People asking us about the very small #bumblebees they’ve encountered (if they’re lucky this year!😔) over the past few weeks.
Wanting to know if they are a specific species.
So here’s a brief thread to explain what they are.
Please #retweet if you find it interesting.
🙏🏼🐝 1/9
Spoiler Alert: They’re the first brood of worker #bumblebees and they’re all female!
These small bumblebees that you may have seen fitting snuggly into a buttercup as they forage over the past while, very often - depending on species - are in appearance mini versions… 2/9
…of the larger queens that you may have seen out foraging and house hunting in early spring.
Shortly after establishing their nest these queens will have laid their first batch of eggs which they then incubate and when hatched provide food for. Depending on species.. 3/9
…it takes roughly four weeks for this first batch of eggs to develop into adult worker #bees.
During this period the queen bee is effectively operating as a solitary bee - she must keep the eggs at the right temperature whilst at the same time forage for food to nourish… 4/9
…herself and then the developing larvae.
And therein lies the reason for the small size of this first batch of workers - adult body size of #bumblebees is primarily determined by the amount of food provisioned during the development of the larvae and these larvae have… 5/9
…only one bee - the queen - seeking and returning food to them.
Once on the wing these small female worker #bumblebees will spend their entire adult lives - around 4 weeks or thereabouts - helping the queen to produce further broods. They will forage, maintain and protect.. 6/9
…the nest and nurse the subsequent broods. These subsequent broods tend to produce larger #bees as the queen now has this support network of daughters helping her.
So to recap:
Small #bumblebees out foraging recently are likely the first batch of female workers. 7/9
They’re small mostly due to relying solely on the queen for food when developing.
They’re not a ‘type of bee” but smaller individuals of their species.
They only live as adults for a short time.
They help ensure that subsequent broods develop and are larger in size. 8/9
Forget the elephant in the room. Let’s talk about the #bumblebees in the box.
A thread on the commodification of bumblebees to produce your #food.
The numbers.
Why it’s bad for wild #bees
How they kill them when they’re no longer of use.
Please #share
#Retweet
#ForBees
1/14
Spoiler alert:
#Bumblebees artificially produced to pollinate food crops.
Industry worth 100’s of millions of euros.
Poorly regulated.
Traded across continents.
Bees escape into the wild.
Spread #disease.
Breed with native #bees.
Suffocated when no longer of use.
2/14
The ‘mass production’ of bumblebee colonies for pollination services began in the 80’s.
By 2004 over 1 million commercially produced #bumblebee colonies were being produced annually. Latest figures put this at 2 million colonies being produced and traded across continents…
3/14
‘Are these very small #bumblebees we’re seeing out foraging of late (May/early June) a specific species?’
A good question.
Thanks for asking us.
Here’s a brief thread to explain these diminutive beauties.
Please #retweet/#share with your crew.
For the small bumblers.
🙏🏼🐝 1/9
Spoiler Alert: They’re the first brood of worker #bumblebees and they’re all female!
These small bumblebees that you may have seen fitting snuggly into a buttercup as they forage over the past while, very often - depending on species - are in appearance mini versions… 2/9
…of the larger queens that you may have seen out foraging and house hunting in early spring.
Shortly after establishing their nest these queens will have laid their first batch of eggs which they then sit on to incubate & when hatched provide food for. Depending on species.. 3/9
We’ve had a number of enquiries lately from people worried about having a bumblebee ‘hive’ in their garden.
‘Are they dangerous?’
‘Should I have them removed?’
‘Will they be there forever?’
Here’s a quick bumblebee lifecycle thread to explain.
Please #retweet for the #bees.
1/14
Spoiler alert:
Bumblebee nests generally exist for a matter of months.
Maximum number of #bees run to hundreds not thousands.
They don’t swarm.
They are not aggressive.
They don’t need to be - and shouldn’t be - moved.
You’re lucky to have them - enjoy and celebrate them!
2/14
The Bumblebee Lifecyle.
This is the quick version and a generalisation - obviously there may be variance depending on species and geographic location.
#Bumblebee queens emerge from hibernation in early spring - how they got there we’ll get to later just go with it for now!
3/14
Again let’s talk about #honeybees in the context of ‘Saving the Bees’.
Let’s cut the bull and cut to the chase as there’s way too much confusion/misinformation out there which is a hinderance to & detrimental to genuine bee saving.
1/18
May 20th has been designated World Bee Day by the UN. This date is the birthday of the pioneer of modern beekeeping – Anton Janša.
But maybe in reality it should be World Honey Bee Day & #bumblebees/#solitarybees should get their own day.
‘ENDANGERED BEE DAY’
Why?
Read on.
2/18
Context:
There are 3 basic types of bee on the planet.
#Solitarybees.
#Bumblebees.
#Honeybees.
Of the 20,000+ species of bee only 8 are honey #bees.
Around 40% of bee species are under pressure worldwide.
Honey bees are not in trouble.
Repeat.
Honey bees are not in trouble.
3/18
You knew #bumblebees were friendly but…is that bumblebee actually waving at you?
Please #retweet/#share for the #bees.
When talking to people about bumblebees (which we do a lot!😊) they tend to mistakenly associate them with two things; honey and stings.
Here’s a thread on #stings to set the record straight.
We’ll get to honey another day.
Thanks, as always, good people. 🙏🏼🐝
1/12
Spoiler alert!
Quick version.
It’s not a wave it’s a warning.
One leg up - back off.
2 legs up - seriously back off!
Belly up - wtf dude get the message!
#Bumblebees only sting as a last resort.
Can sting more than once.
Don’t die when they sting.
Males can’t sting!
2/12
#Bumblebees have the capability to sting for sure but being the docile gentle creatures they are they don’t like to use this capability - it’s their nuclear option! The ability to sting is a defence mechanism to defend their nest and themselves if they are being…
3/12
#bees
So you’re a queen.
Bee that is.
Bumblebee if you don’t mind.
And you’ve had your furry buff little arse buffeted and soaked by wind and rain since you emerged from hibernation.
Spring they say?
Not around these parts.
Not this year.
You need… 1/4
…a moment.
Somewhere dry and wind free.
To get your shit together.
Yes #bumblebees need those moments too!
And just inside the open door of a polytunnel is the ideal place.
To get off those wings and stretch those legs.
To pause from the constant, relentless search for… 2/4
…flowers (is it just me or are they getting scarcer and scarcer?) and the non-stop house hunting.
And that’s before you even think about egg laying, brooding and keeping all the eventual kids in order.
Yes, sometimes you just need a moment.
To have a good scratch.
A good.. 3/4