The bumblebee (lat. Bombus) is an arthropod insect belonging to the family of bees and the genus Hymenoptera, one of its largest representatives. Bumblebees tolerate cold well, as during flight they develop a speed of up to 5 meters per second and produce energy, which is transformed into maintaining a constant body temperature of about 40 degrees; in extreme heat, they release a drop of liquid from their mouth and cool their head. This allows insects to collect pollen from plants early in the morning, when the air has not yet warmed up, which is a big advantage compared to bees.
An important fact is that regardless of their modest weight, bumblebees, just like ants, are capable of carrying heavy loads. A little earlier, scientists even assumed that from the point of view of physics they should not fly because of the proportions of their body and wings, but later this statement was refuted.
The bumblebee family is very social. They communicate using verbal and non-verbal communication, pheromones and wing movements. These methods convey information about nest safety, new food sources, and defense strategies.
Bumblebee insect. Bumblebee lifestyle and habitat
A bumblebee is an insect that belongs to the species of true bees. They can be considered close relatives of honey bees. They are considered warm-blooded insects, since when moving their body releases a large amount of heat, and the temperature reaches 40 degrees. They are the largest representatives of the family.
The body of the bumblebee is densely pubescent, which allows it to adapt even to harsh conditions. The color of bumblebees can be different, it depends on their habitat. The eyes are not covered with villi and are located in a straight line. The body length of the insect can reach 3.5 centimeters.
The male is distinguished from the rest by his long mustache. Bumblebees almost never sting; only females have a sting. Hairy bumblebees or moss bees are very useful insects. They are general pollinators. Developing great speed, they rush from flower to flower. Their nests must be protected!
Moss bumblebee
There are two most common types of bumblebees:
- Bombus terrestris;
- Bombus lapidarius.
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A bumblebee is an arthropod insect that belongs to the subclass winged insects, the infraclass new-winged insects, the superorder insects with complete metamorphosis, the order Hymenoptera, the suborder stalked belly, the true bee family, the genus bumblebee (lat. Bombus). The bumblebee got its name from the sound it makes during flight. The common Slavic root for someone or something meant “to hum, to wheeze.” From him…
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Habitat and lifestyle of bumblebees
Bumblebees are distributed throughout the world except Australia and Antarctica. They can often be found throughout Europe and Africa. Depending on their habitat, bumblebees develop new habits.
Bombus terrestris live mainly in Africa. They are black in color with white segments on the abdomen. Externally, it is difficult to distinguish females and males in this species. The largest are the uteri and reach a size of up to 3 centimeters. Bumblebee nest being built in the ground by workers
Bombus lapidarius is a well-known species that is distributed throughout Europe. They are all black, but have bright red stripes on the belly. They grow about 2 centimeters in length. These bumblebees often get into trouble. Often female parasites use these furry creatures as food for their larvae. This type of bumblebee builds its nests with stones.
Bumblebees are designed in such a way that they live in families and are divided into:
Although these insects have a social division, it is not as pronounced as in other Hymenoptera. As a rule, in bumblebees the division of labor between males and workers is not particularly pronounced. The queen, of course, is only concerned with nesting and raising offspring.
The photo shows a bumblebee's nest
Communication between all individuals passes through the nest and the uterus. But their connections cannot be called stable. Bumblebees calmly leave their nests and queen. Often the queen and the main male sit on the nest in the morning and begin to make strange sounds. Thus, the female calls all her charges and actually wakes them up.
A bumblebee's nest can be of various shapes, and the cells are made sloppily. They are made from moss and wax. Bumblebees often use mouse holes to build nests. Sometimes you can find honey and flower dust in them.
All summer long, the female bumblebee lays fertilized eggs. They hatch into workers and females. Most often, several eggs are laid in one cell. Not all larvae survive!
Only those with enough food will survive. The larvae develop for about two weeks and then become pupae. They remain in this state for about 14 more days. While the female lays eggs, workers collect nectar and lay unfertilized eggs, which will later become males.
The bumblebee community is usually about 500 individuals. After the eggs hatch, the old queens die and are replaced by new ones. By winter, the community dies out and scatters completely, leaving only the queens.
Lifespan
Another question that many who study buzzing insects are interested in is how long a bumblebee lives. The lifespan of one bumblebee is very short. On average it does not exceed 2 weeks.
Insects die for completely different reasons, but most often they simply wear themselves out, trying to collect as much nectar as possible. The lifespan of males does not exceed a month; they die soon after mating. Young fertilized females manage to live the longest, but they spend most of their time sleeping in winter. After mating, future queens go to winter, and the males die. Then they create a new nest, lay eggs, feed the larvae and die.
The character and lifestyle of a bumblebee
The bumblebee has a rather flexible character. He behaves calmly in his community. There is no competition between these insects. Scientists have found that it is bumblebees that have intelligence. They can calmly stay near a person.
According to the photo, bumblebees are insects that constantly do what they do, pollinate flowers, so they are not at all interested in humans. They do not have the habit of stinging. A bumblebee can bite only if it senses real danger.
If disturbed, it would rather simply fly off the flower than try to sting. But if a bumblebee does bite, then the person will be in trouble. Often such bites lead to allergies and fever. But it doesn't last long. Bumblebee venom is not strong. Only children should be afraid of a bumblebee bite They usually experience severe itching and redness at the site of the bite.
Interesting Facts
Bumblebees are very interesting insects. Biologists, observing them, noticed many interesting facts:
- On hot days you can often see bumblebees fluttering their wings. In a similar way, they arrange artificial ventilation to reduce the temperature in the home.
- Today there is a separate branch of agriculture - bumblebee farming. Insects are bred to speed up the natural pollination processes of crops.
