Calis Beach and Fethiye Turkey Discussion Forum
Turkey Related Subjects => Turkey Discussion Forum (Not Calis specifically) => Topic started by: Rindaloo on April 27, 2010, 15:29:04 PM
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I was sitting on the veranda today watching the antics of one of those gorgeous black bees, busying itself on the honeysuckle. I wondered if they could sting (useful to know, not that I am worried as I always assume they'd rather not), so I 'Googled' and found this, thought it might be of interest.
http://www.lifeingalicia.com/lig/archives/56
Seems they're in UK too http://www.bwars.com/xylocopa_violacea.htm
I think they are rather handsome :-\
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I agree Rindi - they are handsome, especially when the sun catches their wings and they look a beautiful blue. Can they sting ? I coulnd't see anything to suggest so in the links [xx(]
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They CAN sting but very rarely do. If you're confident enough you can easily pick them up if they've got indoors and move them outside without being stung.
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Hi Rindi, these are beautiful but i often see some different huge bees/wasps when I am down at Olu Deniz, but they seem to chase me?! they do not fly off when people approach and they are around 2 inches long (big anyway), has anyone seen these and do they no if they sting? Im scared whitless of bee/wasps stings after a nasty experience, so when i see these one i go to stone :( silly sausage I am! x
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If they are huge and look like wasps then they may be hornets. Those buggers do pack a sting!
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Nuttybird, If they look anything like this, be afraid. Be VERY afraid !:D:D
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Oosterse_hoornaar_Vespa_orientalis_%281%29.jpg/220px-Oosterse_hoornaar_Vespa_orientalis_%281%29.jpg)
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http://www.whatsthatbug.com/2005/10/26/turkish-hornet/
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Yup, we get those waspy @uggers drinking around our pool. A good flip flop comes in very handy.........:D
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Nuttybird, a friend told me she was stung by a Hornet and she couldn't use her arm for three days. I am very wary of them now. But I don't know if Hornets are vindictive like wasps or peaceable till provoked. KKOB??
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Very pretty :)
Rindaloo that must have been a relaxing time you had.
We have lavender and they attract loads of Bumble bees. It is lovely just sitting watching them.
Nuttybird ...I too have been chased by those big bees. Are they not darker than that hornet in the picture?
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We have tubs of lavender and when they are in flower the bees are all over them. Two of the tubs are at the top of a flight of steps and the flowers from each tub meet in the middle so we have to barge through them, they have never stung us.
So far.....
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Mother Nature doesn't usually get things wrong but in the case of Honey Bees and Wasps/Hornets she got them the wrong way around.
Wasps and hornets have stings shaped like a needle and a venom sac that refills in seconds. Consequently they can sting you again and again with no ill effects to themselves.
A Honey bee on the other hand has a sting with a backwards facing barb at the end and a venom sac which is connected to its stomach. When a bee stings you it can not retract the sting (because of the barb) and when it flies off it leaves the sting and venom sac behind. Unfotunately because the venom sac is connected to the bees stomach it gets ripped out and the bee will die within a few minutes of stinging you.
This explains why bees are reluctant to sting unless heavily provoked and why a wasp will sting you just because it feels like it.
Bumble bees (the fat furry ones) have no sting and are completely harmless. They are also an endangered species so please don't squish bumble bees.
SteveJ (an ex-beekeeper)
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Even so early in the year we have some very, very big bumble bees in the garden looking for flowers
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I forgot to say "please don't squish Honey Bees either as they are in decline due to a parasite and the UK population is at its lowest ever." If you leave them alone they will leave you alone, flapping your arms around and screaming is almost guaranteed to result in a sting.
You can squish as many wasps as you like :)
SteveJ
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..but try not to get wasps mixed up with honey bees. Similar in shape but not in colour. I've seen many people squash them thinking they were wasps.
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quote:
Originally posted by SteveJ
in decline due to a parasite and the UK population is at its lowest ever." SteveJ
My father has several hives (of bees that is before someone says something witty !) and he has lost several colonies due to nasty bugs this year :(
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SteveJ I beg to differ.
I had an itchy foot one day and rubbed it with my other foot. Turned out it was a bumble bee and it stung me three times.
In the event that you think I talk crap......I found this on Wikipedia
"Sting
Queen and worker bumblebees can sting, but unlike a honey bee's, a bumblebee's stinger lacks barbs, so they can sting more than once.[19] Bumblebee species are normally non-aggressive, but will sting in defense of their nest, or if harmed. Female cuckoo bumblebees will aggressively attack host colony members, and sting the host queen, but will ignore other animals (including humans) unless disturbed."
Note the words "if harmed" Being stood on probably covered it: :)
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Heather - In that case I stand corrected. My knowledge came from a very old and wise (or so I though) keeper of Bumblebees who told me that they did not have stings. He died many years ago so I can't remonstrate with the silly old sod. I still think it's a good advice to let them live, they're so cute - my grandaughter used to call them "flying Teddy Bears"
I lost my hives to wasp attack several years ago so you can see why I have no affection for little bas***ds!
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It does say they are placid and will not attack unless provoked.
A size 5 bearing down on you might look like provocation but I meant no harm.
We could have spoke about it 8)
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For all you bug-ers
. Not a Black Bee but spotted on my Balcony this afternoon about 2" long -note the long nose. Any ideas what it is?
img](http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s233/tribalelder/P1050928.jpg)/img]
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It's the genetically modified Mozzie - god help us all ;):D
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Could be a Hummingbird Moth.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macroglossum_stellatarum
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No, it's a beetle. It just hasn't quite stowed its wings.
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a giant weevil ?
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i got stung yesterday by a donkey wasp . was one of those nasty brown ones about 2ins long with a yellow tail.
it had managed to get up the sleeve of a jacket and when i put it on i felt as if i had just been injected with a red hot syringe.
i realized that it must have been along the lines of a sting and took the jacket off gingerly.
some turkish people watching me were quite horified to see this thing fly out.
it was quite painful but i was prepared to leave it at that, however the turkish company i was with insisted i went to casualty and get it checked out.
so went to the little govnt hospital in fethiye near the tues market, got seen by a docter straight away the docter was in no doubt what to do and directed me to a nurse for treatment.presumably antialargy jabs.
i got two injections in both cheeks so ended up with a sore ass as well!
seriously hardly felt a thing, only a little prick..as the actress said to the bishop!
i think in the end i did the right thing and would recomend anyone who gets stung etc. to go along and get it treated to be on the safe side. they have all the treatments for this kind of thing waiting there...and it was free of charge.
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Don't think it is that one Alan the "Nose" is much larger and the body shape is wrong. It is very similar to a weevil as Pookie suggested but it seems they are mostly much smaller than this beast. Isn't it infuriating when despite searching the web you just can't find what you are looking for[?]
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That'll be the female then:D
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I did not know you were searching the web for a female ;) Mind you If you took the "wrong shape" and "long nose" as your inference you could well be in deep DooDoo! :D
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sorry guys i completely forgot I posted on here, doh! thanks for all the info on these horrible hornets/monsters! Yes the picture on page 1 is what i am talking about, they are horrible ive not been stung yet (keeping everything crossed) I just tend to scream and run away! :) x