(Here it is attacking Aquilegia 'Sunburst Ruby.')I have never witnessed this apian behaviour before, nor have I seen such a large bee. I enjoy watching the Bumblebees trying to get inside small dangling flowers. I don't know what species this is, but it is not welcome in my garden, the big parasite. Completely worthless excuse for a bee! (Sorry, I got a little carried away.)
(Edited June 6, 2008)
On Gail's suggestion, I researched nectar-robbing bees and I think I have identified the culprit: the Easter Carpenter Bee, a known nectar thief. It's not completely worthless as a pollinator. It pollinates open faced flowers. It steals nectar from flowers with long nectaries that it cannot access. The problem is that Honeybees will then use the hole to get the nectar, rather than crawl into the flower.
21 comments:
I have seen this before. Hopefully some other bug will do your pollinating.
Or hummingbirds...they like Columbines...
I don't think I would have noticed something like that. But your picture shows it very well. Hopefully he is a mutant!
What a brute!
I linked your blog post to The Great American Sunflower Project - if anyone posts an ID, I'll let you know.
Lisa - so these thugs have been seen before in the Midwest, good to know. I'm hoping other bees will come too.
Gail - I wish Hummers would come.
Beckie - this bee is hard to miss. It's about 2 inches long & very loud.
Layanee - thanks for the sympathy!
Kim - thanks so much. I haven't heard of the Sunflower project. Got to check that out.
I have been reading about bees who rob nectar...very interesting. Do you think you could hhand pollinate, I know that vegetable gardeners have to pollinate some vegetables. Maybe someone knows how?
Gail
2 inches long?!! Wow. I hope someone comes up with an ID for you, via the other Kim's link. Very strange.
That columbine, by the way, is beautiful. 'Black Barlow' has always been my favorite, but your 'Sunburst Ruby' might even supplant that.
Gail - I think I could probably hand pollinate with a Qtip. I was thinking about doing that anyway to try to get pure 'Sunburst Ruby.' You know how promiscuous these Columbines are.
Blackswamp Girl - You probably can't tell from the photo, but the foliage of 'Sunburst Ruby' is chartreuse. It is my favorite Columbine (at least right now).
Wow, that's one huge bee! Nectar robbing brute. I'm sure you'll figure out something.
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That bee certainly is a thug! Smash and grab ... dont think we have any that do that over here, although there are leaf cutter bees who turn your plants into leave doilies!
Zoë
I've just learned something new--about such bees. Of course, to me all bees are a good thing as long as they're doing some sort of pollinating, but when you want seeds it's a bit frustrating to have bee-thieves.
Interesting! I wonder if they do the same thing to narcissus? I noticed some strange holes in the daffodils this year, but was inclined to blame it on some caterpillar. I'll have to read up on this. FWIW, we had Carpenter Bees making holes in our back steps a few years ago.
Cinj - plans are being formulated for a bit of seed. Or maybe I'll just smash the beast next time I see it.
Hi, Zoe - thanks for visiting! I think I'd rather deal with thug bees than leaf cutters. That sounds too much like what the Earwigs do.
Jodi - it is much better to learn about these things by reading about someone's travails, than to find out first hand. It is interesting.
Entangles - if the Daffodils were tiny ones, I could see these bees making holes in them. Have you read that NYTimes article about Garden Vigilantes? A guy is killing his Carpenter Bees because they annoy him. I'd be annoyed if they made holes in my house or steps.
Wow, that's a big bee! We haven't seen them around here (knock on wood!)
Garden Girl - these bees reputedly don't sting, so if you see one, you could always squish it before it starts poking holes. I hope the tornado didn't come anywhere near your place.
I live in Jonesboro,AR, about 70 miles east of Memphis,TN. This bee has been around this area all of my life,(47 yrs.)I know that it tend to run off your honey bee. My Great-Grandmother called them "bandits". This past year we have hardly had any honey bees and these were more prevelant according to years past. I am deathly allergic to the honey bee, so I keep an eye out and avoid them, but respect them. This bee will not come at you as aggressively as the honey bee. This "bandit" does is aggressive with our honey bee, which is so beneficial for pollenating. Iwonder what their actual purpose is,(the bandit)since God has put them here. I just know I've witnessed a decline in the honeybee and an increase in the "bandit".
Hi, Anonymous, I love your poetry. ;^D These Carpenter Bees actually have a purpose - they pollinate open faced flowers such as Apple tree flowers. The problem is that with the decline in the Honeybee population, these bees have moved in to fill the void.
I have seen that happen here in Kentucky. I know about carpenter bees, but when I saw the robbers in action, I thought they were real bumblebees. I have read that bumblebees do that, too. Maybe that person was mistaken in thinking they were bumblebees. Interesting this endless diversity in nature.
Great blog! I read Entangleds' comment about carpenter bees. I had them move into the side of the house last summer,under the siding. By the end of summer into fall I was finding 20 or more a day in the living room. At first I would catch them and throw them outside, but there came to be so many I couldn't keep up with them. I am ashamed to say I killed some of them. I was finding them on the sofa and chairs, on the carpeting,in the kitchen and even the bathroom! I even found one in my bed! I hope they don't come back this year! The beautiful redbud tree that was in my front yard was felled by hurricane Ike so there won't be as many flowers this year, maybe they will leave.
This house is a rental and I will have the landlord remove them if they come back this year!
Searcher - thanks! Bees are wonderful - outside. I don't blame you for killing those that got inside.
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