# Injured bee?



## Dakota1709 (Nov 10, 2011)

I know this doesn't have much to do with bee keeping, and I didn't know what category to put it in.. Anyway, I recently found an injured male carpenter bee..It cannot fly, and doesn't move much, but I know it's alive.It's been on a clover plant for several days, until I decided to take it inside after it rained.. I put it in a small cage, with a few flowers (parsley,unknown red flowers..etc) and I am not sure if it did eat..
I've tried to give it 1 tbsp. of water in 2 tbsp. of sugar, yet it wouldn't drink it...I put the same mix in other flowers, and it seemed to put it's head inside..When I came back home, it was on another flower..

It cleans itself and has been a bit more active recently, but there are no more flowers that I can find..It won't eat the sugar water much, although I think I should try serving it another way..Anyway, what can I do to help it, and what should I feed it?


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## Erik the Red (May 27, 2010)

I suspect there won't be a lot of support for that much effort put into a drone (male bee). When winter's coming, the worker bees (all female) kick the drones out of the hive for winter since the only thing they contribute is their set of genes, and that's only IF they mate with a queen. i.e they eat the honey, but don't help make it during summer. So I'd be willing to bet that most people (myself included) will say to just let nature take its course. 

That being said, if you want to continue put effort into this bee, feed it a 2:1 ratio of sugar:water, make sure that it has clean water, and it'll need pollen for protein (except for buying it from a supplier, I don't think you'll find much in Detroit in the way of plants producing pollen). I don't know the life expectancy of drones off the top of my head, but it's likely at the end of its life anyhow.


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## Corvair68 (May 10, 2011)

Considering it is a Carpenter Bee... Carpenter bees are generally solitary bees and live alone. They over winter in the wood with pollen for foodand emerge in the spring for mating. Their life cycle is very different that that of the honeybee.


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## Dakota1709 (Nov 10, 2011)

Well I found one dandelion, and he started to rock back and forth , and then started moving fast and trying to fly..I think he's doing better too, so I plan on keeping him a bit longer, till he can fly, and when the weather is nice.


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

I really think you need a puppy.


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## Rusty67 (Mar 9, 2010)

I have to agree with Vance. And, as stated above, carpenter bees are solitary so it wasn't kicked out of a hive or anything like that. Your bee should have burrowed into its winter nest by now and is probably just going to die no matter what you do.


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## Corvair68 (May 10, 2011)

Rusty is right it probably would die either way, but I would get some pollen and stuff and see how long I could keep it alive. I would be so proud if he made it to spring able to fly and continue his family tree. I am not normal though.


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## Rusty67 (Mar 9, 2010)

> I am not normal though.


I don't think many of us bee people are normal.


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## MyrtGeo (Jul 30, 2013)

Just wanted to say I think you are awesome to save it. I admire your heart and hope you remain a caring, considerate individual. The world needs more people like you!:thumbsup:


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## JStinson (Mar 30, 2013)

You do have quite the heart. I saw a couple of bumble bees on the ground outside of one of my hives yesterday. I stomped them both. You have more of a heart than I do it seems. 

Good luck to you, I do hope he makes it!


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## Nabber86 (Apr 15, 2009)

JStinson said:


> Good luck to you, I do hope he makes it!


TIL; Individual carpenter bees live for over 20 months. (OP was 11-10-2011)


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## biggraham610 (Jun 26, 2013)

I had a couple hornets surveying my hive today, they wont be surveying anymore. Carpenter bees are nothing more than a nusiance in my book. Im sure they serve some purpose but the only purpose I see them serving is destroying peoples homes. Stomp:shhhh:


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## imthegrumpyone (Jun 29, 2013)

The little things get to you, don't they ? I find myself giving aid to bees myself. Maybe one good deed will get you another.


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## JStinson (Mar 30, 2013)

> TIL; Individual carpenter bees live for over 20 months. (OP was 11-10-2011)


Dang, this thread is old.


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## chevydmax04 (May 11, 2009)

vance g said:


> i really think you need a puppy.


roflmao!


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## frankthomas (Aug 2, 2012)

The original question/post is almost 2 years old now. The dang bee is dead! I still need to put in my 2 cents. As much as I respect the gentle heart and soul that the original poster must be.. a Carpenter Bee is a destructive pest. The wood facias on my house have lots of damage from these pests. 

Nature is not nearly so gentle and kind as the OPoster and for good reason.


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## Elena M Flores (6 mo ago)

Yes here I am 11 years later jumping on this thread.. I saw a carpenter bee on the grass today & kneeled down & it stared into my soul & started making its way to me. I sat with it a while & when I got up to walk away it frantically crawled over the grass blades toward me. He needed some TLC. Even saw a nasty little yellow jacket poking at him & him swatting it away. I named him Henry & brought him some catnip flowers which he hungrily snacked on. Also brought him some larger flowers which I later found him sleeping in :,). His wings were tattered- I’m pretty sure he’s just at his end of life. Anyway I brought him in to keep him more safe & comfortable and he’s snoozing away on a flower! Will get him more flowers tomorrow and make him some sugar water
















too!


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