#theBeeAt3
Late?
Only in full speed.
In slo-mo we’re actually early.
Don’t think about it - just go with it.😊🙄
#theBeeAt3
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
#271.
#270 cont’d.
This use of antennae by bumblebees to ‘communicate’ with other bees in the colony by touching their antennae to the antennae of another bee is referred to as antennation.
It’s kinda like a bee handshake.🐝🤝🐝
#bees #bumblebees
#beesanctuaryireland
#sanctuary #vegan #nature
#organic #disruptive
Bonus fact today!
If you don’t think you can handle 2 bee facts in the same day please don’t take any risks - maybe don’t inhale this one 😎 - or make sure you have a loved one informed of your intention to attempt two facts.🙄
#theBeeAt3
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
#270.
#Bumblebees use their antennae for social interaction within the colony.
Touching antennae with other bees transfers chemical information which allows them to familiarise themselves with the other #bees in the colony.
It’s back!
Sorry we’ve been so light on here for a while. Only so many hours in the day and so much to do!
#theBeeAt3
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
#269.
Inside the narrow waist (petiole) of #bumblebees cooler blood pumped from the abdomen is heated up as it passes warm blood returning from the head and thorax.
This process is known as ‘counter current heat exchange’.
#bees
#beesanctuaryireland
#savingbees
#nature #sanctuary
#organic #vegan #disrupt
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 217.
More energy for reproduction if not fighting disease?
Reduced infection improving forage effectiveness?
Research still has to find the answers to why #sunflowers in #bumblebee diet seems to mean more queens produced.
#bees #bumblebees #science
#nature #naturebasedsolutions
#sunflowers #beesanctuaryireland
#organic #vegan
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 216.
The number of queens a #bumblebee colony produces is a good indicator of the health of the colony.
Research found that increasing levels of #sunflower pollen in a colony diet sees the colony rear 30% more queens.
#bees #bumblebees
#beesanctuaryireland
#nature #organic #vegan
#naturebasedsolutions
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 205.
A study in Switzerland focusing on two species of #bumblebee commonly found throughout Europe suggests that ‘City Bumblebees’ are smaller but more phenotypically diverse than their ‘Country Bumblebee’ cousins.
#bees #nature #naturebasedsolutions
#naturephotography #organic #vegan
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 199.
Research conducted recently in the US confirmed that carrying pollen raises bumblebee body temperature.
Temperature of #bumblebees carrying pollen was shown to be a lot higher than that of #bees with empty pollen baskets.
#nature #naturephotography
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary
#organic #vegan #unique
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 183.
Observation suggests that the first #bumblebee workers leave the nest not at sunrise but up to 2 hours later. The trigger for departure is when the overnight temperature changes from falling to rising and the sun is up.
#bees #beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary #nature #naturephotography #vegan #organic
#naturebasedsolutions #insects
#theBeeAt3
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 182
# 181 contd.
Whilst the first brood of female #bumblebee workers tend to be small in size due to sole reliance on the queen subsequent broods tend to produce larger and larger workers as the colony increases in numbers.
#bees #beesanctuaryireland #bumblebees #nature
Sorry…I’ve been a bit hit and miss with the facts lately. Not enough hours in the day. Must do better!
#theBeeAt3
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 181.
Noticed quite small #bumblebees out foraging in recent weeks?
The first brood of female workers produced rely solely on the queen for feeding/nursing and generally consists of relatively small workers.
So now you know!
#bees #nature #beesanctuaryireland
#naturephotography #vegan #organic
#theBeeAt3
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 174.
Over 75% of the 115 leading crop species are dependent upon/benefit from animal pollination. Only 28 of these 115 crop species are wind & self-pollinated.
We need #bees #insects #birds #animals.
We need to realise this.
Fast.
#beesanctuaryireland #bumblebees #solitarybees #CommonCarder
#nature #naturephotography #vegan
#organic #savingbees #food
#theBeeAt3
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
#WorldBeeDay Special.
A fact and a confession:
I’m The Bee Guy and I talk to bees.
On a regular basis.
I greet them as they pass.
I apologise for us.
I ask if they’re okay.
And #trees
And #birds
And #wasps
And #hoverflies
And #ladybirds
And #butterflies
And #frogs
But mostly #bees
Especially #bumblebees
Try it.
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 154.
Plastic has become so ubiquitous in the planet’s #environment that #leafcutterbees have been observed using discarded #plastic instead of leaves in the construction of their nests. This is not positive #evolution.
