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Fun Facts About Bumblebees
Fun Facts About Bumblebees: The bumblebee is a very small insect but it has many things that you do not know. We are back with some fun facts about bumblebees that will give you more knowledge about bumblebees. Let’s learn something!
1. It’s very rare that Bumblebees sting someone: Yep! In fact, male Bumblebees don’t have stingers and therefore they can’t sting anyone. Those Bumblebees who have stingers are not aggressive. They only sting you when you threaten them or their nest.
2. Bumblebees use their wings to cool down their nests: What you have read is true. Bumblebee can wag their wings 200 times per second and hence, they use their wings as a fan to cool down and reduce the heat inside their nests. The process that Bumblebees follow is known as fanning.
3. Bumblebees possess 5 eyes: Unlike human beings, Bumblebees possess 5 eyes. 3 of their eyes are very small and it is located on the top side of their head. The other two eyes are located in front of their head. Another fun fact about their eyes is that They can see UV light but can’t see red colour.
4. Bumble bees survive after stinging: If you were thinking that all types of bees die after stinging then, you are wrong. Bumblebees don’t die after they sting somebody. In fact, bumblebees can sting a person several times nonstop if they are threatening them or they feel unsafe in their presence.
5. Some people are allergic to bee stings: According to studies, 1 out of 100 people on the earth are allergic to bee stings which are 1% of the total population. Some reactions are minor like itching or redness which do not require treatment though. Some reactions are very harmful like fainting and hence, it requires emergency treatment from a doctor. If this situation occurs then, you must call an ambulance immediately and go to a nearby hospital.
6. Bumblebees have fast metabolism: Bumblebees eat so much. The reason behind this is their fast metabolism. Even if their stomach is full, they will go on starving within 40 minutes. What do you think, Is that good or bad?
7. Bumblebee nests are much smaller than nests of other bees: Most species of bees have thousands of worker bees in the nest and there are almost 25000 species of bees. Bumblebee is different in this case. They have a maximum of 300 to 400 worker bees.
8. Whatever we know about Bumblebee nests was discovered a century ago: Whatever we have known about Bumblebee nests was discovered in the year 1892. It was discovered by the entomologist Frederick William Lambart Sladen who was the first scientist who started research on Bumblebees. Frederick published his book about the bees in 1892 when he was just 16 years old. Since then, nobody showed that much interest in Bumblebees.
9. Bumble Bees have oily and smelly feet: Bees have smelly feet like many insects which are covered with a different kind of chemical or oil. When they finish collecting nectar from flowers, they leave their chemicals behind. It works as a sign for other bees not to land on that flower because nectar is already collected. They also leave the chemical when they enter the nest for the first time. It helps them to find their way back to their home.
10. How do scientists collect DNA samples from bees?: To collect the DNA sample of bees, scientists cut off their toes. It sounds cruel, right? But it’s not that cruel because this process doesn’t impact either their ability to accumulate food or their life span.
11. World’s largest Bumblebee species: The Sonoran Bumblebee is the world’s largest Bumblebee which is found in the Sonoran desert and the western part of the United States. Workers of this species are generally 14mm to 18mm long and queens are larger than worker bees. Queen Bumblebees and carpenter bees are the largest in the United States.
12. Bumblebees are important pollinators in nature: Bumblebees pollinate many species of plants and it is very important for us. Many farmers use Bumblebees as commercial pollinators to pollinate crops on farms. Bumblebees are mainly used to pollinate berries, peppers and tomatoes.
13. Bee sperm lives for months inside the queen bee: Queen bee mates with the male bee in summer and then, stores the sperm for a year. She survives the winter and then becomes ready to fertilize eggs after finding the place to make the colony. By the end of the summer when the queen is more than a year old, she dies along with worker bees and her daughter replaces her.
14. Pooter – a device used to catch bees alive It’s kind of a weird name ‘pooter.’ But, pooter is very useful for scientists. They use it to catch bees alive without harming them.
15. World’s largest Bumblebee is known as Bombus Dahlomi and it lives in South American temperate forests. It is 40 mm long. According to scientists and many people, it looks like ‘ Flying mice. ‘
16. Bumblebees are in danger: Unfortunately, this thing is true. Many species of Bumblebees are declining very fast. It is a very serious problem for our ecosystem. There are many bees like ‘ Franklin’s Bumblebee ‘ which is listed as endangered.
Why it is the serious problem? You might be thinking that how it affects us, humans! Right? Well, it’s the problem for the entire ecosystem. Bees are the main pollinators who pollinate approximately 75% of crops. If the bees go extinct, it will badly affect our food options. That’s all, I hope this post will increase your knowledge about bees and your perspective about bees will turn from negative to positive. I hope that you understood the importance of bumblebees to our environment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Bumblebees sting ?
They rarely sting.
What do Bumblebees do ?
They pollinate plants and crops.
How can you tell whether Bumblebee is male or female ?
By looking at the legs.
What is the Bumble bee’s favourite flower ?
Urticifolia
How long does a queen bumblebee live?
one year
Final words:
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Read also:
30 Interesting Facts About Giraffes