Harriet the Bumblebee

The story of a little bee who made a large impact

Watch Harriet's Story

Harriet’s Story

This summer we found a flightless bee…

She was stuck in a bucket. One wing was extra small and both were shredded. She clearly couldn’t fly.

My kids and I offered her water in a very shallow dish so she wouldn’t fall in. She didn’t seem interested. So we got her some flowers and she happily ate her fill then groomed herself contentedly.

We found out she probably couldn’t return home…

I heard from many bee experts and found out she was likely kicked out of her nest or voluntarily left since she could no longer contribute to her colony. We also learned she was an elderly bee based on how tattered her wings were.

We wanted to create a garden for her outside where she could spend time in the sun.

Since she couldn’t fly, we brought her in for the night…

While she slept in a bed of flowers, I built her a three-story abode (an Air Bee N Bee if you will).

Wanting to know more about how to care for her, I began sharing her story online. We were invited to bring her to some world-renowned gardens to talk with folks well-versed in pollinators. There we learned she was a yellow-faced bumblebee.

Unfortunately she passed away before her garden was completed…

But we chose to finish it in her honor, to be a place of nourishment for other bees and a place of learning and inspiration for humans. Here is the zine that we have in the Bee Stop.

Her garden has already provided food for thousands of bees and so many folks have stopped by to learn more about bees from our informational stand, The Bee Stop.

Many folks who became invested in her story online have asked for a children’s book about us finding a flightless bee and caring for her. I’m excited to say now I’ve written the manuscript and am so excited to get it out in the world!

Stay tuned for…

I have some more projects to help bees coming up, if you’d like to follow along!

  • I’m writing a children’s book about our experience with Harriet

  • Project plans for the Bee Stop + an expanded zine (here is the current one as a one page PDF and here it is as 2 pages to fold into a zine) coming soon!

  • I have some additional bee-related projects coming in Spring 2026!

FAQs

  • I didn't at first, but later learned she was indeed female. In many species of bees, the drones (males) stay in the colony with the queen. Worker bees are always female. While bumblebee males do go out and forage for pollen, only the females have a corbicula (pollen basket) on their leg, which Harriet had. Additionally in all bees, only the females have stingers which Harriet also had.

  • If you find a listless bee, the best thing to do is to carefully move it to somewhere safe, preferably onto a flower you know bees like. Nectar is the best food for them. If they don't perk up after 20-30 minutes, you can offer a 2:1 ratio of sugar water in a very shallow dish like a spoon. This may give them a boost of energy but shouldn't be always available as it's not the best, nutritionally.

  • I will post updates as often as I can on the book, be sure to follow me on social media (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube) for any announcements!

  • Absolutely! Please tag me when you do, I'd love to see! I'll be making the plans for the Bee Stop available soon as well as the zine I distribute at the Bee Stop.

  • Of course! Here it is as one PDF page and here are the front and back pages if you want to print it into a little foldable zine like I have!

Other Resources for Bee Lovers

If you love bees, check out these informational resources: