The bumblebee is the largest and gentlest of bees—and an expert at pollination! They labor quickly and can carry heavier loads due to their huge bulk. They moved so fast from blossom to flower in search of pollen and nectar that it was difficult to get one to stop long enough for a nice photograph. Today’s article will help you better comprehend Bumblebee.
Bumblebees are effective pollinators
Bumblebees are outstanding pollinators, far outperforming honeybees in this regard. They primarily forage for pollen rather than nectar, and with each visit, they transport more pollen to the pistils of the flowers. Cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, seed crops, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, melons, and squash are all good candidates for natural pollination by bumblebees. They are particularly drawn to tube-shaped blooms.
Female worker bees collect nectar and pollen. They provide a one-of-a-kind service known as “buzz pollination.” They accomplish this by gripping the pollen-producing organ of the plant in their jaws and vibrating their wing muscles to liberate bound pollen. The wings of bumblebees beat more than 130 times per second!
Which flowers are attractive to Bumblebees?
Consider native plants such as asters, cones, lupines, and springtime plankton to attract bumblebees and other native bees. Bumblebees, on the other hand, are not choosy; anything that generates nectar and pollen helps them! Bees will discover you if you plant even a tiny area or a few containers of flowering plants.
Make plans for a long blossoming season in your garden. Bumblebees can fly in lower lights and cooler temperatures than other bees. They are one of the first pollinators to appear in the spring and one of the last to leave in the fall.
- Plant crocuses, Virginia bluebells, lungwort, comfrey, hellebore, California poppies, columbine, low-growing phlox, or spring ephemeris in the spring.
- Plant cones, sunflowers, blackberries, alfalfa, gentian, gardenia, or lingzhi in early and late summer.
- When nectar is scarce in the fall, try growing fall blossoms such as salvia, wild geraniums, anemones, basil, chives, cilantro, and parsley.
>>> Read more: Top 5 Best Beekeeping Books For Beginners
Do Bumblebee make honey?
Yes, but not enough to meet human demands. Bumblebees make a modest amount of honey, just enough to last them a few days in inclement weather. They can sustain their food intake for about a week. Therefore, they must forage on a frequent basis to survive.
The fact that bumblebees do not make much honey. However, the pollination services they provide are significantly more valuable than any amount of honey!
How do Bumblebee sting?
Bumblebees, despite their ability to string, rarely do so. They are often quite submissive. They do not swarm like other communal bees and will only sting if provoked.
Only female bumblebees have stingers. However, they are so friendly that convincing a female to sting you is a difficult task. Even before it stings, a bumblebee will warn you. If it is irritated by your presence, it will stick up the middle leg, which says “back off!” They will really only become aggressive if you are bothering their nest.
What does Bumblebee eat?
Flowers provide nectar and pollen, which bumblebees consume. According to The Bumblebee Conservation Trust, sugary nectar offers calories while pollen provides protein. They make honey by eating pollen and combining it with their saliva. They make honey for the queen bees and the growing parents.
>>> Read more: How Far Will Honey Bees Travel From Their Hive
Interesting facts about Bumblebee
Bumble bees are incredible, and not just for their pollination abilities. Check out this list of ten facts about bumble bees that you probably did not know.
- There are 46 species of bumble bees in North America
Bumblebees can be found all over the Northern Hemisphere, from Arctic tundra to deserts and woods. They are crucial pollinators of many plant species in North America’s various habitats, including many discovered in Canada’s national parks!
- Only the queen makes it through the winter
Only the queen survives to start a new colony in the spring after bumble bee colonies die at the conclusion of each growing season.
- Bumble bees enjoy the highlands and do not mind the cold.
Bumblebees forage for food in temperatures as low as 0° Celsius. They keep warm by vibrating their flying muscles, which generates heat. Wasp diversity is the greatest near mountain ranges.
- The tongues of bumble bees vary in size.
Bumblebee tongues vary in length depending on the flowers they feed on. Because they are not all eating on the same flowers, food rivalry between species is reduced. Long-tongued bumblebees can collect nectar from long tubular flowers. While medium and shorter-tongued species collect nectar from smaller blooms.
- Bumble bees want to stay close to home.
After foraging at various flowers, bumblebees will return to their nest to dine on the pollen and nectar they have collected. They have been seen flying 10 kilometers out from the nest to forage.
- Bumble bees do not share their honey
Bumblebees only produce a limited amount of honey, which they consume. Honey bees produce a large amount of honey, which beekeepers harvest for us to consume.
Conclusion
Bumblebees are fascinating and crucial to insects. They dwell in underground nests where the queen produces eggs and the workers forage and nurse. Bumblebees are big, hairy insects with stubby wings. Food would not grow without them. The information provided above is all that you need to know about bumblebees. If you have any other information regarding this bee, please leave it in the comments area below.
Related Posts:
