Finding Dead Bumblebees

Bumblebee nests grow throughout the season, and produce new males and queens at the end of their lifecycle. Throughout the life of the nest a large number of worker bees help the nest to grow by collecting nectar and pollen – these make up most of the bees that you see out and about in summer. These workers only live for a few weeks, and then sadly die. It’s therefore quite normal to see a small number of dead bees in the garden. So long as you are still seeing live bees in the area, then it’s unlikely to be something new that we should be worrying about.

The reason why dead bees are often found in gardens and near nest sites is simply because that’s where they’ve been living and working. When bees are close to death, they often cling to flowers and look quite lethargic. When they do die, they then drop off the flowers, and you may find a number of these in your gardens, especially near the most bee-friendly plants. Also, you may find dead bees and larvae near nest entrances, this is because dead and dying bees are removed from the nest so that disease does not spread. For more information, visit Bumblebee Conservation Trust at: FAQ page about finding dead bees.