By Nanny28
Dunbartonshire,
United Kingdom 
My daughter phoned me this morning to say she had the biggest bee she had ever seen in her life clinging onto her vertical blinds in the conservatory. Her little da daughter is terrified of bees ( we are working on this one) and she wanted to put it outside without harming it. She shook the blinds hoping it would fly out of the open window, but she said it looked as though it was asleep or lethargic or something. Why would it not fly away? Is it because the weather has turned really icy?
She managed to catch it in a tub and put it into the garden safely. She is amazed at the size!
7 Apr, 2012
Answers
The cold weather is doing bees no good at all. From about a fortnight ago, when the garden was full of insects buzzing around, today (very cold and breezy) there have been virtually none. I have noticed quite a few little tiny bees clinging to the compost in the greenhouse, and these, too, are very torpid. As far as I'm concerned, they can stay for as long as they need. What a shame you didn't have a chance to photograph this Goliath of a bee, Nanny!
7 Apr, 2012
Sounds like you had a visit from a queen Bombus bumblebee - the chinnooks of the insect world - no doubt looking for a new place to nest after the recent warm weather. Next time you have one in doors that appears lethargic, find it a pile of leaf mould or other dry stuff in your garden. Catch it with a glass and leave it some sugared water or honey where you put it to rejuvenate it. Bumble bees very very rarely sting, and I work amongst them happily. They are excellent pollinators - I love watching them climb into snap dragons and then buzz fiercely to get back out again!!
7 Apr, 2012
When I find a bee in apparent distress I always give it a little honey. It is always appreciated, proboscis going like mad, and presently the bee takes new strength and flies off. My good deed for the day!
7 Apr, 2012
know bees know humans simple as . as avkq47 sais bees have to be realy threatand to sting especialy a queen thow queens unlike the workers can multi sting . they have to do this as when the hive needs a new queen they give them special diet called royal jelly i think and the first queen out hunts out all the others and stings them to death . definatly a bumblebee as said . on p[aper a normal size one shouldnt be able to fly . the air is more like a soup to much smaller creatures .
8 Apr, 2012
Thank you all for the wonderful response to my question. Yes I am sorry that I was not at my daughter's home to take a photo of the bee. I will remember the tip about the honey. This weather is confusing us humans never mind the hard working insects we rely on so much. Again thank you all for the valuable information.
9 Apr, 2012
your more than welcome nanny xx .
9 Apr, 2012
With the return of the cold weather the bee would have been torpid and almost hibernating, I realise it wasn't possible in this case but the best thing would to have been to leave it where it was.
7 Apr, 2012