Bee Smart

A few facts about bumble bees.

• They live in small social nests in the ground and never swarm - so you can have a nest or two in the garden without large numbers.
• Bumble bees do not produce enough honey for commercial use, just a few grams at a time to feed their young .
• Not all bees have a sting. Drones (smaller male bees that hatch in mid summer) have no sting at all.
• A bumble bee's biggest enemy by far is a pesticide spray. Like every other form of wildlife they are under serious threat from the chemicals we use.
• Bumble bees are much less aggressive than honey bees. Generally they will not attack a human at all, unless their life is under threat. Don't wave your arms wildly in their presence, stand quietly and once they smell you are not a flower with pollen they will move gently away.
• Bumble bees do not lose their sting and die if they use it, as a honey bee does.
• The bumble bee in your garden or farm will repay your kindness by pollinating flowers and vegetables and giving you an excellent set on your blossoms.

Today's photo was taken by WPC's Eli Long.

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