Where did the Bumbles go?

babice · August 27, 2012

OK - who took my bumble bees? For weeks now I've been enjoying seeing them out there on my russian sage, borage and basil and then sleeping on the sunflowers. They're gone now. What the hey? Wasps are gone too. Weird. I saw a bumble the other day...well...bumbling around near the borage. He looked drunk and I just thought maybe he was REALLY enjoying the borage. NOW I suspect something happened - someone sprayed or maybe even the city? Dang it.

kevn357 · August 28, 2012

Did you spray anything?

babice · August 28, 2012

nope - I didn't spray anything

Skaggydog · August 28, 2012

The devil said in the last days there will be no bumble bees.

Farmette · August 28, 2012

They're over here in Wisconsin...in my backyard. OUCH!!!

Alberta · August 28, 2012

they are all here in my yard, I can't go out without seeing at least 20 at a time.

babice · August 28, 2012

Saw 1 today out there - was just odd becuz Saturday there were tons of them.

Save$ · August 28, 2012

We have bees working the squash, but I don't see them working the tomatoes anymore. I doubt any new fruit now would mature before the frost. If I get what is on there before the blight finds me, I'll be very greatful. We are hoping to can about 60 jars to get us through until next year.

stonysoilseeds · August 29, 2012

i have much less honey and bumbles on my tomatoes this yr ... surpringly i planted borage and it is in full bloom and not one bee has gone near it.. i have them in my squash blossoms but where they all seem to congregate are on my 5 tomatillo plants.. its the busiest bee section in my gardem

b54red · September 2, 2012

Lately all of mine have been hanging out on the rotting pears on the ground under my pear trees. When the pears are gone I hope to see them back in the garden where they usually love the old basil plants and the blooming Marigolds until cold weather gets here.

PaulF · September 2, 2012

Since this thread first got started I have been looking for the bumblebees and there are none around here. Last year they were thick. This year there are quite a good number of honeybees visiting our small pond, for the water I guess. We have not had honey bees in the yard for several years. Maybe they are making a come back.

babice · September 3, 2012

Well - I have been seeing some but the decline in the ones I had on the deck is still very noticeable and I'm not seeing many. Maybe they moved to other stuff around my house. I've seen one or two milling around the borage. And some of them are enjoying some of the flowers out front. I haven't seen more than one or two on the deck, although I am seeing just a few honey bees.

Wi-sunflower · September 4, 2012

DH (Ray) occasionally will scan thru TV and read a few threads. He saw this thread a while back and wondered about the bees too. We usually have a whole lot of Bumble Bees around here and have only seen a few this summer.

He asked around some bee keepers he knows at the farmers markets we go to. It seems the consensus is that it has to do with the hot dry weather we had. The bees can't make much honey or reproduce well in that kind of weather. Even the honey bees aren't making very much honey. It was similar in 88 when we had much the same kind of weather.

Carol

Worth1 · September 4, 2012

I have Bumble Bees here at my house this year.
Something I haven't seen in a while.

On the subject of Bumble Bees I discovered something this year many of us have never seen.

The Bombus Polaris.

Many of us have seen this critter buzzing around the wild flowers this year on the North Slope of Alaska.
This is as far north as you can get in the US and I was surprised to see it.
Being the person I am I looked up arctic Bumble Bee and found Bombus Polaris.
People were talking about this strange bee and when I heard them I said it was Bombus Polaris.
I told them all about Bombus Polaris and how it lived.
This led me to start asking questions of some of the people up there about other things unique to the arctic.
To my surprise I discovered they knew little if anything about the place.

They knew nothing about Pingos, Polygons or how the lakes were formed.
One idiot even said the Bumble Bee lived under the hides of caribou during the winter.

I didn't even argue with him.

Here I submit to you my friends is the Bombus Polaris the most amazing Bee I have ever seen.

How this critter can build a nest above ground and live in temps at 30 below is amazing.
Worth

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...PN3yOw&cad=rja

babice · September 4, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

How this critter can build a nest above ground and live in temps at 30 below is amazing.

Wow that is amazing! They must have a nice fur coat...and a high(er) metabolism!