#bees #beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary #nature #naturephotography #solitarybees
#socialenterprise #vegan #organic
#theBeeAt3
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 153.
Some mites ‘synchronise’ their lives with #bumblebees.
They attach to a new queen in autumn as the other #bees don’t survive the winter, hibernate with her, and then colonise the new nest she starts the following spring.
🤯
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary
#nature #naturephotography
#wild #vegan #organic
Yesterdays fact.
Sorry we were otherwise distracted.
Still relevant though!
😊🐝
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 129.
Buzz pollination - in brief.
Bees rapidly contract their flight muscles. This produces powerful vibrations which they channel to the flower using their legs/mouths.
Result = a #pollen explosion all over the bee.
Happy bee!
#bees #beesofmastodon #bumblebees
#buzzpollination #nature
#naturephotography
#vegan #organic #savingbees
Bees be chillin’ with the Buddhists!
Have a great weekend.
Be good!
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 128.
The place on the planet with the richest diversity of #bumblebee species?
Tibet.
The highest highland on earth - the Tibetan plateau (and the surrounding mountains) is home to many of the world’s 250+ species of bumblebee.
#bees #beesofmastodon
#pollinators #nature #fun #science #beesanctuary #beesanctuaryireland
#solitarybees #gwynnes #naturereserve #vegan #organic
Another day.
Another bee fact.
A reassuring constant in a fickle world.
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 127.
In the UK an army sniffer dog trained to locate #bumblebee nests was able to very accurately find nests of a range of bumblebee species - suggesting that colonies of different bumblebee species emit a similar smell.
#beesofmastodon #bees #bee
#beesanctuaryireland #savingbees #naturephotography #organic #vegan
#bumblebees #nature
Today’s fact today.
As it should be.
Must do better!
😎
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 126.
Initially when #bumblebees start foraging they are not necessarily too good or efficient at it!
Newly emerged female workers often use up more resources in the process of foraging than they are actually gathering.
#bees #beesofmastodon
#beesanctuaryireland #nature
#naturephotography #pollinators
#naturereserve #wicklow #vegan #organic #chives
Yesterday’s fact today just before today’s fact today.
Makes perfect sense.
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 125.
Bumblebee nests are notoriously difficult to find in the #wild.
This can hinder population surveys of #bumblebee species as nest density is used as an indicator of populations.
#bees #bumblebees #bee
#beesofmastodon #nature #NaturePhotography #savingbees
#beesanctuaryireland
Yesterday’s fact as we couldn’t get to you…sorry!
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 124.
There are more species of bee on the #planet than the combined total of mammal and bird species.
There are over 20,000 species of #bees.
Around 6,500 species of #mammals and 10,000 species of #birds have been described.
#bee #solitarybee #ashyminingbee
#beesofmastodon #nature
#savingbees #naturephotography
#beesanctuaryireland #naturereserve
#pollinators
We have ways of making you flower!
This is mad!
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 109.
Recent research suggests that if food is scarce hungry #bumblebees will chew on plant leaves - not to eat them - but to stress the plant causing it to #flower thus providing earlier #pollen for the bees.
Chew on that! 🤯
#beesofmastodon #bees
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary #solitarybees #savingbees #science #naturephotography
#nature #organic #vegan
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 108.
Research found that tomato plants flowered up to 30 days earlier in response to their leaves being chewed by hungry #bumblebees.
When this behaviour was mimicked by cutting the leaves they only flowered 5 days earlier!
🍅🐝🤯
#beesofmastodon #bees
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary #solitarybees #savingbees #science #naturephotography
#nature #organic #vegan
What even time is it?
We don’t know if we’re late or not.
Stop messing with the clocks!⏰😠
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 123.
For #bumblebees the size of their antennae matters!
Bigger #bees with bigger antennae have greater sensitivity to odours. Large #antennae can catch more odour molecules & so are more sensitive to odours than small antennae.
#beesofmastodon #bee
#beesanctuaryireland #savingbees #naturephotography #organic #vegan
#nature
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 107.
Unlike females, male bumblebees do not perform learning flights on leaving the nest. They fly directly away never looking back.
😢
They do however perform learning flights on leaving flowers to memorise location.
#bee #beesofmastodon #bees
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary #solitarybees #savingbees #science #naturephotography
#nature #organic #vegan #bumblebees
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 106.
Female bees perform ‘learning flights’ where they memorise features of an important site.
They look back to ‘fixate’ the site as they leave. Learning flights occur on first departing their nest and newly found #flowers.
