A new friend of mine (warning: big pics) — OZONE Asylum, home of the Mad Scientists

A new friend of mine (warning: big pics)

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Your Text: Insert Slimies » Insert UBB Code » Close Last Tag \| All Tags UBB Help	Yup - despite the sheer number of insects (greater in biomass by far than the total biomass of all other living creatures on Earth), the humble bee is declining. Of all the insects, they are arguably among the most important to us, as we rely almost exclusively upon them to work their magic and keep our agricultural industries functioning. In other words, bees mean food. Insects happen to be an excellent source of protein, Blaise, so if the bees should die out, we can always start farming various arthropods as a food source. In all honesty, you should kill neither a bee nor a wasp. Wasps have their place too, but most importantly, if you should squash a wasp [i]or[/i] a bee anywhere near its nest, or a substantial number of its fellow stingers, you'll be risking your life and those of any nearby humans too. The reason? When wasps/bees sting, they release a pheromone that triggers any nearby (and remember that insects can pick up traces of any scent or pheromone at far, far greater distances than a mere human) wasps/bees to seek out and attack the marked target. When you squash a wasp or bee, should you rupture its venom sac, you risk releasing much greater quantities of the pheromone into the air. Back on the subject of bumble bees - the males have no sting, but the females do. However, while the males are out working the fields, the females stay and tend to (guard) the nest. They are exceptionally docile relative to other bees, and it is almost unheard-of for them to swarm... but should you do something daft such as kicking their nest around like a football, I wouldn't expect them to keep their cool. One day I hope to have a large garden in which I plan to encourage a bumble nest. I absolutely adore them, and look forward every year to their appearance heralding the first days of summer. The reason they appear so early (in the mornings as well as the season) by the way, is that bumble bees are among the very few insects large enough to warm their own blood with muscular activity, so can they rise while most other insects are still incapacitated by the cold. Loading...
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