Springwatch

[Ely]

Anyone notice last night on the bluebell scene she was describing how honey bees make a hole to get to the nectar- but they were showing a bumble bee? No wonder the general public don't know the difference if informative wildlife programmes can't even get it right.

 

[Tom Bick]

I don’t think she referred to the bumble bee as a honey bee it just so happened to be in shot as she referred to honey bees drilling a hole in the flower to get to the nectar. I would expect that the close up was studio produced.

 

[Mellifera397]

I think Tom is right when I watched it, it didn't confuse me.

But maybe I wasn't concentrating.

M

 

[MuswellMetro]

i thought it was that Honeybees make use of the holes made by Bumbles rather than Honeybees make holes themselves?

 

[Hivemaker.]

Bumbles also make holes in bean flowers to get to the nectar, these holes are then used by the honey bees.

 

[Ruary]

Honeybees do not make holes in flowers to get at nectar, their mouthparts are not strong enough. Bumble bees do and honey bees can and do make use of the 'shortcut' to get at the nectar. Of course if they do that they do not get pollen.

 

[Mellifera397]

In that case she was wrong.

M

 

[MuswellMetro]

i thought it was that Honeybees make use of the holes made by Bumbles rather than Honeybees make holes themselves?

Bumbles also make holes in bean flowers to get to the nectar, these holes are then used by the honey bees.

At least someone on this forum agrees with me, i was beginning to think I was a vocal minority

 

[Ely]

I don’t think she referred to the bumble bee as a honey bee it just so happened to be in shot as she referred to honey bees drilling a hole in the flower to get to the nectar. I would expect that the close up was studio produced.

Well yeh. But what's the point in showing a picture of a bumble while talking about honey bees? Point still stands. Everyone that I have shown my hives have said 'oh are they honeybees? I thought they were wasps' And that is due to shots like that

 

[Ely]

I think Tom is right when I watched it, it didn't confuse me.

But maybe I wasn't concentrating.

M

Why would it confuse you? You are a beekeeper

 

[alanf]

...what's the point in showing a picture of a bumble while talking about honey bees?...

What you have to remember is that those who choose the pictures that go out and write the scripts are not insect specialists, probably not even full time wildlife bods. Although since this was pre-recorded and not a live section, there was plenty of opportunity to check. I thought it was odd at the time but since you point it out I checked the iPlayer version.

At 39:30 she says "honey bees make a hole in the top of the bell" points to the flower then cut to the pictures of a big old Bombus on the bluebell - a terrestris queen? Wrong on at least two counts then.

 

[busybee53]

Once bees have made the hole in the bean flower to get at the nectar is the plant still able to produce beans? Or will my allotment bees be detrimental to the bean harvest? Didn't seem to cause any problems so far but just wondering.

 

[village girl]

i thought it was that Honeybees make use of the holes made by Bumbles rather than Honeybees make holes themselves?

 

[Swarm]

Once bees have made the hole in the bean flower to get at the nectar is the plant still able to produce beans? Or will my allotment bees be detrimental to the bean harvest? Didn't seem to cause any problems so far but just wondering.

Your beans will still be ok.

I agree with Ely, I thought exactly the same. Far easier to just say 'bees', perhaps a slip of the tongue.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Why would it confuse you? You are a beekeeper

And beekeepers aren't confused?

 

[Gilberdyke John]

What you have to remember is that those who choose the pictures that go out and write the scripts are not insect specialists, probably not even full time wildlife bods. Although since this was pre-recorded and not a live section, there was plenty of opportunity to check. I thought it was odd at the time but since you point it out I checked the iPlayer version.

At 39:30 she says "honey bees make a hole in the top of the bell" points to the flower then cut to the pictures of a big old Bombus on the bluebell - a terrestris queen? Wrong on at least two counts then.

Maybe one of our experienced beeks should contact the producers and politely point out the confusion they have caused, provide a few images of honeybees in action and offer to facilitate a proper film article on honeybees of various strains? Surely that would do far more good than complaining here

 

[Luminos]

And beekeepers aren't confused?

There's an advert on TV for confused beekeepers - confused.comb

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

There's an advert on TV for confused beekeepers - confused.comb

Does nothing for me.

Not used a comb in 35 years.

Dusty

 

[busybee53]

There's an advert on TV for confused beekeepers - confused.comb

 

[Luminos]

Does nothing for me.

Not used a comb in 35 years.

Dusty

Scruffy vicars are my worst nightmare