Black Bees

[Rindaloo]

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.....

[SteveJ]

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)

[cheers]

Even so early in the year we have some very, very big bumble bees in the garden looking for flowers

[SteveJ]

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

[stoop]

..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.

[pookie]

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

[heather07]

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:

[SteveJ]

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!

[heather07]

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

[tribalelder]

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]/img]