Author Topic: Stumbles Across A Big Ole Bumble Bee Today (Read 19222 times)

Jen · « **on:** February 24, 2016, 05:46:12 pm »

What a lovely surpise today. Was cleaning up the outside of my bee shed, and I picked up a couple of the wax frames that the rats destroyed, and there was this big ole bumble bee munching on the wax.

Chip Euliss · « **Reply #1 on:** February 24, 2016, 06:24:43 pm »

This time of year, she may be a queen. Be sure to treat her royally

CBT · « **Reply #2 on:** February 24, 2016, 06:30:33 pm »

Wow two queens in the same close space

Jen · « **Reply #3 on:** February 24, 2016, 07:39:27 pm »

Interesting Chip, cause I've looked up the markings on this bee and haven't found them yet on google.

Apis would know I'll bet

apisbees · « **Reply #4 on:** February 24, 2016, 08:04:50 pm »

Apis doesn't know. Look for your answer some where else the last I heard that 200 different spices of bees have been found in the Pacific North West region. BC, Washington, Oregon, Northern California. as well as the few imported species brought in to pollinate green houses. They aren't suppose to allow them to escape but.... look what happened with African bees in Brazil

Put it in a cage and send it to Chip! He can nest it and use it to pollinate his basement garden.

apisbees · « **Reply #5 on:** February 24, 2016, 08:15:02 pm »

Jen Jen Jen! Had to resign in again so it would let me post what I has typed went to find the post, Looked in Other Pollinators, then Any and Every Thing, next tried Beekeeping 101 and then I thought I bet she put it in General Beekeeping. The way we post We keep Iddee busy refiling our posts.
Thanks Iddee

Chip Euliss · « **Reply #6 on:** February 24, 2016, 08:29:54 pm »

Sounds like a good one to try starting a colony in the basement Apis! Those cherry tomatoes are about as big as they get but none turning color yet.

Jen, my guess as to queen was mostly because of the time of year. Bumble bees overwinter as bred queens so they are the ones you see first in spring. They are the ones to start the colony each year as the others perish in winter. That said, I've seen orange belted bumble bees here in winter but they were inside the wall of a neighbor's house--don't know if all would have survived the winter but who knows. Never say never in biology but that's the way it generally works. There is also a species that is parasitic on other bees and it is a large bumble bee species. Too bad we don't have a member called Bombus on the forum; he/she could answer all our bumble bee questions!!

iddee · « **Reply #7 on:** February 24, 2016, 09:05:11 pm »

You're welcome, Apis, and yes, it's going to other pollinators.

apisbees · « **Reply #8 on:** February 24, 2016, 09:09:36 pm »

Just thought it was a good time to hassle Jen.

iddee · « **Reply #9 on:** February 24, 2016, 09:15:41 pm »

Rub it in good. Be serious with jen, hassle jaybird.

Jen · « **Reply #10 on:** February 24, 2016, 09:17:32 pm »

Sorry Apis, I've been called on that posting issue before, and I've been doing real good

just had a little slip up that's all

However, I had no idea that the forum had the 'other pollinators' section, or whatever you call it. How long has that been on forum?

Jen · « **Reply #11 on:** February 24, 2016, 09:18:54 pm »

Bring It...... !! I can hold my own

riverbee · « **Reply #12 on:** February 26, 2016, 10:15:32 pm »

LOL all!...............

(especially keith.........too funny!..........

)

"What a lovely surpise today. Was cleaning up the outside of my bee shed, and I picked up a couple of the wax frames that the rats destroyed, and there was this big ole bumble bee munching on the wax."

what you have all missed in my HO.............this is not a bumble, it is a carpenter bee...............

btw jen, doesn't matter where you post what here, we get it to where ever..............

Chip Euliss · « **Reply #13 on:** February 28, 2016, 09:07:14 am »

Didn't even notice river!! Mind has been on the remodel and the pain in my knees from stapling subfloor--I'll be happy when the bees get home and I can work standing up for a change!! Saw Carpenter bees when we visited the Galapagos last summer. They are native but there are LOTS more invasive paper wasps. Darn wasps were attracted to everything we rinsed in freshwater since it is so scarce. I was amazed nobody got stung.

riverbee · « **Reply #14 on:** February 28, 2016, 09:22:44 pm »

at first glance chip ya think bumble!

pain in your knees ya say? ..............

lol, pain in my titanium hips and arse right now......

for some, carpenters get easily mixed up with bumbles. we get a great deal of them(carpenters always pestering the hives) and wasps/hornets of all sorts, they are very troublesome and very pesky!

wish you well chip to recovery from remodeling soon!........

Chip Euliss · « **Reply #15 on:** February 29, 2016, 07:34:06 am »

You must have had a hip replacement. A couple of my friends, including a commercial bee guy, had them done too. They liked the outcome--hope you do (or will) too!

riverbee · « **Reply #16 on:** February 29, 2016, 06:04:58 pm »

i did chip........both of them!
the left one july 20th after my return from alaska (steroid injections kept me going that trip) and the right one i just had on feb 1......so still recovering from the surgery. so happy it's done and over with!

Chip Euliss · « **Reply #17 on:** March 01, 2016, 07:42:28 am »

My wife and I have both had steroid injections in various places but not in our hips. We never realized aging would be so much fun!!!!! Ours have been in our shoulders (wife) and knees (me). Mine seems to be from arthritis but a surgery a few years ago removed a little bone and it helped until recently. I get to see the surgeon again today but will have to postpone anything major till winter. I have one more room to rip apart for the remodel and then the bees come home, then the summer family fishing trip............must sound familiar?

riverbee · « **Reply #18 on:** March 02, 2016, 11:24:35 am »

"must sound familiar?"

LOL, it does especially the FISHING part!...............

one round steroid injections before alaska, then the surgeries, osteo arthritis, just plain had fun wearing them out i guess..........

ps jen, sorry i sorta sidetracked your thread.......

anyway, i think i have something somewhere on identifying carpenter bees vs bumbles.........

Jen · « **Reply #19 on:** March 02, 2016, 11:45:50 am »

Hi Riv, I've looked and looked on google and can't seem to find this particular one. I don't know why I'm so facinated with her, I think it's a her from what Dunkle said, I think it was Dunkle LOL