Fun and Fascinating Bumble Bee Facts

At the risk of sounding repetitious and boring, I really want to talk about Bumble Bees one more time. I walk past this Crepe Myrtle tree every morning and it's just loaded with those big bumblers. I  enjoy watching them so much. I could sit there all morning taking photos.



If you're interested in reading my Honey Bee post, just click below to read these:

Amazing Honey Bee Facts









































Anyhow, I have found a website called Bumblebee.org where I found some interesting information that I never knew before. I want to share it with you in case you ever get called to play Jeopardy or Pictionary.



Are you ready?



Well, here we go:



Bumblebees are large, hairy social insects with a lazy buzz and clumsy, bumbling flight.















































Bumblebees are important pollinators of both crops and wildflowers.



Bumblebees make honey, but only a small amount - just enough to feed their young.



Bumblebees are in danger in many developed countries due to habitat destruction and collateral pesticide damage.

The average worker's adult life lasts about four weeks or less.



Bumblebees are vegetarian at all stages of their life.



It is often thought that humming birds have the highest metabolic rate of all animals, however the metabolic rate of Bumblebees is 75% higher than a humming bird's.

 





























Bumblebees form colonies, usually much less extensive than those of honey bees. They live in nests that often hold fewer than 50 individuals. Bumblebee nests may be found within tunnels in the ground made by other animals, or in Tussock grass.

It is said that bumblebees don't like human breath, so if you want to observe one closely then don't breathe on it.

Bumblebees seem reluctant to sting, and appear to do so only if they are mishandled or their nest is threatened.

A Bumblebee's stinger is NOT BARBED, meaning she can sting more than once (unlike the honey bee that stings only once before losing her life.)

Always treat bumblebees with respect as there are some people who have an allergy to bee venom that can lead to death even after just a single sting if not treated promptly.

Human engineers with big brains said it was impossible for Bumblebees to fly. But Bumblebees with small brains didn't know this so continued to fly on in blissful ignorance... sometimes I wish I were a Bumblebee!



The apocryphal story about bees not being able to fly arose because the roughness and flexibility of their wings was neglected in a quick calculation. The wings of a bumblebee bend to create vortices that provide lift on both the upward and downward strokes, and a full analysis of the bee's flight involves many factors*click here to read more!



Hope you enjoyed your little lesson of Bumblebee 101

Buzzzzzing off now....