Why am I finding Bumble Bees in my house? - Ask Extension
Since early July I have found at least 18 bees inside my house. Three have been big fluffy bumble-y bees others have been thinner, less colorful ,dron...
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Why am I finding Bumble Bees in my house? #417142
Asked July 26, 2017, 11:54 PM EDT
Since early July I have found at least 18 bees inside my house. Three have been big fluffy bumble-y bees others have been thinner, less colorful ,drone-y looking bees. All have been on the floor, several in the kitchen (one just crawled from under the fridge). Most have been dead or faltering found near the closed sliding door . A few on the kitchen floor near the sink/dishwasher. I have neither heard buzzing nor seen them in flight. I do try to have a bee, bird, and butterfly friendly garden but have been in this house since 1990 and never had this happen. What's going on? Do they swarm or sting at night?
Washington County Oregon
Expert Response
There might be a bumble bee nest somewhere inside your house (such as in the ceiling) hence you are seeing them in the house. As they get older they start dying so you are probably witnessing some dead bees too. Bumble bees do not swarm like honey bees. They have smaller nests and have on average about 100 individuals. All bumble bee workers will die before winter so you may not see them after October. They can sting if the nest is disturbed, but are not aggressive if you are not close to their nesting location.