August 27, 2012	#1
babice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Alabama Posts: 643	Where did the Bumbles go? OK - who took my bumble bees? For weeks now I've been enjoying seeing them out there on my russian sage, borage and basil and then sleeping on the sunflowers. They're gone now. What the hey? Wasps are gone too. Weird. I saw a bumble the other day...well...bumbling around near the borage. He looked drunk and I just thought maybe he was REALLY enjoying the borage. NOW I suspect something happened - someone sprayed or maybe even the city? Dang it.

August 28, 2012	#8
Save$ Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Maine Posts: 46	We have bees working the squash, but I don't see them working the tomatoes anymore. I doubt any new fruit now would mature before the frost. If I get what is on there before the blight finds me, I'll be very greatful. We are hoping to can about 60 jars to get us through until next year. __________________ Love to Garden, Burn Pellets, Have a solar space, cloche and do vertical growing. Will do a lot of canning if I can keep LB away.

September 2, 2012	#11
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,296	Since this thread first got started I have been looking for the bumblebees and there are none around here. Last year they were thick. This year there are quite a good number of honeybees visiting our small pond, for the water I guess. We have not had honey bees in the yard for several years. Maybe they are making a come back. __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Switch to Linear Mode Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

August 28, 2012	#2
kevn357 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Parma, OH Posts: 147	Did you spray anything?

August 28, 2012	#4
Skaggydog Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Southern California Posts: 131	The devil said in the last days there will be no bumble bees.

August 28, 2012	#5
Farmette Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2009 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 985	They're over here in Wisconsin...in my backyard. OUCH!!!

August 28, 2012	#6
Alberta Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Mastic, NY Posts: 212	they are all here in my yard, I can't go out without seeing at least 20 at a time.

August 29, 2012	#9
stonysoilseeds Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: cincinnatus, new york Posts: 341	i have much less honey and bumbles on my tomatoes this yr ... surpringly i planted borage and it is in full bloom and not one bee has gone near it.. i have them in my squash blossoms but where they all seem to congregate are on my 5 tomatillo plants.. its the busiest bee section in my gardem

September 2, 2012	#10
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	Lately all of mine have been hanging out on the rotting pears on the ground under my pear trees. When the pears are gone I hope to see them back in the garden where they usually love the old basil plants and the blooming Marigolds until cold weather gets here.

September 3, 2012	#12
babice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Alabama Posts: 643	Well - I have been seeing some but the decline in the ones I had on the deck is still very noticeable and I'm not seeing many. Maybe they moved to other stuff around my house. I've seen one or two milling around the borage. And some of them are enjoying some of the flowers out front. I haven't seen more than one or two on the deck, although I am seeing just a few honey bees.

September 4, 2012	#13
Wi-sunflower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 2,591	DH (Ray) occasionally will scan thru TV and read a few threads. He saw this thread a while back and wondered about the bees too. We usually have a whole lot of Bumble Bees around here and have only seen a few this summer. He asked around some bee keepers he knows at the farmers markets we go to. It seems the consensus is that it has to do with the hot dry weather we had. The bees can't make much honey or reproduce well in that kind of weather. Even the honey bees aren't making very much honey. It was similar in 88 when we had much the same kind of weather. Carol

September 4, 2012	#14
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	I have Bumble Bees here at my house this year. Something I haven't seen in a while. On the subject of Bumble Bees I discovered something this year many of us have never seen. The Bombus Polaris. Many of us have seen this critter buzzing around the wild flowers this year on the North Slope of Alaska. This is as far north as you can get in the US and I was surprised to see it. Being the person I am I looked up arctic Bumble Bee and found Bombus Polaris. People were talking about this strange bee and when I heard them I said it was Bombus Polaris. I told them all about Bombus Polaris and how it lived. This led me to start asking questions of some of the people up there about other things unique to the arctic. To my surprise I discovered they knew little if anything about the place. They knew nothing about Pingos, Polygons or how the lakes were formed. One idiot even said the Bumble Bee lived under the hides of caribou during the winter. I didn't even argue with him. Here I submit to you my friends is the Bombus Polaris the most amazing Bee I have ever seen. How this critter can build a nest above ground and live in temps at 30 below is amazing. Worth http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...PN3yOw&cad=rja