Tree Bumble grumble

[bjosephd]

Late winter/early spring I put a few bird boxes in our small orchard hoping to attract some tree bumbles... since I thought it would be fun to have some ferrel bumbles living amongst our trees.

No bees (or birds) moved in though this year.

However in the past few days I've met a few tree bumble bee colonies at friends' houses and have decided they would be no fun at all to have in the orchard where we like to spend time, pick apples, have picnics, make cider etc etc... they are grumpy defensive and aggressive so far in my interactions!

They really don't like you anywhere near their nests and I now realise how tremendously docile my honey bees are! (did my first bit of bare handed beekeeping yesterday as I dummied down my currently Q? colony)

The tree bumbles will buzz you and your head, chase you far from the hive, and one even stung my adams apple yesterday! At least that was the ultimate check as to any anaphylactic sensitivity I might have, but it's a favour I could have well done without I think!

It's a shame, I thought they'd be marvellous to have around, and has shattered my previous held view of how friendly bumble bees are.

I read that they are very sensitive to vibrations which can instantly make them very defensive as a cloud of bees comes out. So maybe if there are no vibrations they might not mind how close to the hive you are - I have to confess that often that nest discovery comes shortly after maybe a local vibration of some sorts... but unless I put these bird boxes in the very farthest and highest of apple branches I might continue to hope that any tree bumbles never move in.

I'll stick with liking the good old Buff-tailed Bombus terrestris... big fat and bumbly - not ever heard of them being nasty or threatening - never found a nest of them either though.

Any other tree bumble experiences out there?

 

[enrico]

I have them in my garden and so far no problem but...... I'll let you know if they change
E

 

[madasafish]

They appear to vary greatly in sensitivity.

One lot - in a bird box on a shed- attacked from 10 meters away..(football games used shed as goals - for a few days!)

Others let you walk up close to watch.. and do nothing...

I wear a veil when removing them...but bare arms.. No stings this year..(multiple at the above mentioned shed). They appear to attack faces.

 

[bjosephd]

Yes, they certainly buzz around your head and face JUST out of sight! Scary, but I think both nests I met were just a little vibrated and came out all guns a blazing.

Maybe they are perfectly mellow until irritated and then they explode as a gang… I've been in a few pubs/parties like that… everyone's drinking and all is fine, and then suddenly kaboom it's all 'goin off'!

On a brighter note I've just confirmed there is an alternative bumble nest up behind my compost bin… maybe I'll put a little sugar syrup close by so they stay still long enough to ID them or even get a photo. These ones seem about as irritated by my presence as they are a gate post's.