83 replies to this topic

[ANTdrew]

Here are photos of a queen in my yard foraging on purple dead nettle, a Eurasian invasive plant. I welcome this stuff in my lawn, though because bees love it. Note the bright red color of its pollen!

 

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

interesting

[ConcordAntman]

I snapped this Bombus impatiens in the same flowers I found C. americanus foraging nectar and tending aphids. 

 

[ANTdrew]

I love it. How can one look at a bumblebee and not be happy?

[ConcordAntman]

Yep. It’s so amazing watching these ungainly little beasts fly!

[TheMicroPlanet]

"Bombus" is, without a doubt, the perfect genus name for a bee like this.

[Swirlysnowflake]

how do you even differentiate the queens from workers?

[ANTdrew]

Pretty easy, actually. At certain times of year like late fall and early spring, only new queens are active. They are also much bigger and stockier than workers. They behave differently, as well, by slowly flying close to the ground looking for nesting holes.

[Zeiss]

I wish I could find these easily in Southern California.  I was thinking about buying a colony of bumblebees with one of those box nests.  Any ideas or thoughts about that?

[Swirlysnowflake]

would i be able to find any queens now?

[Ants_Dakota]

i want a colony of bees, but a neighbor is allergic

[Swirlysnowflake]

Ants_Dakota, on 05 Nov 2020 - 4:36 PM, said:

i want a colony of bees, but a neighbor is allergic

I want one too! but i literally can't find any queens, and in spring earlier this year i didn't know how to tell them apart 

[Ants_Dakota]

Swirlysnowflake, on 05 Nov 2020 - 4:39 PM, said:

 

Ants_Dakota, on 05 Nov 2020 - 4:36 PM, said:

i want a colony of bees, but a neighbor is allergic

I want one too! but i literally can't find any queens, and in spring earlier this year i didn't know how to tell them apart 

 

i have a good friend that is a bee keeper. i am trying to get him into ants. but he would probably give me a queen if i asked. i just hope i can keep bees sometime!

[Swirlysnowflake]

Ants_Dakota, on 05 Nov 2020 - 4:41 PM, said:

 

Swirlysnowflake, on 05 Nov 2020 - 4:39 PM, said:

 

Ants_Dakota, on 05 Nov 2020 - 4:36 PM, said:

i want a colony of bees, but a neighbor is allergic

I want one too! but i literally can't find any queens, and in spring earlier this year i didn't know how to tell them apart 

 

i have a good friend that is a bee keeper. i am trying to get him into ants. but he would probably give me a queen if i asked. i just hope i can keep bees sometime!

 

Honey bees, or b o m b u s

[ANTdrew]

You could see brand new queens out now. In my area, they hibernate first before starting a colony. Not sure about CA species.

[Swirlysnowflake]

ANTdrew, on 05 Nov 2020 - 5:44 PM, said:

You could see brand new queens out now. In my area, they hibernate first before starting a colony. Not sure about CA species.

if you see any, would you be interested in selling them?

[ANTdrew]

I live on the other side of the country, so it wouldn’t be wise.

[ponerinecat]

I haven't seen any yet, they tend to come out in spring. Very easy to tell them apart from workers, they get big.

[Swirlysnowflake]

ANTdrew, on 05 Nov 2020 - 10:11 PM, said:

I live on the other side of the country, so it wouldn’t be wise.

lol yeah, just saw that u r in VA 

[Spazmops]

Is this a misconception or do bumble bees actually not sting?