I went and got some plants for the work flower box yesterday morning and stopped to plant them, as I was digging, these bumble bee's kept coming out of now where. I think they were in the soil, they were really slow like I woke them up from a long winter nap. I found 5 all together and I placed them on the warm pavement in the sun, one by one they flew off after about 15 minutes.
12 comments:
Your question sent me to my insect reference book --- the "solitary" bees (as opposed to the "social" bees that live together in hives), do live in underground tunnels.
You made an interesting find - apparently your little garden box made a good place that they liked for a home!
Hmm I didn't know that Biddie. Last year we had the wood changed on that box because it was rotted, they guy working out there was swatting bee's the entire time but I thought they were hornets or wasps, I never went out to see what they were. I'm glad I did the flowers when I did because they were so slow, not looking to sting me!
You say Solitary bee's. How come I found more than one? Or does this mean they are just a smaller group unlike say honey bee's
I never thought of bumble bees living in soil! How weird...
Also does the post automatically (sp?) turn the URL into the video on the actual post?
Never mind, thank you, I got it work and I posted it! :)
I'm thinking that they are considered "solitary" in the sense that each individual bee has its own tunnel home even though there are several/many collected together in the same general area.
They are like the carpenter bees that have drilled their holes in the rafters of the old barn over at Possum Hollow - while there are a lot of them overall, each bee seems to have its own hole-home in the wood.
P.S. that poor workman -- I bet he had a time - he deserves a lot of credit for hanging in there to finish the planter box (( grin ))
Oh that work man just kept swating and spraying them but he worked all day fixing it, I thought he was just going to pack it up. He seemed like this wasn't the first time!
I looked up BBee's and read that they make a wax cover and nest, and now that I think of it, I pulled out this golf ball size chuck of something, It seemed like a peat pot but more of a light color, maybe that was part of the nest?
Fascinating - I bet that was the underground nest made of their wax-stuff!
There are some bees called Wood Bees that don't make honey, just buzz around you when you intrude on their area. I met some last summer when I was pulling vines out of a hedge next to our church. They never sting, just buzz around and make you a little nervous.
I left an important note on my blog...I'm leaving temporarily. (sp?)
I love to tickle bumble bees when they are in their drowsy state, they will just wave a leg at you as if to say "hey...knock it off!"
Hey, Wood bees will hibernate in pots and planters, especially if they are wooden.
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