How To Help A Wet Bee

If you find a wet bee, you can place her in the sun to warm up. An exhausted bee, however, will appear lethargic and will probably be far away from any flowers. It is important to note that she could be only resting or actually dying. Bees don’t live very long, and if she looks old or is clinging to a flower, sadly these steps won’t resurrect her.

Use your sleeve, a nearby leaf, or a container to protect yourself from the bee’s stinger when you pick her up and make sure to be gentle.

Try and find a high nectar flower nearby, such as buddleia, sunflower, or knapweeds as those are the high-nutrient food that she has been looking for.

The average bee resting time is about 30 minutes. Give it time and if she doesn’t take it, she either can’t or doesn’t want it.

If the flower method fails, sugar water is needed. This is a last resort. Get a small container or spoon and mix 2 parts sugar with 1 part water and offer it to the bee. If she doesn’t take it, don’t force it.