What Can I Do About A Bumble Bee With A Damaged Wing?

Updated: 30th April 2021

Every year, I receive a number of queries about bumble bees with damaged wings. 

Usually, the bee has been found by a kind person who is concerned, and wants to know whether it is possible to assist the bee in any way.  

Please note, there is a separate page of information about the function of bee wings.

About Bee Wings

All bees have 2 sets of wings.  During flight, bumble bees twist their wings using their flight muscles, to help them gain lift.  You can read more about bumble bee flight, and watch a video here.

Bumble bee wings often become damaged and ragged with age and exposure to the elements, and this is one of the ways in which older bees can be distinguished from younger ones.  Despite this, they can usually continue to forage for some time.

This bumble bee foraging on purple loosestrife, has healthy wings.

Can You Do Anything To Help A Bee With A Damaged Wing?

Though you will understandably want to help, it's generally best to leave the bee alone. 

If the bee is moving around, it may well at some point fly off if it is still able to do so.

A bee that is not moving may be resting, or may have an internal parasite.  There may not be any connection between the bee's stationary state and ragged wings.


Should you bring it into the house and provide sugar water?


At the most, it's acceptable to drip a little sugar water close to the bee to see if it will feed, but mostly, I even advise against this.  If this is what you are considering doing, please first read my page about feeding sugar to bumble bees.

It would be better to leave it outside, and if you have already taken it into the house, take it back out again and place it on some flowers where it can spend the remainder of its time in its natural environment.

Then allow nature to take its course. 

Do not worry - you have done your very best.  Bumble bees only live for a few weeks - only the new queens survive for longer, and they are the ones which mate, then hibernate and create new colonies the following year.  

If you'd like to help bees, however, there is still much you can do to assist future colonies, in particular, include lots of plants for bees in your garden!


Bee With A Deformed Wing?

One query I had concerned a bumble bee with a "deformed wing", and a kindly person trying their best to look after it.

Here is the query I received:

"Hi, 

I have had a bumble bee in my care for the last few days. I found it thinking it was dead at first, but it became quite lively.

I gave it sugar water, placed it on a plant on the sill and after I fell asleep for an hour (I do crazy shifts) it was nowhere to be found.

2 days later I found it crawling about so I've put it in a box with sugar water and a wee fabric hut to get in at night.

It's the third day now and I'm at a loss what to do as it has deformed wings and can't fly (but bless it, it's trying!).

Should I let nature take its course and find a suitable garden to put it in or gather some flowers and foliage to make it as comfortable as possible?

Thanks"

My response was as follows:

"Thank you for your very kind email about your attempts to help a bumble bee.  I have come across similar scenarios, and all I can say is that you have absolutely done your best to help this little creature, but you can do no more. 

If the bumble bee is still alive right now, I advise you to place it outside on some flowers - if possible, whilst it is still light - or very early in the morning (I don't know what your shifts are) and allow nature to take its course.

The kindness people such as yourself obviously feel
is very touching, but we can only do so much."

Can Bee Wings Be Glued Back Together?

I received a query asking whether acrylic glue could be used to stick a bee’s wing back together, as the wing was split. This method has been used in special circumstances to assist butterflies by people who work with butterflies specifically.

Again, I was very touched by the kindness in this person’s email, but whilst I am aware that glue has been used to repair the wings of Monarch butterflies, it would not be possible to use this method with bees. 

Monarch butterflies have large wings that can be held carefully by persons experienced in this method. 

With bees, the wings are smaller and closer to the body, so it would not possible to prevent the glue soaking through the delicate bumble bee wing and onto the hairy coat of the bumble bee.  Thus, the wing would then be stuck to the body, which would be worse. 

I also suspect the bee would try to groom in order to clean itself, which would result in glue being spread onto the legs.  This could all become very distressing to watch, as well as harmful for the bee itself.

In any event, getting the bee to be still, and avoiding being stung would already be a challenge.  

I always appreciate the kind concern some people have for bees. 

However, as stated, we can thankfully still help bees in our gardens, by ensuring we include lots of plants they love, and also by spreading the word about the need to help bees and other pollinators.

 

More links...



Bumble bee nests only last a season, so they rarely need to be moved.

How long do bumble bee nests last?

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