By Richard B. Primack
“May I go to my slumbers as expecting to arise to a new & more perfect day.” Henry David Thoreau in his Journal.
From mid-September into October, bumblebees sleep overnight on the flower heads of our New England aster plants. In the morning, the bees are often damp from dew and remain motionless until warmed by the sun.
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| Photo 1: Many bumblebees sleep overnight on aster flowers. |
If the day is cold and rainy, bees may stay all day on the flowers without moving. These bees are likely males that have permanently left their nest, and possibly female workers too cold to return home.
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| Photo 2: In the morning, bees are motionless and damp. |
When the sun comes out and the air gets warmer, bees return to their activity, energetically flying from flower to flower until the sun sets and the air becomes cold again.
Video: When the sun comes out, bees resume their speedy foraging activities.
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