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First bumblebee queens of the year

Started By ANTdrew , Mar 14 2020 7:01 AM

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65 replies to this topic

#41 Offline ANTdrew - Posted November 5 2020 - 4:36 PM

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Females can sting, but very rarely do. I pet them all the time because it makes me 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.

#42 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted November 5 2020 - 4:44 PM

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Females can sting, but very rarely do. I pet them all the time because it makes me happy.

this is literally why i want them they are friendly fluffy jellybeans of happiness 


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#43 Offline ANTdrew - Posted November 5 2020 - 5:24 PM

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The best thing to do then is to make a native plant garden. Plant a mix of species that will have blooms from spring through fall. The goal is to have something in bloom at all times.
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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.

#44 Offline ponerinecat - Posted November 5 2020 - 5:32 PM

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When the gynes come out in spring it's always fun to pick em up and walk them around on your hands, some of the most docile hymenopterans I've met.


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#45 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted November 5 2020 - 5:33 PM

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When the gynes come out in spring it's always fun to pick em up and walk them around on your hands, some of the most docile hymenopterans I've met.

aww that sounds so cute! and btw, what are gynes? 


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#46 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted November 17 2020 - 9:51 AM

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When the gynes come out in spring it's always fun to pick em up and walk them around on your hands, some of the most docile hymenopterans I've met.

aww that sounds so cute! and btw, what are gynes? 

 

Reproductives I think.


#47 Offline ANTdrew - Posted November 17 2020 - 10:02 AM

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Just a fancy way to say queens.


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

Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#48 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted November 17 2020 - 10:05 AM

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i am literally going to need to make my bee allergic neighbor move out if you keep talking! it sounds so awesome to keep bees!


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#49 Offline ANTdrew - Posted November 24 2020 - 7:06 AM

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Unseasonable warmth continues here in VA, and I saw this beauty of a queen lounging on the last of my Echinacea:

 

 
 

 


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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.

#50 Offline KitsAntVa - Posted November 24 2020 - 7:28 AM

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yea down here it was about 50-60 despite being in winter for around a week and then at night it got to like 30 degrees. climate change is confusing.


We don’t talk about that

#51 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted November 24 2020 - 9:53 AM

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that's adorable <3


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#52 Offline ANTdrew - Posted March 14 2021 - 7:19 AM

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Just saw my first Bombus impatiens queen right on schedule. She stopped to feed a bit on a daffodil and flew off before I could get a photo.
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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.

#53 Offline Antcatcherpro3 - Posted March 14 2021 - 7:54 AM

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Its been warm here the last few days, so I've seen bees out because the flowers are opening up, but yesterday and today it's gotten colder. Once it warms up here again, I will start looking for some bee queens.


#54 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted March 14 2021 - 11:28 AM

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i can’t wait until queens start showing up here...


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#55 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted March 15 2021 - 5:56 AM

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I wish I could keep them. Maybe at my cabin I could find a hollow log or something and hope to find a queen to introduce to it. That way I could watch the colony without actually keeping them.


#56 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted March 15 2021 - 7:08 AM

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I wish I could keep them. Maybe at my cabin I could find a hollow log or something and hope to find a queen to introduce to it. That way I could watch the colony without actually keeping them.

Why are you unable to keep them?


Edited by Swirlysnowflake, March 15 2021 - 7:08 AM.

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#57 Offline antsandmore - Posted March 15 2021 - 7:28 AM

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i can’t wait until queens start showing up here...

me too. These things are so cute. I just need somewhere to house them in. what's the best thing to use?


Ants I am keeping:

  • Crematogaster colony, queen and 100+(?) workers
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#58 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted March 15 2021 - 8:23 AM

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i can’t wait until queens start showing up here...

me too. These things are so cute. I just need somewhere to house them in. what's the best thing to use?

 

When you are founding a queen, a small plastic or wooden box works. After the colony gets bigger, you’ll need a larger wooden box. There’s a great pdf on how to rear bumblebees, if I can find it I’ll link it here.


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#59 Offline ANTdrew - Posted March 15 2021 - 8:29 AM

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The tricky part is getting fresh bee pollen to feed the queen before her workers start foraging. That’s why I’ve never tried it. I don’t have time to visit 400 flowers a day.

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

Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#60 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted March 15 2021 - 8:53 AM

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I wish I could keep them. Maybe at my cabin I could find a hollow log or something and hope to find a queen to introduce to it. That way I could watch the colony without actually keeping them.

Why are you unable to keep them?

 

My parents would never let me do that. They are fine with ants tho.


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