Propolis

bees, honey and other sticky subjects

Tuesday, June 22, 2004

Bumblebee scavengers

I never realized that bumblebees were such scavengers. I've been using my solar wax extractor and disposing of the honey residue down the drain. After a while the drain cover became very shiny, and then I noticed that bumblebees were going to and fro gathering up what honey they could find. They seemed to be polishing the grate with their probosces, Fortunately my honeybees look elsewhere.

FEEDBACK: Cat on the Rock, in an email, thinks that bumblebees are robbers too and often sees them at the hives in her garden. I've seen them around my hives, too, but I've never seen them gain entry. The bees don't seem to be aggressive towrads them and seem to gently nudge them in anotehr direction. I've heard it say that maybe they recognize them as close relatives, but I suspect it might be because they couldn't get their stings past all that furryness. Now wasps, well that's a different matter...

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