Bees eating plums

[ameno]

I went out to pick some plums today and noticed that bees where chewing holes in the fruit and then lapping up the juices inside. Not the usual wasps, but honey bees.
Anyone ever had this before?

I don't imagine there's a lot I can do about it, especially as I don't want to harm the bees, but it is a bit annoying, and it's not something I've ever encountered before.

[Nicos]

Yes,me too, I’ve only seen a few wild bees eating my plums and cherries this year . Can’t recall seeing more than a handful of wasps all year tbh
I’m wondering if my local hornets have killed off most of the bees and wasps .
I’ve made a conscious effort to leave rotting and badly damaged fruit on the ground for them…and the foxes.

[bramble]

No problems with anything attacking my plums this year.
In fact, I have only seen one wasp the whole summer.

[Jungle Jane]

I haven’t seen bees do that but there was a little hole in one of the plums the other day,that could explain it. Is there ponds/accessible water for bees etc near to the plum trees,can they smell water & if nones about,fruits the next best thing?

[Nicos]

That’s a good thought JJ.
But…. We have a river a couple of hundred yards away….so it might be a factor…or just easy access to sugar syrup?
Normally we have near enough as no flowers by mid August but we have loads for the bees to choose from.
The mystery deepens……

My late fruiting plum tree seems to have been attacked by coddling moth or something Many seem to be weeping thick,sticky syrup.

[ameno]

I haven’t seen bees do that but there was a little hole in one of the plums the other day,that could explain it. Is there ponds/accessible water for bees etc near to the plum trees,can they smell water & if nones about,fruits the next best thing?

There's plenty of water nearby for them.
I suspect they're just after the sugary juices. Maybe there's a new hive closer to me than in previous years. Or maybe it's just taken them this long to learn that they can get sugary juice from inside a plum.

[Plot70]

You need to plant a "bait" flower to lure the bees away from the plums.