To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: RE: [NAFEX] Bumble aggression
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2003 15:06:37 -0400
Title: Re: [NAFEX] bumble bee as pollinator
Bob:
I have
never found one in a hole. Mine live in the barn.
Bruce
z5, MI
-----Original Message----- From:
nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org]On
Behalf Of Bob Kelly Sent: Monday, April 21, 2003 2:19
PM To: North American Fruit Explorers Subject: Re: [NAFEX]
Bumble aggression
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.
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....
-----Original Message----- From: Lon J. Rombough
[mailto:lonrom@hevanet.com] Sent: Monday, April 21, 2003 1:53
PM To: North American Fruit Explorers Subject: Re:
[NAFEX] bumble bee as pollinator
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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