47

Bee First Aid

Bees are best left to their own devices, but there are three situations where human intervention can help. Learning a little ‘first aid’ could help rescue a bee in trouble – it might seem pointless, when a bee has such a limited lifespan, but each individual bee plays a vital role in the maintenance of the wider population.

HOW TO REVIVE AN EXHAUSTED BEE

You often find bees who have hit a spot of bad weather, struggled to find food, or are just exhausted from flying too far from the hive. Feeding them with a solution of pure white cane sugar and water will give them enough of an energy boost to get them back on their feet. (Sugar water should only be used as an emergency bee reviver, however, not an everyday source of food – it doesn’t contain any of the important nutrients bees need.) The strength of the sugar water needs to vary, depending on the time of year.

•SUMMER – mix 3 teaspoons of water with 3 teaspoons of sugar.

•AUTUMN – mix 2 teaspoons of water with 3 teaspoons of sugar.

HOW TO RESCUE A DROWNING BEE

Bees need water (see 22. Build a Bee Drinker) and can get themselves into trouble if they venture too close to paddling pools, bird baths, ponds and swimming pools. They can be remarkably resilient, however, and even after a lengthy ‘swim’ can survive if they’re gently rescued and left to dry out. Use anything flat (large leaf, hand trowel, plastic lid etc.) and lift the bee out from underneath. Leave the bee in full sun, where it can dry off and clean itself. You could also give it some sugar water as it’s probably used its energy trying to stay afloat.

HOW TO GET A BEE OUT OF A HOUSE OR CAR

Don’t try and waft a bee out of a confined space – bees see rapid arm movements as a threat (see 46. Teach Bee Whispering). Ideally, leave the window or door open and it should find its own way out. Failing that, cover the bee with a glass jar and wait for the bee to crawl up the side. Carefully slide a thin piece of card under the jar, taking care not to trap the bee’s legs, and release the bee outside. If the bee won’t come out, leave the jar outside until it does.