#bee #beesofmastodon #bees
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary #solitarybees #savingbees #science #naturephotography
#nature #organic #vegan #bumblebees
What’s 30 minutes late when we are contemplating 130 million years of existence and evolution?
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 122.
Bees foraged amongst dinosaurs.
Ponder that…in the context of our consequence.
#beesofmastodon #bees #bee
#beesanctuaryireland #savingbees #naturephotography #organic #vegan
#bumblebees #nature #dinosaurs
#science #fun #think #time
Late again.
We’ll keep an eye on that.😎🙄
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 105.
Bees are able to navigate using the polarised light patterns in the sky by virtue of their 3 ‘simple eyes’ or ocelli which are positioned on top of the head between their 2 larger compound eyes.
So 5 eyes in all!
👀
#bee #beesofmastodon #bees
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary #solitarybees #savingbees #science #naturephotography
#nature #organic #vegan #bumblebees
What time is it?
It’s bee time!
Precisely.
Have a great weekend people.
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 121.
Even within the same colony not all bees spend the same amount of time actively foraging for #pollen and #nectar.
Bees that spend more time foraging tend to have shorter lifespans than those bees that forage less often.
#beesofmastodon #bees #bee
#beesanctuaryireland #savingbees #naturephotography #organic #vegan
#bumblebees #nature
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 104.
Bumblebees are able to start foraging earlier in the morning and continue until later in the evening when landmarks aren’t visible as they can use the polarised light of the sky as a GPS for guidance to their nest!
🤯
#bee #beesofmastodon #bees
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary #solitarybees #savingbees #science #naturephotography
#nature #organic #vegan #bumblebees
Don’t spray chemicals in your space.
Designed to kill and that’s exactly what they do.
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 120.
In 1945, the American Chemical Paint Company released the first US ‘residential herbicide’ 2,4-D which had been developed during WW2 as a chemical weapon to wipe out potatoes in Germany and rice in Japan.
#beesofmastodon #bees #bee
#beesanctuaryireland #savingbees #naturephotography #organic #vegan
#bumblebees #poison
Pesticides kill. They’re designed to.
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 103.
An important reminder as we get active in our gardens this time of year:
Most store bought plants contain a cocktail of insecticides/fungicides that kill and are harmful to bees, #insects and #soil.
This needs to change.
https://savingbees.ie
#bee #beesofmastodon #bees
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary #solitarybees #savingbees #science #naturephotography
#nature #organic #vegan #bumblebees
Keeping it real this week!
Don’t spray chemicals in your space.
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 119.
In the US in the 1950s, a chemical company and producer of #grass seed, in order to promote a weed killer, launched a PR campaign declaring white #clover a weed.
It wasn’t.
It isn’t.
Chemical weed killers are #poison
PR that.
#beesofmastodon #bees #bee
#beesanctuaryireland #savingbees #naturephotography #organic #vegan
#bumblebees #whiteclover
Early!
We just couldn’t wait to bring you this clip. What a stunning #bee on such a vivid flower.
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 118.
#Bumblebees leave a scent mark (a sticky secretion) behind whenever they land on #flowers and can distinguish between their own scent marks, those left by fellow nest-mates and those left behind by #bees from other colonies.
#beesofmastodon
#beesanctuaryireland #savingbees #naturephotography #organic #vegan
Make this March Monday the day you made bees your thing too!
We all need them.
And we’ve made them need us...to care!
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 117.
Leafcutter #bees are #solitarybees that collect and carry #pollen on their ‘pollen brush’ which is made up of stiff hairs located on the underside of their abdomen.
https://savingbees.ie
#beesofmastodon #bee
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary #savingbees #naturephotography #organic #Bumblebees #vegan
#LeafcutterBee
Late on another level!😂
Late and late.
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 116.
In the time it takes to blink your eyes flying #bees will beat their wings approximately 65 times.
‘Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings’
- Magee
#beesofmastodon #bee
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary #solitarybees #savingbees #organic #naturephotography #organic
#Bumblebees #vegan
‘Bees need flowers need bees need flowers’
- The Bee Guy
…and you can quote me on that!
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 115.
Forage Basics 101:
Nectar = Carbohydrates = Sugar = Energy.
Pollen = Protein + Nutrients + Fats.
#beesofmastodon #bee #bees
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary #solitarybees #savingbees #organic #naturephotography #flowers #forage
#Bumblebees #vegan #socialenterprise
#nature #nectar #pollen #wildflowers
Late?
Yep!
Do I care?
About bees - yep!
About the planet -yep!
About punctuality - nope!
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 114.
#Bees consume large amounts of oxygen but don’t breathe through noses or mouths.
Instead they draw oxygen in through holes along their bodies known as spiracles and deliver it directly to tissue and muscles.
#beesofmastodon #bee
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary #solitarybees #savingbees #organic #naturephotography
Just late.
No excuse.
Time and I don’t see eye to eye.
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 113.
#Bumblebees made history when over 130 years ago they were brought from England to New Zealand to pollinate red #clover for farmers - the first insect to be introduced to a country to #pollinate a specific plant.
🙁
#beesofmastodon #bees #bee
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary #solitarybees #savingbees #naturephotography
Everybody..
“Oh we’re so pretty
Oh so pretty
We’re vacant
Oh we’re so pretty…”
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 112.
#Bumblebees love #thistles (as do many other #insects and #birds ).
Forget boyband bedding plants (pretty but ultimately useless) and have these kickass #punks of the #wildflower world in your patch.
Sunflower family.
#bees
#beesofmastodon
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary #solitarybees #savingbees #naturephotography #sexpistols
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 102.
A bee’s colour vision is the fastest in the animal world.
Bees see colour 5 times faster than humans. Whereas people have trouble distinguishing one flower from another in a group of flowers bees see every single #flower.
#bee #beesofmastodon #bees
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary #solitarybees #savingbees #science #naturephotography
#nature #organic #vegan #bumblebees
The bee was ready & willing at 3.
But the broadband wasn’t!
Doesn’t like rain.
🙄
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 111.
Larger #bumblebees with bigger compound eyes have better vision. Higher sensitivity to light across the whole eye and more overlap in sight between the eyes may allow larger #bees an advantage in adapting to their environment.
https://savingbees.ie
#beesofmastodon
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary #solitarybees #savingbees #science #naturephotography
Bees chew.
Climate breakdown sucks.
So bite me BP, Exxon et al.
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 110.
# 109 contd.
This plant stressing bee behaviour may be a ‘tough love’ adaptation as #climate breakdown brings bees out of hibernation earlier.
If no food is available #bees die, pollination suffers and plants disappear too.
#beesofmastodon #bumblebees
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary #solitarybees #savingbees #science #naturephotography
We have ways of making you flower!
This is mad!
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 109.
Recent research suggests that if food is scarce hungry #bumblebees will chew on plant leaves - not to eat them - but to stress the plant causing it to #flower thus providing earlier #pollen for the bees.
Chew on that! 🤯
#beesofmastodon #bees
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary #solitarybees #savingbees #science #naturephotography
#nature #organic #vegan
Never been chewed by a hungry #bee! Always late!🙄
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 108.
Research found that tomato plants flowered up to 30 days earlier in response to their leaves being chewed by hungry #bumblebees.
When this behaviour was mimicked by cutting the leaves they only flowered 5 days earlier!
🍅🐝🤯
#beesofmastodon #bees
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary #solitarybees #savingbees #science #naturephotography
#nature #organic #vegan
It’s Friday.
Relax!
Have a great weekend.
🙄
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 107.
Unlike females, male bumblebees do not perform learning flights on leaving the nest. They fly directly away never looking back.
😢
They do however perform learning flights on leaving flowers to memorise location.
#bee #beesofmastodon #bees
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary #solitarybees #savingbees #science #naturephotography
#nature #organic #vegan #bumblebees
Late?
Am I?
My watch is broken.
🙄
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 106.
Female bees perform ‘learning flights’ where they memorise features of an important site.
They look back to ‘fixate’ the site as they leave. Learning flights occur on first departing their nest and newly found #flowers.
#bee #beesofmastodon #bees
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary #solitarybees #savingbees #science #naturephotography
#nature #organic #vegan #bumblebees
Pesticides kill. They’re designed to.
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 103.
An important reminder as we get active in our gardens this time of year:
Most store bought plants contain a cocktail of insecticides/fungicides that kill and are harmful to bees, #insects and #soil.
This needs to change.
https://savingbees.ie
#bee #beesofmastodon #bees
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary #solitarybees #savingbees #science #naturephotography
#nature #organic #vegan #bumblebees
Late?
We’ve been called worse.
😎🤌
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 93.
Unlike honey bees, bumblebees usually only collect and store sufficient food in the nest to feed the colony for a couple of days.
So bumblebee colonies are never more than a few days from starvation.
Grow them wildflowers.
