Wasps and honey bees can appear agressive if you're thinking anthropomorphically but they are both defensive. Wasps are more intelligent than bees, they've evolved further..
I wonder if you're thinking about bumble bees which are less defensive (but wll sting) or solitary bees which can't sting ... it's a very bit subject which I've studied for many years.
Mary
Not true.
So am I but I take care not to be stung. A beekeeper is more likely to be stung than anyone else because s/he causes a defensive response by invading the nest.
Mary
Or otherwise (innocently perhaps) threaten them.
Mary
>The message from Huge contains these words:
Indoors I'm sure it's very snug.
The message from "Mary Fisher" contains these words:
My grandmother felt sorry for the bees one very cold spring morning (this was in the 1920s some time) and took them a saucer of warm sugary water. Two bees shot out of the hive and stung her, one on each eyelid. She rather lost her sympathy for them at that point - it took her over a week to regain her sight properly.
The message from "Mary Fisher" contains these words:
Well clearly, sitting on them or catching one in the fold of your elbow will fail to impress upon them your otherwise gentle intentions.
Quite. People often claim that they did nothing but if a wasp lands on you and you move and a bit of shirt brushes against it it will defend itself from the attacker. It knows nothing about shirts.
Mary
That's awful for your grandma :-( But you shouldn't disturb a beehive when it's cold - passing in front of a hive entrance is disturbance enough.
They don't think like us - and we don't think like them.
Mary
Which part of "dry and warm" did you misunderstand? (OK, the snug bar of the Coach and Horses was quite warm and dry last time I was in Ballater, but the rest of the village was typical for Deeside in the winter.)
For what? Leaving his sandwiches at home? Breaking his flask? Having too much to drink the night before?
[SNIP]
Typical of the "thing". He's a troll elsewhere, and just as much a waste of electrons. Now how come he's out of my kill file here?
Ichneumonidae ? (Sorry about the spelling?) The ones that gave even Darwin the willies. But yes, wonderful beasts. I've never understood people who are scared of them.
Having evolved "further" does not necessarily imply having developed more "intelligence" (whatever *that* is). Some (literally) brainless parasites are highly developed "higher" animals. They've just developed along a developmental arc that doesn't involve having brains, so they've lost theirs.
Big subject indeed. Fascinating animals.
I've thought for quite a while that 'honey' bees are getting a less good-natured. I'm making the effort to encourage some solitary bees into my garden though, having had them living in my brick chimney wall in the old place for about a decade and finding them intriguing and very docile.
I wasn't able to persuade any to use my solitary bee-house to take up residence in the spring/summer that I had to move out, so didn't hold out much hope, but this spring (the first in the new place) I'm delighted to find solitary bees busily nesting in two of the tubes in the house, so I expect a multiplying population of them when they hatch out in the coming spring. It was fascinating watching them collect mud where I'd watered a plant in to take back and stopper the tube with.
Honey bees and wasps I don't like, though I try and tolerate them (unless indoors - bees are captured and put out, wasps often don't get afforded the same treatment as they just seem to be hell-bent on coming back in). Solitary bees I adore. I hear they're better pollinators than honey bees too, though no idea if that's just rumour.
Velvet
Our Sedum (poss sedum telephuim?) seems very attractive to bumble bees. (does that help for solitary ones?)
cheers, clive
I torched my daughters playhouse two summers ago due to wasps!!, I went in to clean it out to find a bloody big nest in there, right I thought flyspray'll do the trick. 30 seconds after the first squirt and 10 - 15 stings in i gave up and ran out slamming the door behind me, 20 -30 of the buggers came with me though. Quick run round the garden ( not used to running 16st and built for comfort not for speed). Suitably infuriated at the cheek of the little blighters the red mist was well and truly down, before I knew it I had doused the playhouse with petrol from the mower can, leaving a trail up to it, light trail at arms length and stood well back as it says on the tin, the mushroom cloud was most impressive and got a few woo's and even a sceam from the neighbours. After I ranted at them not to call the fire brigade they realised I'd lost the plot and went inside to close their windows due to the smoke. the playhouse burnt well and behaved itself falling in on itself while burning, I put a bit more rubbish that I had lying about on it while I had a fire going, and it smouldered itsef to nothing in a few hours. Raked up the ashes, grass seeded the scorch mark and you'd never know it was there now :-) Anyone else got an extreme wasp story ??
That was the last "red mist" episode I've had !! thankfully they are few and far between :-)
Haven't the foggiest. Solitary bees seem to be out very early in the spring compared to other bees, so I guess earlier flowering things would be good to provide. I have a feeling they're rumoured to be excellent for fruit trees due to waking earlier than the honeys, but I'm not at all an expert on any of them - I just like the docile little creatures (whereas dislike to outright fear is a factor of honeybees and wasps).
"Aidan Karley" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@major.free.email.provider...
No, vespidae. More specifically, vespa vulgaris, the common wasp, known as yellowjackets by USAians.
Mary
Honey bees rarely go into houses.
That must be because you're providing something to attract them. They don't come in for your company.
Some are better at some pollination in some areas.
Mary
The rumour about pollination of fruit trees is wrong. Top fruit tree blossom doesn't start to produce nectar until the temperature is higher than it is in the morning. That's why grass is kept weed-free. Dandelions and some other 'weeds' begin to produce nectar at lower temperatures than fruit trees and once honey bees have begun to forage on a particular plant they'll continue until the supply is exhausted. The bees are drawn to the blossom by nectar, not pollen, they can't help pollinating the flowers whhilie they're collecting nectar.
Beehives are hired by fruit growers at pollination time, they don't hire solitary bees for the purpose.
Mary
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