Swarm of Bumble Bees with the Queen

SG John said:
No bees, no life on Earth. Bees can only sting once, and they get their stinger ripped out and die. They only sting when protecting the hive. Wasps an hornets are the killing machines, not honey or bumblebees.
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Precisely! Thats why i said earlier, that as much as i hate insects, i cant help but like Honey and Bumblebees, as well as another great pollinator group: butterflies and moths.

When talking of Africanized Honeybees ( aka Killer Bees) thats where i said id let my guard down, assuming they were run of the mill European honeybees and be brutally massacred lol. While they do pollinate, their sheer aggression renders them more of a nuisance than a benefit. Not their fault really, a failed man-made experiment gone awry

Bumbles on the other hand, i can honestly say have NEVER attacked or even posed a threat towards me. While they have the smooth stinger, unlike a honeybee's barb and thus COULD attack repeatedly: ive never had one so much as buzz my head. They're actually incredibly gentle. Only time honeybees have stung me was always my fault by stepping on one barefoot as a kid by accident
 
SG John said:
No bees, no life on Earth. Bees can only sting once, and they get their stinger ripped out and die. They only sting when protecting the hive. Wasps and hornets are the killing machines, not honey or bumblebees.
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You‘re thinking of honey bees. They do leave their stinger in you. Bumblebees are different. They have a smooth, unbarbed stinger which doesn’t get ripped out. They can live to sting another day!

However, you are correct; they are docile and only sting when really threatened or when protecting the hive.

I’ve been stung by a bumblebee before. They don’t really hurt very bad or for very long.

The black and white hornets, on the other hand, hurt like crazy, though! I got nailed by one of those once.
 
smitty_p said:
You‘re thinking of honey bees. They do leave their stinger in you. Bumblebees are different. They have a smooth, unbarbed stinger which doesn’t get ripped out. They can live to sting another day!

However, you are correct; they are docile and only sting when really threatened or when protecting the hive.

I’ve been stung by a bumblebee before. They don’t really hurt very bad or for very long.

The black and white hornets, on the other hand, hurt like crazy, though! I got nailed by one of those once.
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Ah, bald face hornets! Yeah they are right soulless pricks lol ive been hit by them only once thankfully but it hurt like hell on my finger, literally an unprovoked attack too. They are actually bigger, more aggressive cousins to the traditional yellow jacket ( which are equally awful pricks as well). The term " make a B line" actually comes from them as well, because unlike normal wasps, bees or hornets that buzz around erratically before attacking; they take a direct, swift dive at their targets in the straightest path possible. Makes for a fun time taking out a nest of them lol
 
Clockworkmike said:
Ah, bald face hornets! Yeah they are right soulless pricks lol ive been hit by them only once thankfully but it hurt like hell on my finger, literally an unprovoked attack too. They are actually bigger, more aggressive cousins to the traditional yellow jacket ( which are equally awful pricks as well). The term " make a B line" actually comes from them as well, because unlike normal wasps, bees or hornets that buzz around erratically before attacking; they take a direct, swift dive at their targets in the straightest path possible. Makes for a fun time taking out a nest of them lol
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So, let me ask you…when you got stung by the bald-faced hornet, did it feel like you suddenly got hit in the head?

When I got stung, it nailed me on the arm, but it felt like I got hit in the head and my arm hurt like crazy. It hurt for hours. It still ached about 24 hours later.

Oh…I’ve been hit by yellow jackets, too. Sometimes, they nest in holes in the ground and come up after you when you mow the lawn. I’ll let you figure out how I discovered this!
 
smitty_p said:
So, let me ask you…when you got stung by the bald-faced hornet, did it feel like you suddenly got hit in the head?

When I got stung, it nailed me on the arm, but it felt like I got hit in the head and my arm hurt like crazy. It hurt for hours. It still ached about 24 hours later.

Oh…I’ve been hit by yellow jackets, too. Sometimes, they nest in holes in the ground and come up after you when you mow the lawn. I’ll let you figure out how I discovered this!
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Wow! That long and bad huh? I dont remember it making me feel like that personally, but it had been a long time since it happened. I remember it got me on my right ring finger and it swelled up like I had a big toe on my hand and it hurt for hours. That's crazy though that it made you feel like that man!
 
Clockworkmike said:
Ah, bald face hornets! Yeah they are right soulless pricks lol ive been hit by them only once thankfully but it hurt like hell on my finger, literally an unprovoked attack too. They are actually bigger, more aggressive cousins to the traditional yellow jacket ( which are equally awful pricks as well). The term " make a B line" actually comes from them as well, because unlike normal wasps, bees or hornets that buzz around erratically before attacking; they take a direct, swift dive at their targets in the straightest path possible. Makes for a fun time taking out a nest of them lol
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Those are the arseholes I told you about! Lol
 
John, just looking at the drastic shifts in climate and weather patterns everywhere from the last -not even 5- years, one would be irresponsible not to do something to help in some way. Cheers, Brother John!! :cheers:
 
SIx String Chef said:
John, just looking at the drastic shifts in climate and weather patterns everywhere from the last -not even 5- years, one would be irresponsible not to do something to help in some way. Cheers, Brother John!! :cheers:
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I wish that I lived in a place with a bit more land. I'd definitely try to have bees, along with chickens and maybe some other animals to help me with fresh food and helping to try to maintain a healthy balance for the planet. Honey is also one of my favorite foods. I would love to be a beekeeper just to have a good supply going. Instead, the little bit of property I do have, I plant bee friendly flowers and let the milkweeds go do their thing attracting Monarch Butterflies. Always see a good amount of honey and bumblebees, along with the Monarchs in my yard.
 
Our backyard is small... about 25' x 30' at absolute most AND smack right in a corner in the middle of almost downtown Toronto! But we keep 3 hives in there (not counting the splits we have made thru the years and given away plus the swarms...).

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Plus a couple of veg / herb patches and a chock-full of pollinator-friendly vegetation including goldenrod, milkweed (regular and swamp)... even stinging nettle. According to the Missus, some rare butterfly/caterpillar likes it...
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And all the pollinators that come along, including tomatillo-connoiseur bumbles...

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