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First bumblebee queens of the year


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80 replies to this topic

#21 Offline ANTdrew - Posted March 17 2020 - 6:53 AM

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Here are photos of a queen in my yard foraging on purple dead nettle, a Eurasian invasive plant. I welcome this stuff in my lawn, though because bees love it. Note the bright red color of its pollen!

 


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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#22 Offline Da_NewAntOnTheBlock - Posted March 17 2020 - 6:55 AM

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interesting


There is a important time for everything, important place for everyone, an important person for everybody, and an important ant for each and every ant keeper and myrmecologist alike


#23 Offline ConcordAntman - Posted June 11 2020 - 7:27 PM

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I snapped this Bombus impatiens in the same flowers I found C. americanus foraging nectar and tending aphids. 
18CDAC9F 54FC 4AFF B086 2DEB45C164C1

 


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#24 Offline ANTdrew - Posted June 12 2020 - 2:06 AM

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I love it. How can one look at a bumblebee and not be happy?
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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#25 Offline ConcordAntman - Posted June 12 2020 - 4:59 AM

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Yep. It’s so amazing watching these ungainly little beasts fly!



#26 Offline TheMicroPlanet - Posted June 12 2020 - 7:33 AM

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"Bombus" is, without a doubt, the perfect genus name for a bee like this.


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#27 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted November 4 2020 - 7:56 PM

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how do you even differentiate the queens from workers?


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#28 Offline ANTdrew - Posted November 5 2020 - 4:16 AM

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Pretty easy, actually. At certain times of year like late fall and early spring, only new queens are active. They are also much bigger and stockier than workers. They behave differently, as well, by slowly flying close to the ground looking for nesting holes.
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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#29 Online Zeiss - Posted November 5 2020 - 5:49 AM

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I wish I could find these easily in Southern California.  I was thinking about buying a colony of bumblebees with one of those box nests.  Any ideas or thoughts about that?



#30 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted November 5 2020 - 8:15 AM

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would i be able to find any queens now?


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#31 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted November 5 2020 - 8:36 AM

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i want a colony of bees, but a neighbor is allergic :(


Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. -Proverbs 6: 6-8

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#32 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted November 5 2020 - 8:39 AM

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i want a colony of bees, but a neighbor is allergic :(

I want one too! but i literally can't find any queens, and in spring earlier this year i didn't know how to tell them apart  :lol:


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#33 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted November 5 2020 - 8:41 AM

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i want a colony of bees, but a neighbor is allergic :(

I want one too! but i literally can't find any queens, and in spring earlier this year i didn't know how to tell them apart  :lol:

 

i have a good friend that is a bee keeper. i am trying to get him into ants. but he would probably give me a queen if i asked. i just hope i can keep bees sometime!


Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. -Proverbs 6: 6-8

My South Dakotan Shop Here

Attention Ant-Keepers in South Dakota! Join the SoDak(Society Of Dakotan Ant Keepers)


#34 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted November 5 2020 - 8:55 AM

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i want a colony of bees, but a neighbor is allergic :(

I want one too! but i literally can't find any queens, and in spring earlier this year i didn't know how to tell them apart  :lol:

 

i have a good friend that is a bee keeper. i am trying to get him into ants. but he would probably give me a queen if i asked. i just hope i can keep bees sometime!

 

Honey bees, or b o m b u s


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#35 Offline ANTdrew - Posted November 5 2020 - 9:44 AM

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You could see brand new queens out now. In my area, they hibernate first before starting a colony. Not sure about CA species.


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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#36 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted November 5 2020 - 9:50 AM

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You could see brand new queens out now. In my area, they hibernate first before starting a colony. Not sure about CA species.

if you see any, would you be interested in selling them? :P


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#37 Offline ANTdrew - Posted November 5 2020 - 2:11 PM

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I live on the other side of the country, so it wouldn’t be wise.
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#38 Offline ponerinecat - Posted November 5 2020 - 2:15 PM

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I haven't seen any yet, they tend to come out in spring. Very easy to tell them apart from workers, they get big.


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#39 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted November 5 2020 - 2:18 PM

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I live on the other side of the country, so it wouldn’t be wise.

lol yeah, just saw that u r in VA 


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#40 Offline Spazmops - Posted November 5 2020 - 4:31 PM

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Is this a misconception or do bumble bees actually not sting?


Co-owner and founder of Mountain Myrmeculture and The Menagerie Discord Server

Ants I have:

1 Formica fusca group- 0 workers

1 Tetramorium immigrans colony-20 workers

1 Dorymyrmex insanus- 1 queen, used to have workers

 

1 large P. occidentalis colony- around 50 workers, plenty of brood

 

 





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