Bees are fattening up for hibernation! / myLot

United Kingdom

November 3, 2015 1:02pm CST

Our garden is especially popular with the local bees this time of year. First we have the big strawberry tree covered in flowers which the bees love, and now those flowers are just going over I also have a mahonia with flowers just coming out. The weather is really mild at the moment so the bees are all taking advantage of the nice conditions and the resources to fatten up for winter, there’s a busy humming filling the air when I walk down the garden! All rights reserved. © Text and image copyright Fleur 2015.

8 people like this

9 responses

Judy Evans

@JudyEv (326054)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Nov 15

I learnt more about how bees survive northern winters from a friend in Bavaria. I had no idea how bees made it through the winters there. They are amazing creatures.

1 person likes this

Fleur

@Fleura (29158)

• United Kingdom

5 Nov 15

They are surprising, I didn't even realise that they can live through the winter until recently. Like most things, the more you find out about them, the more interesting they are!

2 people like this

Fleur

@Fleura (29158)

• United Kingdom

5 Nov 15

@JudyEv Kind of like penguins in Antarctica!

1 person likes this

Judy Evans

@JudyEv (326054)

• Rockingham, Australia

5 Nov 15

@Fleura The guy I spoke to said they crowd in a circle and buzz their wings to create heat. And from time to time those on the outside crowd into the middle.

1 person likes this

Show more comments

Koalemos

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

3 Nov 15

Bees are fat enough without trying to get fatter for the winter.

1 person likes this

Fleur

@Fleura (29158)

• United Kingdom

3 Nov 15

The idea of a fat bee always seems rather odd, but apparently they do put on weight to keep them going over winter.

Koalemos

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

3 Nov 15

@Fleura They may end up having to walk back to the hive

1 person likes this

Fleur

@Fleura (29158)

• United Kingdom

3 Nov 15

@Asylum Luckily many bumblebees nest in holes in the ground : )

Show more comments

Anna

@LadyDuck (458591)

• Switzerland

4 Nov 15

The temperature is still mild and I see the bees going from flower to flower before the winter.

1 person likes this

Fleur

@Fleura (29158)

• United Kingdom

5 Nov 15

It is very mild here too, the temperature is around 15C at the moment!

1 person likes this

Jabo

@jaboUK (64361)

• United Kingdom

4 Nov 15

I haven't seen any bees in my garden lately, but then I've only got a few straggly geraniums and salvias left. Perhaps they don't like those.

1 person likes this

Valerie J. Routhieaux

@just4him (306704)

• Green Bay, Wisconsin

3 Nov 15

Bees are good for the environment.

1 person likes this

Danna B.

@db20747 (43427)

• Washington, District Of Columbia

21 Apr 16

That's sounds so springy. They say a lot of bees disappeared in some places and they are trying to bring them back. Ideas such as what you have with the flowery trees are good ones to keep the bees going and making honey and doing what they do such pollinating. Keep up the good work. And maybe send those ideas to the companies who are trying to bring back the bees.

1 person likes this

Fleur

@Fleura (29158)

• United Kingdom

21 Apr 16

This was 'autumny' rather than 'springy'! Anyway I hope they all made it through the winter. It has been very mild this year so I expect they did.