#tree bumblebee

#BOMBUS HYPNORUM - TREE BUMBLEBEE - BAUMHUMMEL & SYMPHORICARPOS ALBUS - SNOWBERRY - SCHNEEBEERE

🐝Bumblebee and fish 🐟

Just thought I’d share this wonderful and weird little day I just had! Went walking yesterday with housemate but before we got even a bit away from our door I notice this bumblebee on the floor. We’ve had horrific downpours of rain over here and it’s confused all the plants and wildlife, and I’d already passed 2 poor squished bees so I decided, nope! I’m saving this one. I convince it to walk on to my phone and we walk back home where, in my garden, I initially overturn a bucket for shelter, offer sugared water and pushed a fuchsia right up close for some pollen and something to chill on. 

I go to bed, go to work in the morning and finish my shift by midday when it is bucketing it down again, so I think to check to see if Burt the Bumblebee had flown off in the day before the rain hit. Answer? Nope, still here, and looking a little damper as he’s come to the bucket edge. So now it’s decision time...

...I’m bringing Burt in the house.

So Burt has his little bucket and fuchsia inside now and has more opportunity to dry off, which he proceeds to do. I look up anything I can do, and I find a site that suggests letting the bee warm up against your skin. Now; I’ve always loved bees but always had a healthy respect to not get in their space so I’m a little wary but fuck it, I want this little guy to live. He’s off his fuchsia and beginning to explore and so I put my hand down in his path.

Immediately, he climbs aboard! He’ll roam a little but mostly he’ll sit peacefully and have a go at drying off his legs, his wings and his antenna (which is fucking adorable by the way, especially when he’d raise his butt to dry his back legs). Then he’ll chill again and occasionally, the little weirdo, he’ll go and get himself into the creases of my finger to lick me (I assume salty? Who knows, but you can see his tongue sticking out in the third picture). I try the watered sugar again and, this time, he goes in with much more gusto. 

I spend nearly 3 hours like this, the rain has stopped, the sun has begun to dry everything and already Burt had done a few successful flights off my hand and back. So now’s the time to take him out, with his little bucket and fuchsia, and see if he’s feeling stronger. He instantly begins to explore and climb higher so I leave him be with periodic check ins on his progress.

I am happy to report, Burt has made a full recovery so has taken flight, and is most likely heading home!