Masses of them.
#bee #bees #beesofmastodon
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary
#bumblebees #solitarybees #gardening
#nature #organic #vegan #savingbees
#pollinators #fun #flowers
Late?
Yes.
Excuse?
We’re working on it.
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 87.
Bee brains are smaller than a sesame seed and have less than 1 million neurons (we have 86 billion).
They are however highly intelligent - can add/subtract, get the concept of zero, solve puzzles and recognise faces.
#bee #bees #beesofmastodon
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary
#bumblebees #solitarybees #gardening
#nature #organic #vegan #savingbees
#pollinators #fun
This is becoming a habit.
Being early that is!
The facts are already a habit.
You know it.
😎
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 82.
Pollen ‘safe sites’ exist on bee bodies which can’t be reached when grooming (the waist/dorsal area of thorax/abdomen).
The anthers/stigmas of flowers regularly come into contact with these parts ensuring pollination.
#bee #bees #beesofmastodon
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary
#bumblebees #solitarybees
#nature #organic #vegan #savingbees
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 66.
One of the ways in which bumblebee queens maintain their dominance in the nest is by periodically head-butting the more dominant female workers.
We’re not so different really are we?
#bees #bee #beesofmastodon
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary
#bumblebees #solitarybees
#naturereserve #pollinators #wicklow
#nature #organic #vegan #savingbees #photography
Late…but worth the wait!
😊
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 77.
So from the last few facts - female bumblebee workers are better at all tasks - so why then are there small workers?
Small workers are vital as they are more resilient to starvation: a colony insurance policy of sorts in case of #nectar shortage.
#bee #bees #beesofmastodon
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary
#bumblebees #solitarybees
#naturereserve
#nature #organic #vegan #savingbees
Three facts in one day.
Hope it’s not too much to handle!🐝😊
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 70.
Solitary Bee stings are not as strong as those of larger social bees.
Having no large nests to defend these bees only need enough ‘sting’ to fend off the odd rival or an attack by other insects.
Only female bees sting.
#bees #bee #beesofmastodon
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary
#bumblebees #solitarybees
#naturereserve #pollinators
#nature #organic #vegan #savingbees
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 52.
80% of #solitary bee species are mining bees. They nest in the ground. To do this they need access to bare #soil.
Help them - scrape back some soil/build a mound - south facing.
And never use #pesticides.
Ever.
Never.
Ever.
#bees #bee #beesofmastodon
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary
#bumblebees #solitarybees
#nature #organic #vegan
#wild #photography
Yesterday’s fact today as yesterday’s broadband is only working today!
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 63.
UK based research examining a selection of store bought ‘bee friendly’ plants showed that the majority of them had been treated with a cocktail of #pesticides/fungicides & were actually harmful to bees/#butterflies/#insects.
#bees #bee #beesofmastodon
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary
#bumblebees #solitarybees
#naturereserve
#nature #organic #vegan #savingbees
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 46.
Relatively hardy, and able to vibrate their bodies to create heat, bumblebees are able to forage in cooler temperatures than honey bees. They can begin foraging earlier in the day and continue later into the evening.
#bees #bee #beesofmastodon
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary
#bumblebees #solitarybees #flowers
#nature #organic #vegan #pollinators #photography
Male bumblebees: genuine mama’s boys!
Good afternoon.
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 58.
Male bumblebees develop from unfertilised eggs.
They have no father.
100% of their genes will be in common with their mother - the queen.
They also have no stinger!
#bees #bee #beesofmastodon
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary
#bumblebees #solitarybees
#nature #organic #vegan #savingbees
#naturereserve #thistle
Mornin’.
Yesterday’s fact as we couldn’t bring it to you due to technical difficulties.
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 52.
80% of #solitary bee species are mining bees. They nest in the ground. To do this they need access to bare #soil.
Help them - scrape back some soil/build a mound - south facing.
And never use #pesticides.
Ever.
Never.
Ever.
#bees #bee #beesofmastodon
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary
#bumblebees #solitarybees
#nature #organic #vegan
#wild
It’s not when you show up it’s what you bring when you do.
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 50.
Bumblebee queens prefer to hibernate in north facing slopes sheltered from the sun as these areas are later to heat up in Spring and so help prevent the queens from emerging too early.
#bees #bee #beesofmastodon
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary
#bumblebees #solitarybees #flowers
#nature #organic #vegan #pollinators
#wild #hibernation
3pm is but an idea.
This is the reality.
