This bumblebee along with the Carder bumblebee has the longest antennae and face of all the UK Bumblebees
He also has black pollen sacs which make the pollen look dark orange
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when it comes to bees and most other "bugs" - you can keep them as far as I'm concerned. ;D
Chocky, I've never looked that close at a bee. And I think I'll steer clear of them if I can. Interesting shot, anyway.
Mary Ann
That's an amazing photograph--wonderful detail.
If only you all did a little research. Most mail bumblebees and drones don't even have stings. The females sting only if the hive is threatened.
Honey bees are extremely vicious so yes be ware of them .
Wasp. Only the large common and German wasps are timid and feel threatened if you flick at them,they spend much of their time clearing up rubbish left behind by other insects .
Most of the digger wasps which are tiny will stay away from you and only if you accidentally put you hand on one will it sting if you don't squash it first.
My bumblebees here are fatter and less colorful. I never knew to look for pollen sacs before, but now I will. They don't ever try to sting me, and it's fun to watch them going at the flowers. There's only one member of the bee/wasp family around here that tries to sting me. They're uncommon, but vicious, attacking on sight. But I haven't even seen any for five years.
Hi PatH2
That sounds like the Yellow Jacket witch wee call the common wasp. Yes very vicious and if you flick at them they bring re-enforcement
Our Common wasp looks like this
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I must keep an Epi-pen in my home because of an allergy to bee stings--due to stepping on a yellow jacket nest some years ago. Recently there was an article in our local paper about the rising cost of Epi-Pens now due to the purchase of that company by the daughter of the Senator from WVa. The one I have now is over 2 years old and I am very cautious when I see bees outside. The Epi-pen might not be strong enough now.
Most schools keep Epi-pens now as many students are allergic to food as well as insects--and the price is prohibitive, I'm sure.
Sue
I'm so sorry to hear you have allergy to bee sting. Gosh I'm always cautious but thankfully no allergies
Vespula vulgaris is the name of our common wasp. Has an anchor like designed face
Vespula and Dolichovespula is the name of the Yellow Jackets North American common wasp. Has a different facial design it has a straight vertical line on the lower half .
I do hope your pen is strong enough should you get stung . I pray you wont
Here in the Arctic, we have ground and paper wasps, honey bees and huge three-inch wasps or bees that look like honey bees but aren't. The news has reported; "In some areas like northern Alaska, defined in the study as between Barrow and Nome, the rate went up by more than 600 percent. "They are seeing yellow jackets and wasps in places they've never seen them before."
We also have both the Black Widow spider and the Brown Recluse spider but incidences with those are low.
Thanks, Chocky. I think when I go to Kroger on Friday, I'll take the epi-pen I have now and see if they'll exchange it for a new one.
Sue
Angelface . This could all be down to global warming
Chocky, that is pretty well accepted as an established fact here in the Arctic with prairie dogs and coyotes now in the area from only two years since the first sighting. There are many new insects and small rodents, trees, and plants, making themselves known as well.
But with the rapid sea ice melting and unprecedented shore erosion, (Erosion has always been an issue but it has truly ramped up.); and the glaciers melting and the permafrost melting, the landscape is truly different than just seventeen years ago.
Here the political debates no longer suffice with the obvious in your face realities.
I think I will keep my distance, if possible!