Strange Bee activity

[Trogdor530]

I have an odd story.

 

The other day, I came home from class and found a bee/wasp (Not sure of the species) clung to the inside of my screen window. It wasn't moving, and when i slightly opened the screen to give it a chance to fly out, it barley moved; almost as if it had no energy. At this point I didn't really think anything of it, mind you that was at about 1pm.

 

I went out to do some errands and went to dinner with friends and came home again, this time around 1am. The bee was still there- in the exact same spot. The screen was still open enough for it to get out, but still- no movement.

 

Woke up the next day, went to class, hung out with friends again and came home around 6pm... the bee is still there. I finally used a fork, and scooped it up to put it outside on my roof; no erratic movement, no hostility.. it laid on the roof and moved around a bit until it went under one of the shingles.

 

Now... I inspected the bee pretty close; there was no wing damage, all the legs worked fine.. I don't understand, it was the most peculiar thing I had witnessed with an insect.

 

Would anyone know if this is possibly related to the stories I've been hearing about bees dieing for 'no apparent reason'?

[foodchain]

I have an odd story.

 

The other day, I came home from class and found a bee/wasp (Not sure of the species) clung to the inside of my screen window. It wasn't moving, and when i slightly opened the screen to give it a chance to fly out, it barley moved; almost as if it had no energy. At this point I didn't really think anything of it, mind you that was at about 1pm.

 

I went out to do some errands and went to dinner with friends and came home again, this time around 1am. The bee was still there- in the exact same spot. The screen was still open enough for it to get out, but still- no movement.

 

Woke up the next day, went to class, hung out with friends again and came home around 6pm... the bee is still there. I finally used a fork, and scooped it up to put it outside on my roof; no erratic movement, no hostility.. it laid on the roof and moved around a bit until it went under one of the shingles.

 

Now... I inspected the bee pretty close; there was no wing damage, all the legs worked fine.. I don't understand, it was the most peculiar thing I had witnessed with an insect.

 

Would anyone know if this is possibly related to the stories I've been hearing about bees dieing for 'no apparent reason'?

 

Hard to say from what you say. I don’t know the seasons or if its specie dependent but maybe it was a drone, though I don’t know the extent of a drones life cycle and if such is dependent on other things of course. I know at low temperatures where I live bees and wasps are barely active, and you can pretty much handle a yellow jacket, though I would never subscribe this, its just a line I use to subdue nervous humans as I remove the wasp really. Maybe it was poisoned by something possibly? If it could relate to the massive bee disappearances, I would think it could, but then again I don’t know enough to say really in either direction.

[Glider]

Like foodchain says, it could have been a drone. It's about the right time of year (depending on the weather where you are). Drones live only to mate with the new queens. Afterwards, they die.

 

One way to tell a drone from a worker is the head. Drones have much bigger compound eyes than workers; they take up most of the head.

[CharonY]

In case it wasn't a drone othe possibilities include dehydration (esp. in hot weather), malnourishment, or even disease. As insects have a comparatively simple body it can take a long time for them to die.