bumble bees in trees.....

[Bundle 2]

You need to remember that the successful overwintering of a queen is a part of a lifecycle. Failures and interruptions to this process inevitably weaken the resources with which this process occurs. This is just FYI but to assume it will all be good on the basis that they all die anyway ( bar 1 ) is to misunderstand the fragile equilibrium of said lifecycle....

cheers.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

We had a wild colony in old Oak as well here on the estate, the old keeper said it had been there when he first came to Hales, over 40yrs ago, 3 yrs ago it died out, he thought due to varroa.

I'm glad there are still some wild colonies surviving.

 

Thats not as sad as it seems, 40 years is a good long existance, and its par for the course as the nest ages and pathogens and other beasties start to find the old nest a good place to bee!

 

all good things must come to an end, at some point.

[Bundle 2]

I am hoping to not make anything much of a comment but I have known beekeepers take the view that feral colonies are indeed harbingers of disease. I think the point they try to make is that by intervening with anti-varroa treatments, ( and perhaps others) the foothold that these mites get is reduced.

Much like trees, once weakened (by the varroa mite,) viruses are quick to capitalise, exploiting their hosts in a myriad of ways!!

 

It should be said that many of the symptoms that beekeepers observe are not well understood. It is also true to say that honey bees are only an aspect of the bee kingdom which, whilst at risk from low numbers ( for whatever reasons) is rich with a diverse range of bee species....

Good thread ....I hope you get the situation successfully resolved!

[David Humphries]

What's going on here then...........interspecies mating or a bit of parasitation?

 

 

saw it in a cemetery at the weekend

 

 

.

[Bundle 2]

ahh...Lokks like a "taking out the dead" ceremony David....!

[David Humphries]

ahh...Lokks like a "taking out the dead" ceremony David....!

 

 

 

They were flying about mid air for what seemed like ages Tim.

 

Took me a while to track then down to get a shot.

 

 

 

.

[cousin jack]

I was under the impression Bumbles where all protected?

 

If not they darn well should be, and have always treated them as such.

 

Mitigating the habitat loss after felling the reamining stump long after the first frosts with readily avaliable bumble bee houses, say two or three to replace the habitat would be a good and "inclusional" approach, im sure the client would agree?

 

I'm afraid bumble bees are not protected, although I do agree, they should be.

Edited July 21, 2010 by cousin jack
Spelling

[Bundle 2]

Mmmm..David,.you got me there. Im a total novice mate. And then, I observe more honeybees than bumbles. Perhaps a more learned member can shed some light?

Males and females are typically quite marked by differences in size. That said, the queen is usually as big as the drone. She will mate with a number of males, in one sitting if you will. This ensures a genetic pool of diversity. The males will attract the female to an "area" for mating as I understand it. Beyond this I am a bit clueless.....

You are quite right tho' that there exist, species of "mimic bees". These are entirely parasitic.

Food for thought. Thanx 4 posting!

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

reckon those two had a disagreement, are two species and ones winning, and got his sting in.

[paullen]

I had to move a bee's nest, they were nesting in a bird box right under the tree we were felling. I couldn't believe how tolerant they were of me moving them! Gotta love bees.