Gardeners Told to Give Exhausted Bees an Energy Drink

In an effort to help Britain's declining bee population, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is urging gardeners to leave out a homemade energy drink for tired bees. The RSPB says that a mix of two tablespoons of sugar with a tablespoon of water makes a perfect bee-boosting drink. Val Osborne, head of wildlife inquiries at the RSPB, said, "Many people keep seeing bees on the ground and assume they are dead, but chances are they are having a rest. Much like us, a sugary drink could boost their energy levels and a simple sugar and water combination will be a welcome treat."

Fix one thing, break another...

[d474]

That, and you'll end up with an army of ants swarming the sugary concoction. Pretty much all insects will find it tasty.

This is obviously a plot by the Society of Birds to make more food for their feathered friends.

Nice picture

[us7892]

Such a beautiful picture of a bee and a dandilion...and on slashdot. Awwww.

What could possible go wrong?

[mcmonkey]

My only question would be how this affects their ability to collect pollen and make honey back at the hive. If it allows them to pollinate more flowers, then hell, I'm all for it.

Except if the source of that sweet, sweet sugar is more convenient to the hive than the flowers (and it would have to be, if it is intended to help the bees get to the flowers) then why go to the flowers?

It's like saying, I'm hungry but the McDonalds is too far away. So I'll stop at the Burger Kind on the way. Only after stopping at Burger King, there's no need to go to McDonalds.

I'm guessing if such assistance to the bees becomes widespread, fewer flowers will be pollinated.

Open sugar water

[Manfre]

There will be a lot more insects finding their way to the sugar water. Most likely ants will find the sugar and swarm on it first.

I keep bees and have to feed them sugar water when weather doesn't cooperate with their collection of pollen and nectar. The only thing that keeps ants away from the sugar water I feed to a hive are the hundreds of guard bees. They bite at the ants and chase them away.

Bee Pollen

[goombah99]

uh... isn't bee Pollen one of those things they put in the energy pills they sell at the gas-n-go mini marts? Maybe they should add some pollen to that sugar water.

also isn't giving Bee's sugar going to prevent them from bothering with the flowers they are supposed to be pollinating? after all they visit flowers for sugar not pollen. The pollen is just symbiotic side-efffect.

Re:Redbull...

[samurphy21]

I'm pretty sure that mammalian biochemistry doesn't apply equally to bees.

Bees live off a diet of simple syrups in the form of nectar. This is just a more concentrated form. You don't crash if you have a continuous supply of sugar.

Re:Fix one thing, break another...

[Chris Burke]

Well that's why you feed them, so they don't get too exhausted to move. :P

What are you planning to do, otherwise? Physically pick up the immobile bees and place them close enough to the nectar to eat but not so close they drown?

Re:Diabetic and Obese

[Anonymous Coward]

I can totally see that Robot Chicken episode now.

Re:Ignorance?

[scribblej]

Yes, they're hard to mistake for each other, and if you read the article, honeybees only get a tiny mention. They're one of three species that are in the article. The other two are bumblebees. The only expert quoted is a bumblebee expert. RTFA.

And as I stated, bumblebees live IN THE GROUND. So seeing them on the ground is normal.

Re:Even better idea

[Anonymous Coward]

That's hilarious- you seem to be fine with the idea of two billion people starving to death, an event which would produce the greatest period of suffering in human history, and yet it's Monsanto who are "an immoral set of creeps."

Re:Colony Collapse Disorder

[gplus]

Tell him to stop stealing honey from the poor bees. They say that honey contains lots of stuff that's good for people's health. Well it's perfect for bee's health! They have depended on it for millions of years. I don't understand how beekeepers can think they can replace it with a sterile sugar/water mixture, without seriously compromising the health and constitution of the hive.

In short: The beekeepers are, at the very least, part of the CCD problem. Not just victims.

Re:Colony Collapse Disorder

[oatworm]

Yes! Stop stealing the product of the labor of the exploited worker bee, you bourgeoisie capitalist scum sucking pig! Six legs good, two legs bad! Viva la abeja revolucion! Power to the beeple!

Re:Short Sighted

[PopeAlien]

..And just how much does the society for the protection of birds know about bees anyways? One theory for colony collapse disorder is malnutrition resulting from beekeepers feeding bees nothing but high fructose corn syrup over the winter. I know when I eat nothing but high fructose corn syrup I don't feel so hot.