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Friday, June 18, 2010

Fun and Fascinating Bumble Bee Facts

At the risk of sounding repetitious and boring, I really want to talk about Bumble Bees one more time. I walk past this Crepe Myrtle tree every morning and it's just loaded with those big bumblers. I  enjoy watching them so much. I could sit there all morning taking photos.

If you're interested in reading my Honey Bee post, just click below to read these:
Amazing Honey Bee Facts




















Anyhow, I have found a website called Bumblebee.org where I found some interesting information that I never knew before. I want to share it with you in case you ever get called to play Jeopardy or Pictionary.

Are you ready?

Well, here we go:

Bumblebees are large, hairy social insects with a lazy buzz and clumsy, bumbling flight.























Bumblebees are important pollinators of both crops and wildflowers.

Bumblebees make honey, but only a small amount - just enough to feed their young.

Bumblebees are in danger in many developed countries due to habitat destruction and collateral pesticide damage.


















The average worker's adult life lasts about four weeks or less.

Bumblebees are vegetarian at all stages of their life.

It is often thought that humming birds have the highest metabolic rate of all animals, however the metabolic rate of Bumblebees is 75% higher than a humming bird's.





 














Bumblebees form colonies, usually much less extensive than those of honey bees. They live in nests that often hold fewer than 50 individuals. Bumblebee nests may be found within tunnels in the ground made by other animals, or in Tussock grass.




It is said that bumblebees don't like human breath, so if you want to observe one closely then don't breathe on it.

Bumblebees seem reluctant to sting, and appear to do so only if they are mishandled or their nest is threatened.












A Bumblebee's stinger is NOT BARBED, meaning she can sting more than once (unlike the honey bee that stings only once before losing her life.)

Always treat bumblebees with respect as there are some people who have an allergy to bee venom that can lead to death even after just a single sting if not treated promptly.






Human engineers with big brains said it was impossible for Bumblebees to fly. But Bumblebees with small brains didn't know this so continued to fly on in blissful ignorance... sometimes I wish I were a Bumblebee!

The apocryphal story about bees not being able to fly arose because the roughness and flexibility of their wings was neglected in a quick calculation. The wings of a bumblebee bend to create vortices that provide lift on both the upward and downward strokes, and a full analysis of the bee's flight involves many factors*click here to read more!

Hope you enjoyed your little lesson of Bumblebee 101

Buzzzzzing off now....

9 comments:

gin said...

Very interesting. However, it is sad that the worker only lives 4 weeks. I am allergic to bee and wasp stings, and have been since I was a child. As a child, I always had to be rushed to the er with a sting or stings. I haven't been stung in a few years, so I don't know how they affect me now. But, they are an amazing part of nature!

OmaLindasOldeBaggsandStuftShirts said...

Thanks for some new info on bees. For years I worked for a friend at a fabric store, Beehive fabrics. They had two hives out back. When I first went to work I was very scared of bees. Beeeeeing around the lovely flyers taught me I had nothing to fear. And the owners of the shop taught me so much. I even helped witht the hives when the owners vacationed.
I am in process of giving my love for bees to my grands by carefully teaching them the wonder of the bee. This post with pix will be a great tool too.
Thanks again, The Olde Bagg

Sandy said...

Very interesting reading, thanks Doris! You asked about my birthday, it is May 23. I am most definitely a Gemini!!

Karin said...

Very fascinating facts! I did grow up with the story that from an engineer's point of view and his mathematical calculations, a bumblebee should not be able to have lift off! Sounds a little like me - tell me I can't do something, and I just might say, "Watch me!"

AkasaWolfSong said...

What wonderful knowledge you impart Doris! I just love the big old bumblebees, any bee for that matter...I've also a healthy respect for them.
I have always connected to them energetically, so much so that I am able to do my business around them, amongst them and have only been stung twice in my life. Those stings were caused by my own stupidity as I accidently stepped on one and the other I leaned on with my hand.
My one big encounter with a fat bumbler tho was when I was harvesting my sage one year...it was getting into the first week of October and the temps during the day were beginning to be very cool and so they were rather slow but I sent them my internal thoughts saying I would respect their work if they would respect mine. I began to cut away at the sage and some of it was still in bloom so there were lots of the bumblers busy collecting the nectar...I kept moving in and around them gently clipping where they weren't but then I was getting down to the last stalks and one of them flew up out of the flowers and landed on my nose. I was stunned for a moment not knowing what to do so of course I held still thinking it would soon fly off but it didn't. Then it began to sort of buzz and I thought well I can't just stand here so I gently began to blow out and up with my breath and it wasn't too long before it flew away. I thanked it for not stinging me and quickly gathered my harvest and left the area, lol.
All was well. Just their aerodynamics amaze me and I would sincerely love to be a bee-keeper but cannot since I live in an apartment. I have a large yard I can plant in and do but to have bees I am sure would upset the neighbors that live in our little pod here. I do have a long time friend/sister who lives in Florida that is a bee-keeper and she gave me some of the honey and wax. The honey is sooo good!
So I thank you for you lesson today and hope you can keep them coming. It is very beneficial for us all to learn of these most elegant creatures of the Creator!
Stay cool and blessings on the gentle winds my friend! :)

AkasaWolfSong said...

Well, I posted a long comment a few moments ago sharing a story of my experience with The Bumblers and blogger ate it so I will not do that again, lol. Suffice it to say I love all bees and these gems defy aerodynamics! I loved today's lesson Doris and they have been busy around my flower beds here. I let some thistle grow up and they love the purple flowerings!
Here's hoping you are staying inside where it is cool...it is beastly here today and the humidity you could cut with a knife!
Many blessings on the Gentle Winds Dear Heart! :)

glor said...

That was fascinating. Never knew any of this. Thanks, enjoyed your post.

Kathy @ Sweet Up-North Mornings... said...

Thank You teacher!!!
Very interesting info!
Have a great weekend Doris...
and a belated Happy Birthday!!!!

xoxo~kathy @
Sweet Up-North Mornings...

Shippymolkfred said...

Hallo Doris

Es ist ein Marder :)
LG Shippy