless inside flowers. If you touch them gently they do
respond if somewhat lethargicly but have they caught a mysterious
disease are they just out late or are they dying or what?

We noticed this on the lavender and leek heads last week. They look
asleep. Nick seemed amused and a little surprised, but not concerned.
I'll ask him if it's normal.

Odd though, that we noticed it now and you noticed it now, so it's
obviously (maybe) not been happening before ...

I've seen it often over the years, some settle in mid afternoon, as long
as they don't want TV and tea making facilities.

From this website:
Bumblebee colony development (Stage2 of the yearly life cycle)

"Most workers return to the nest every night, but some may spend the night outside sheltering under flowers as the males do. This can happen if there is a sudden change of weather in the evening and the bumblebee becomes stranded outside. "

"Males do not return to the nest once they have left it, so spend their nights either inside or hanging under flower heads. In the morning they are often very lethargic and may appear to be ill, but this is normal. They just need to get up heat by drinking nectar or being warmed by the sun or both. "

But also - the average lifespan of a worker is only about 40 days.

On 11/08/2013 13:21, Victoria Conlan wrote:
Janet wrote:
The bees adore the single ones but why do you find bees at the end of
the day motionless inside flowers. If you touch them gently they do
respond if somewhat lethargicly but have they caught a mysterious
disease are they just out late or are they dying or what?

We noticed this on the lavender and leek heads last week. They look
asleep. Nick seemed amused and a little surprised, but not concerned.
I'll ask him if it's normal.

Odd though, that we noticed it now and you noticed it now, so it's
obviously (maybe) not been happening before ...




We've been noticing it for years, not just in our garden, but wherever
we encounter bees, so garden centres, public gardens, garden shows, etc.

They do just seem to be snoozing. It makes us smile. Not at all sure
it's a problem.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

On 11/08/2013 13:21, Victoria Conlan wrote:
Odd though, that we noticed it now and you noticed it now, so it's
obviously (maybe) not been happening before ...

well yes, beacsue they seem to be clinging to the tighter flower heads
and laid out in the flatter flowers. I was worried in case it was a sign
they were dying but not found dead ones yet!

--
Janet T.
Amersham

On 2013-08-13 16:27:42 +0100, Janet Tweedy said:

On 11/08/2013 13:21, Victoria Conlan wrote:
Odd though, that we noticed it now and you noticed it now, so it's
obviously (maybe) not been happening before ...

well yes, beacsue they seem to be clinging to the tighter flower heads
and laid out in the flatter flowers. I was worried in case it was a
sign they were dying but not found dead ones yet!

They have more trouble extracting food from the tight flower heads -
apparently. Perhaps they 'relax' more in e.g. Achillea?
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

On 12/08/2013 16:22, Spider wrote:
We've been noticing it for years, not just in our garden, but wherever
we encounter bees, so garden centres, public gardens, garden shows, etc.

They do just seem to be snoozing. It makes us smile. Not at all sure
it's a problem.


Oh I just wondered what the reason was. Thanks

--
Janet T.
Amersham