Subject: BUMBLE BEES - please post a description of your local variety

From: [email-masked] (John Savage)
Date: 30 Apr 1994 07:23:23 GMT

I have been interested in the discussion on Bumble Bees, more so to find out
that there are different types. I didn't know ANY lived in colonies.

In Australia, there are no bumble bees of any description.  Our native bees
are tiny, and usually mistaken for little flies.  

Once, while reclining in a sundrenched garden in New Zealand, my quiet 
reverie was interrupted by a penetrating drone that approached nearer and 
nearer.  Anxiously seeking the source of the sound, I was amazed to behold a 
huge canary-yellow bee industriously visiting flower heads in determined, 
methodical succession.  In size, it resembled a pickled olive with tiny wings 
- I was astonished that such an ungainly-proportioned craft could execute 
these deft aerobatic manoeuvers to land and feed on wavering petal platforms.

I believe it to be of solitary habit, and with no sting; though I chose not
to tempt fate all the same.

The nearest we have to solitary bees in Australia is something of identical
size to honey bees.  At the beach one day, I heard the sound of an 
approaching bee and observed as one landed on a nearby sandstone rock and 
disappeared into a small hole just above ground level.  Moments later it
emerged to fly off, later returning and repeating this a number of times.
This bee was of the same appearance as a honey bee, except the usual yellow
and black bands were coloured a dazzling electric blue and black. Though an
observant amateur naturalist, I have only ever seen just that one.

I'm cross-posting this to a newsgroup where I know there are New Zealand
readers, in the hope that they may care to elaborate on the NZ bumble bee.  
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From: [email-masked] (Alan Brown)
Date: 3 May 1994 01:34:16 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Martin D. Hunt) writes:

|> Just as well you didn't tempt fate - I have heard of people who have been 
|> stung, while under the false impression that they were stingless.

They only sting when _really_ provoked, however they have amazingly
powerful (& quite sharp) jaws and will nip hard enough to draw blood 
if handled incorrectly. 
(Correctly = don't grab their wings or legs, they don't like it)

It's really an interesting experience to have a very warm fuzzy insect
sitting in your palm & they generally appreciate the heat from your hands
on a cold wet day :-) (well, they don't try biting anyway)

At one place we lived we had to put nets over the beans as the little 
buggers would bite into the base of the flowers to get at the nectar, 
ruining the crop.

-- 
AB
[email-masked] == [email-masked] <> [email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Martin D. Hunt)
Date: 2 May 94 22:54:35 +1200

> that there are different types. I didn't know ANY lived in colonies.

The bumble bee in New Zealand is, like the honey bee, introduced from the 
Northern Hemisphere. They live in colonies.
> are tiny, and usually mistaken for little flies.  

"Although relatively common, native bees are often small and do not live in 
large colonies as the introduced bees do." (Natural History of New Zealand, 
by Nic Bishop). There are about 40 species of native bee.
> to tempt fate all the same.

Just as well you didn't tempt fate - I have heard of people who have been 
stung, while under the false impression that they were stingless.

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Martin D. Hunt	Disclaimer: Don't take too much notice of the above    / \
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New Zealand	[email-masked]                            |/ \  /
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