Or they were all killed. I have a suspicion that they may have been victims of folks spraying their plants in the garden...or even farmers at work protecting their crops. At any rate at this late date, the rest of their colony would already be dead of "old age", as it were.
Oh, I don't know, S.... I was just guessing. I don't have much experience as a real beekeeper and I suspect that that little proboscis sticking out was just that they were playing dead.
I agree with Carolyn's original educated "guess" that they were exposed to a toxin. Judging by the fact that the proboscis was sticking out, and that it is too common that people use "weed" killing toxins, the bees were most likely poisoned. One of the ways the toxins affect the bees is that they get disoriented and cannot find or remember their way home. These issues, combined with the possibility that a porch light or light in a window could attract them might explain them on the porch. But, if there isn't a hive nearby, they must have been out foraging and lost to begin with. The idea that the porch light would be enough to draw them out would require the hive to be nearby.
Come to think of it they could be victims of mosquito spray. Recently somebody around our area was infected with dengue and the whole area was fogged with insecticide. Thinking back there were quite a few cases back then, our neighbor's son was one of the victims. As a matter of fact the number of dengue cases is on the increase so I guess in the process of trying to kill the mosquitoes they were killing the bees too!!!
jeez its just depressing isnt it. We really need the bees and its hard to tell the people with the spray what to do or even what to care for. I know mosquitoes are serious but is there not other ways to prevent the bee victims.
Yes it is Green_Numb, it is depressing. They just like to take the easy way out with short term measures and never look into the long term measures like eliminating all possible breeding areas, better drainage and so on.
I found 10-20 dead honey bees on my patio here in Florida for the past three mornings. I did some research and am pretty sure leaving the light on all night drew them to the patio, and was the cause. My place backs up to a large expanse of woods and there are likely hives within 20 yards from my back door. Light now goes off overnight. "You might find dead bees near the front door of a house or the back porch. This is often caused by an automated porch light that comes on before dark, becoming brighter as the sun sets. A such, either this light is in the bees flight path on the way home, or a large tree is nearby with a lot of bee activity and at evening are drawn to your porch light loosing there way home; after which they buzz around it tell exhausted then die or appear lethargic by the porch. This is typically a sign that there is a bee hive attached to your house or nearby.
Wow - that isn't good to have that many bees die I worry that one day they will all be gone. Not good. Hope you can find the cause.
