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The Bee Guy

Jun 17, 2023 • 11 tweets • 8 min read • Read on X

When talking to people about #bumblebees (which we do a lot!😊) they tend to mistakenly associate them with two things; honey and stings. We’ve covered the honey fallacy before so here’s a thread on stings to set the record straight Please #retweet for the bumbles.
Thanks.
1/11

#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…
2/11
#bees

…persistently aggravated.
In fact #bumblebees have an early warning system which they deploy to try to avoid stinging you if at at all possible. We call this ‘the back off buddy’ system.
If you encounter/approach a bumblebee on a flower or perhaps on the ground or on your…
3/11

…window cill her first and preferred reaction is to fly away. To escape. To put some distance between you. Sometimes however if the #bumblebee is tired, low on energy or injured she may not be able to fly away immediately so you may have noticed in this scenario she will…
4/11

…raise her middle leg. This is her warning to you to keep out of her space. You’re too close, she feels threatened - back off buddy! If you move away she’ll lower her middle leg. All good.
If however you persist in aggravating her (which begs the question why would you?)
5/11

…she will often raise her other middle leg as well. So both middle legs raised is sending you a stronger message - seriously dude back off! Again if you move away the situation is resolved. At all times she will fly away if this is an option for her.
If you continue still…
6/11

to aggravate her - you’re not looking too good in this scenario - she will often flip over onto her back, belly up. This is not a display of submission but rather she is showing you her stinger in a final attempt to get you to back off - this is what I’ve got and if you…
7/11

…don’t back off I’m going to have to use it! And it will hurt!
And possibly more than once as bumblebees unlike honeybees have smooth stingers which they can use again and again - they don’t die when they sting!
Male #bumblebees will display the exact same behaviour.
8/11

However they are the ultimate bluffers. Only female bumblebees - queens and workers - can sting. Males cannot sting and do not have a stinger!
So you see #bumblebees are genuinely docile creatures. They only sting in self defence and even at that it is a last resort.
9/11

So don’t associate #bumblebees with stinging. Rather associate them with #flowers, #wildflowers and the wealth of #food they provide to us through pollination. Associate them with a healthy vital #planet.
And when you see that leg raise - #backoffbuddy!
10/11

Terms and Conditions:
Please Note -
Bumblebee stings can cause anaphylactic shock if you are allergic to them. Always seek medical advise immediately if you notice symptoms.

Please share for the #bees.
Thank you.
Go #gentle out there!
#retweet
#bumblebees
#knowledge
11/11

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More from @the_beeguy

The Bee Guy

@the_beeguy

Jun 2

‘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

Read 9 tweets

The Bee Guy

@the_beeguy

May 26

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

Read 14 tweets

The Bee Guy

@the_beeguy

May 18

Please #retweet/#share for the #bees.🙏🏼🐝

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

Read 18 tweets

The Bee Guy

@the_beeguy

Apr 20

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

Read 12 tweets

The Bee Guy

@the_beeguy

Apr 7

Sunday Morning with the Queen.

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

Read 4 tweets

The Bee Guy

@the_beeguy

Apr 6

Queen #BUMBLEBEES - HELP THEM OUT!
Another Spring Saturday morning with @the_beeguy (follow him - he’s good, possibly even the best! 😊) means another vital thread concerning #bumblebee queens at this time of year!
Please #retweet/#share as EVERY QUEEN BEE THAT SURVIVES GETS TO ESTABLISH A NEST that otherwise would not happen. This has knock on effects going forward. Let me explain.
1/11
#bees

#Bumblebees don’t understand glass - they get confused and trapped and exhausted.
And they die.
Likewise with polytunnel plastic.
So if you see or hear a bumblebee buzzing and banging against a window in your house SHE NEEDS YOUR HELP - AND QUICKLY!
She’s in trouble.
2/11

So you need to act fast - don’t leave her suffer while you do something else (with good intentions to get to her at some stage - which you might forget).
Why?
#Bumblebees, even with a full stomach, have about 40 minutes of ‘energy’ in them before…
3/11