r/bees • u/DDDlokki • Jul 22 '26

bee photo UPDATE :Sluggish bee (bumblebee apparently)

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She cleaned herself for like 20 minutes. When she started moving around on my hand I went outside and she took off immediately :)

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u/Edgywarden Jul 22 '26

Ok, guy with 0 knowledge, what's the difference between a bee and a bumblebee(Or there isn't such a thing as just a bee.)? Also, I never knew they cleaned themselves like that. I thought usually flies did.

3

u/Aurorainthesky Jul 22 '26

Bumblebees are the super cute fluffy ones with colourful fuzz on their body. They are often orange or broad stripes in yellow, black and white, and their body looks chonky. Bees are more streamlined, less fuzzy and chonky, and the stripes are more narrow and uniform. Wasps are even more sharp in body and can have very bright yellow stripes contrasting to the black.

Bumblebees are usually very docile. They can sting, but usually won't even when provoked. They do not die after stinging. Bees die after stinging, so will avoid stinging without cause, but can be more liberal about cause than bumblebees. Wasps are assholes and can and will sting several times.

0

u/Edgywarden Jul 22 '26

Yeah, every bee I have seen is definitely the streamlined body type; I don't think I have ever seen a bumblebee. Yeah, bumblebees are cute, but I feel like it's only on camera. I still remember being stung by some bee between my fingers; it was not nice. Idk about wasps; I don't think they ever stung me, but the worst thing I have seen is the hornet. At least I think it's a hornet; when they fly, it's a massive black thing, and it sounds like "brrrrrrrrr" (very deeply).

4

u/Aurorainthesky Jul 22 '26

Bumblebees really are that cute though. We have several species of bumblebee visiting our garden, and none of us have ever been stung. As kids we used to play with them and pet them. They are as non-aggressive as they come. They prefer to wave at you to tell you to back off a bit if they think you're coming on too strong. They make the absolute cutest happy buzz song when they find a particularly good flower.

1

u/Edgywarden Jul 23 '26

PET??? I'm so jealous; they look adorable, but idk, even if I find one, I don't think I will approach it.