We had them in the barn, also. Different
species. Think they are carpenter bees; they drill holes in bare wood for
their nests. Robber flies also use their holes. ( We
called robber-flies white-headed bumbebees, which they are not since they
are flies.)
The ground-nesting BB's are much bigger and very
hairy.
Bob Kelly
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, April 21, 2003 2:06
PM
Subject: RE: [NAFEX] Bumble
aggression
Bob:
I
have never found one in a hole. Mine live in the barn.
Bruce z5, MI
Yeah, Gene. That is more like my
experience. When growing up in the Mississippi Delta, I can remember
accidentally disturbing bumblebee nests. The sting would almost
knock you down. (Like a hornet, I was told, tho I was never stung by
one of those.) While the sting was very potent, the pain did not linger, the
way a yellow jacket sting would (like for several days).
Their procedure, when disturbed, was to emerge
from their hole in the ground, and begin flying in an ever widening circle
at about 3 feet above the ground. Supposedly their vision is poor, so
this is their search procedure. If one realized he had disturbed the
nest, he had time to retreat.
Bob Kelly
NW Mississippi Zone 7b
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, April 21, 2003 1:00
PM
Subject: [NAFEX] Bumble
aggression
In my experience, disturbing a
wild bumblebee nest is a "stimulating" event. Sometimes, I'll
accidentally scythe around a nest entrance & get an unexpected bit of
sprint training, usually after a very painful sting or two. Not
quite as bad as yellow jackets for mass attacks, but still pretty
aggressive....
gene
That's the most
aggressive behavior I've ever heard of in bumble bees. Are you
sure you didn't have a species of underground living wasp?
-Lon Rombough
From: "Bruce Hansen"
<brucehansen@acd.net> Reply-To: North American Fruit
Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org> Date: Mon, 21 Apr
2003 13:49:38 -0400 To: "North American Fruit Explorers"
<nafex@lists.ibiblio.org> Subject: RE: [NAFEX] bumble
bee as pollinator
Mark:
I have found a similar thing
with bumble bees. However, if you disturb their nest they will
chase you. I did this and was chased from the barn to the house
(100 yds)where, to escape, I closed the screen door behind me. The
bee buzzed the screen several times and then waited for me to come
out.
Bruce z5 MI
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