Bl**dy Bees

[theeggman]

I went into the garden shed today and when I came out I had a bee buzzing me and being a PIA. We currently have a colony that are being sh1ts so thought no more of it.( That colony's Q's days are numbered).

When I swiped it out of my 5mm long hair and off my shiny bald head and stamped on it, it was a very black bumble. THEN it's mates came out of the bird box on the shed to carry on the attack, little darlings. I retreated and am careful when opening the shed door now.

Living with 'nature' can be a real pain sometimes can't it?

 

[enrico]

That's the second time this year I have heard of angry bumbles. Never come across it, hope it isn't going to spread!
E

 

[pargyle]

Tree Bumbles (Bombus Hypnorum) can be a bit defensive if you get near the nest or in the line of flight to the nest .. a non native species they are now pretty well established - particularly in the South of England (although my daughter had a colony in the cavity wall of her house in Sheffield last year). They are quite a large bumble bee and there can be up to a couple of hundred in the colony at the height of the season .. they tend not to sting unless severely provoked but the tactic of charging at you and buzzing around an intruder is pretty common.

 

[theeggman]

I think it's just down to vibration through the shed structure, (it's old and carp).

We have thousands of bumbles around every day, our collie likes to catch and kill them but that's another story, but we have NO prob's from them normally, I think I shook their house by accident and annoyed them.

They can stay there and complete their life-cycle.

PS. Just seen Pargyle's post and he seems to be spot on.

 

[Swarm]

PS. Just seen Pargyle's post and he seems to be spot on.

Except Tree Bumbles are tricoloured whereas yours are black.

 

[user 6228]

SAVE THE BEES
wear a hat

 

[For want of a better word]

Except Tree Bumbles are tricoloured whereas yours are black.

Redish/Ochre thorax... black mid rib and a white arse..... evil as the best Carniolian!!!
AND painful sting!

But can provide a nice little earner if you are requested to re locate them!!!

Yeghes da

 

[pargyle]

Except Tree Bumbles are tricoloured whereas yours are black.

Campestris or Hortorum most likely then as they are all over the place ....

Although my money is still on Hypnorum as their colonies tend to be that much bigger and they are a larger size bee than the other two. Easy to miss the brown banding when they are flying at you ... dead ones under the hive entrance are much easier to identify.

 

[Swarm]

Don't know about larger size. I was watching a huge one in the garden last weekend, yet there were plenty of tiny ones on the rambling rose as well, it seems they have similar size variation like other Bumbles.

 

[madasafish]

At this time, the local area is full of tree bumbles. In many areas,nearly every house has them nesting behind the fascia boards... (old houses, lots of entrances)