|
Bob:
I know
a bumble bee. They are beautiful and as big as my thumb. They are also docile,
unless you disturb the nest, which is in the barn.
Bruce
z5
MI
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
_______________________________________________
nafex mailing
list
nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
Most questions can be answered
here:
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/nafex
File
attachments are accepted by this list; please do not send binary files,
plain text ONLY!
Message archives are
here:
https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/nafex
To view your user
options go to:
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/options/nafex/XXXX@XXXX (where
XXXX@XXXX is
YOUR email address)
NAFEX web site:
http://www.nafex.org/
_______________________________________________
nafex mailing
list
nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
Most questions can be answered
here:
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/nafex
File attachments
are accepted by this list; please do not send binary files, plain text
ONLY!
Message archives are
here:
https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/nafex
To view your user
options go to:
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/options/nafex/XXXX@XXXX
(where XXXX@XXXX is
YOUR email address)
NAFEX web site:
http://www.nafex.org/
|