😊🐝
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 49.
Bumblebees, honeybees and many solitary bee species collect pollen on their hind legs to bring back to the nest. #Leafcutter bees however collect pollen on hairs on the underside of their abdomens - their pollen brush.
#bees #bee #beesofmastodon
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary
#bumblebees #solitarybees #flowers
#nature #organic #vegan #pollinators
#wild #pollen
A bit late today 😬
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 43.
Experiments have shown that bumblebees are theoretically capable of flying at altitudes higher than Mt. Everest (29,000 feet) and they have been observed in the wild at altitudes as high as 16,000 feet above sea level.
#bees #bee #beesofmastodon
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary
#bumblebees #solitarybees
#nature #organic #vegan #insects #wildlife #pollinators #thistle #wildflowers
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 39.
Like all insects bees have exoskeletons. Their skeleton is on the outside. Once they have hatched from their cocoons as adults they cannot grow any bigger.
#bees #bee #beesofmastodon
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary
#bumblebees #solitarybees
#nature #organic #vegan #insects #wildlife #photography
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 37.
Bees are hairy for good reason.
When bees forage on flowers they automatically catch and collect fine pollen grains on the many hairs all over their bodies. This ‘efficiency by default’ makes them ideal pollinators.
#bees #bee #beesofmastodon
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary
#bumblebees #solitarybees
#nature #organic #vegan #flowers #photography
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 36.
The bumblebee queen must keep her eggs within a specific heat range (between 30-32°C). But when she is away on vital foraging trips the eggs cool down. This is why it is imperative that there is a suitable and adequate food source adjacent to her nest.
#bees #bee #beesofmastodon
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary
#bumblebees #solitarybees
#nature #organic #vegan #flowers #photography
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 28.
Solitary bees:
Account for over 90% of bee species.
Don’t live in colonies.
Don’t have a queen.
Don’t make honey/wax.
Aren’t aggressive.
Don’t swarm.
Rarely sting.
Vary in size but are usually smaller than bumblebees.
Are usually on the wing for only a matter of weeks in spring/summer
#bees #solitarybees #bee
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary
#beesofmastodon #bumblebees
#nature #wild
#sanctuary #vegan #organic #photography
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 27.
Bumblebees are docile creatures and only #sting when they feel threatened. Only females (queens and workers) sting. They don’t die after stinging as their stinger is smooth and doesn’t get stuck in human skin.
#bees #bumblebees #bee
#beesofmastodon #beesanctuaryireland
#beesanctuary #nature
#pollinators #wild #photography
Yeah…that early thing was never gonna last.😂 #latebutgreat
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 30.
Bumblebees have to learn how to get #nectar from #flowers They will usually visit the same flowers every day as long as they keep finding nectar and pollen. This is called flower or pollinator constancy.
#bees #bumblebees #bee
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary
#beesofmastodon #solitarybees
#nature #naturereserve #naturephotography #gardening
#wild #wicklow #vegan #organic
This is yesterday’s fact which I couldn’t bring you - was in all a place with no connectivity - the future? you ask.
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 26.
During hibernation bumblebee queens avoid freezing to death by producing glycerol which acts like antifreeze preventing water in their bodies turning into ice crystals.
‘Nature never breaks her own laws.’
- da Vinci
#bees #bumblebees #bee
#beesanctuaryireland #beesanctuary
#beesofmastodon #nature
#wildflowers #timetravel
#theBeeAt3 Basic bee facts every day at 3pm. #18. Leafcutters are #solitarybees that do exactly what it says on the tin. Females cut pieces from leaves to construct separate pods back in the nest for their young. They won’t destroy your plants and are a privilege to observe if you’re lucky enough to have them in your garden. ‘And softly through the altered air Hurries a timid leaf!’ - E Dickinson #bees #ireland #bumblebees #beesofmastodon #photography #solitarybees #honeybees #nature
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
No.12.
Some plants make their pollen hard to get. Bumblebees and some solitary bees release this pollen by vibrating their flight muscles. This is buzz pollination. Honey bees can’t do this.
‘The earth laughs in flowers’
#bees #bumblebees #solitarybees #honeybees #nature #wild #wildlife #interesting
#theBeeAt3
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 6.
Male bumblebees don’t sting. They’re primarily here to do the wild thing.
‘Let me tell you about the birds and the bees
And the flowers and the trees
And the moon up above
And a thing called love’
- Herb Newman
#bees #bumblebees #solitarybees #savebees #nature #wild #wildlife #ireland