Help With Bees Please!

[Snowkissed]

Our large Lavender bush has been covered with four different kinds of bees for weeks which has warmed my heart. However, to my utter dismay and concern I have just discovered two dead bees, still attached to the flowers and four other bees which are also on the flowers but very, very drowsy, hardly moving. Also two more which appear to be life less unless another bee lands on them and they move slightly.

Can any one tell me if this is a natural occurance? Could the bees be cold or even sleeping? I am just concerned at the number of bees in the same state on one bush!

[Backtrack]

The weather has been rather cool, They are probably dying off now, making way for wasps.

[Snowkissed]

I did wonder if they were cold, but there were others which were just as active as they were two weeks ago. I have even tried to Google the senario, but there doesn't seem to be any information about it.

[Harry]

I noticed this today too - a very drowsy bee with a throbbing abdomen - the bee was flying very erratically too. Having said that, I've seen far more bees (bumblebees) this year than I've seen in previous years, which is good news. In the past I've always associated bumblebees with spring and only very early summer - this year, since March I've seen MANY. Also, I was talking to an ecologist recently, who was saying different bees have different peaks during the spring/summer season. Apparently, the red tale (black and red bees) are the first out (and seemingly the first to go as haven't seen a red tail for considerable time). Since then, I've seen many different kinds of bee.

Rather worringly, I've seen far fewer honeybees this year, which apparently are suffering from mites which are apparently the cause for their sudden drop, along with changing farming methods, reduced habitat and herbicides/pesticides.

A question I do have if anyone can help, are bees which I see regularly now in the evening time, and have done for the past few years - at least, I presume they are bees. They have very thick bodies like bees, fly like bees, but have darker, dense wings almost like moths. They are always either hovering around trees or flowers during dusk hours (never see them when it's light), particularly on warm and humid nights when they are most evident. I'm inclined at first glance to think they are moths, but they are too quick and direct in their flight pattern IMO for moths, which tend to flap about randomly. Also, they are very clearly gathering nectar from the flowers.

Any thoughts?

[Claudia]

I noticed this today too - a very drowsy bee with a throbbing abdomen - the bee was flying very erratically too. Having said that, I've seen far more bees (bumblebees) this year than I've seen in previous years, which is good news. In the past I've always associated bumblebees with spring and only very early summer - this year, since March I've seen MANY. Also, I was talking to an ecologist recently, who was saying different bees have different peaks during the spring/summer season. Apparently, the red tale (black and red bees) are the first out (and seemingly the first to go as haven't seen a red tail for considerable time). Since then, I've seen many different kinds of bee.

Rather worringly, I've seen far fewer honeybees this year, which apparently are suffering from mites which are apparently the cause for their sudden drop, along with changing farming methods, reduced habitat and herbicides/pesticides.

A question I do have if anyone can help, are bees which I see regularly now in the evening time, and have done for the past few years - at least, I presume they are bees. They have very thick bodies like bees, fly like bees, but have darker, dense wings almost like moths. They are always either hovering around trees or flowers during dusk hours (never see them when it's light), particularly on warm and humid nights when they are most evident. I'm inclined at first glance to think they are moths, but they are too quick and direct in their flight pattern IMO for moths, which tend to flap about randomly. Also, they are very clearly gathering nectar from the flowers.

Any thoughts?

humming-bird hawk-moths by the sounds of it.

[Harry]

Ahh cool! Judging by videos on youtube, this does seem to be the most likely candidate I've never actually gone near them before as I'm really not keen on flying insects, but I might be a bit more inclined now I know they are not dangerous (providing it is them). Also, they are so quick in and out the bushes it's hard to actually see what they look like.

Interestingly though, I never see them during the afternoon, it's always late evening/dusk, just before the sun goes down. And far more commonly, on humid warm evenings as opposed to cooler evenings. Also, I tend to see them MANY at a time, seldom on their own as seems to be case on the videos on youtube.

Will keep a look out tonight...thanks for curing years of curiosity (and fear) Claudia