- Bumblebee venom does not cause as much harm to humans as bee venom, since the sting does not remain inside. But an insect can sting many times.
- While moving, representatives of these insects reach speeds of up to 18 km/h.
- Before wintering, the female can independently dig a hole for herself in order to overwinter, but in the spring, when the time comes to create a nest, she forgets about her ability and looks for ready-made shelters to create a hive.
Bumblebees are very hardworking insects that are constantly on the move. Throughout the season, they build a new home in order to give life to a new generation at the end of the year, then die themselves. Few people manage to live such a short period and do so many things.
Bumblebees are one of the earliest spring insects. As soon as the snow melts, the sun warms up and the first young grass appears, they fly out from their wintering grounds and begin to work. At this time, they can rarely be seen, since only young queens remain in the winter since last year. The rest of the bumblebees will appear only after 23 days.
Flying out of the winter shelter in the spring, the queen immediately begins to build nests. To do this, she chooses grass, burrows, crevices, hollows and moss as shelter. The weather at this time is still cool and the queen has to constantly move to maintain body temperature, otherwise the female will hibernate, and she cannot do this, since the time is approaching to lay eggs. Before this, it is necessary to arrange houses for future offspring.
In early spring, it is easy to hear the bass buzzing of a few early flowers. The insects slowly collect nectar, because they have become seriously hungry over the winter, because the honey was eaten by the young animals in the last months of the last season.
Feeding and reproduction of bumblebees
Bumblebees can feed on any nectar. The process of eating takes the whole day. For some time, bumblebees carry nectar to their queen. Oddly enough, they love to sit on bright flowers, although they can easily get by even with tree sap. While feeding, bumblebees spread seeds. Almost all the clover that grows is their fault. By the way, clover is the insect’s favorite treat.
Bumblebees reproduce by laying eggs. For this purpose, in every society there are several females - queens who are engaged in this difficult task. They never fly out to pollinate. Usually, after the worker bumblebees have built the honeycomb, the female begins to decorate the nest with the remains of wax and nectar.
Lifespan
Wasp, bee, bumblebee, hornet - differences
Having found out how bumblebees reproduce, we should address the question of how long they live. In the spring brood, a new queen may be born, whose age ends in the spring, with the last clutch. The “queen” born in autumn sometimes has a life expectancy of up to a year.
All other individuals in the swarm have short eyelids. Males, having reached sexual maturity, complete their mission of fertilization within a month and die a few days after mating. Working females die even earlier - 2 weeks after turning into adults, until they are replaced by the next generation.
Breeding bumblebees at home
People have long realized that the bumblebee is one of the best greenhouse pollinators and it is its presence that improves the quality of the fruit. Plus, having an easy-going character, a bumblebee bite is a rare occurrence.
In order to breed these insects, it is necessary to purchase at least 50 individuals that are members of the same society. For them, you need to build or buy special hives in which the female will breed offspring. Before wintering, the queen needs to be well fed so that she survives this time well and produces new offspring.
Bumblebees are much easier to raise than bees, and much more profitable. buy bumblebees on the Internet from any breeder. If you are wondering how to get rid of bumblebees , then apparently they are seriously harming you! In order to get rid of them, just find their nest and put it in a basin or bucket. Insects in water will quickly die!
Description
The body of the insect is thick and heavy. Their wings are small and transparent. The wings beat about 400 times per second. The female’s head is elongated, broadly rounded at the back, while the male’s is triangular and rounded. The insect bites, using its jaws to defend itself.
The bumblebee has a proboscis with which it collects nectar. All species may have different lengths, for example, the small ground bumblebee has a body of 7-10 mm, and the garden bumblebee has a body of 18-19 mm. Insects have 6 legs. The hairs that cover the body are usually black, white, yellow, orange, reddish or gray.
Where does a bumblebee live and what does it eat? These insects collect pollen and nectar from plants. It turns out that they are polytrophic. To feed the larvae, bumblebees use fresh nectar and honey, which they produce themselves. The second product is more liquid compared to bee product, as well as light and light. It contains over 20% water.
Aerodynamic characteristics
For a long time, scientists could not understand why bumblebees fly, how such small wings can lift and hold such a massive body in the air. It was even argued that, according to the laws of physics, insect flight is categorically impossible. The mistake was that scientists, trying to calculate how a bumblebee flies, used formulas that calculate the lifting force of an airplane. Judging by these calculations, it really turned out that the bumblebee cannot fly.
However, later, when studies of the bumblebee’s flight continued, a picture finally emerged that explained its aerodynamics. As a result of intensive work with the wings, air currents of different densities are created around the insect. The pressure difference creates lift, which helps the bumblebee rise into the air and move around in it.
Accommodation
Where do bumblebees live? They live on all continents, with the exception of Antarctica. In the Northern Hemisphere, they are more abundant in temperate latitudes, and their habitat extends beyond the Arctic Circle.
Bumblebees are considered the most cold-resistant representatives of bees. They cannot survive in the hot tropics. Body temperature can be up to 40 degrees, which is associated with rapid contraction of the chest muscles. This causes a loud buzzing sound. This is how the bumblebee warms up. When the movement stops, it cools down.
Location of nests
Where do bumblebees live? Nests may be underground. Insects settle in rodent burrows and molehills. In rodent burrows there is material that can insulate a bumblebee nest - wool, dry grass. Nests can also be on the ground. Where do bumblebees live if their homes are on the surface? Some species live in grass, moss hummocks, and bird nests.
Where else do bumblebees live? Some nests are located above the ground. These could be tree hollows, birdhouses, buildings. The shape of the nest varies, depending on the cavity used by the bumblebee. Ground dwellings are usually insulated with dry grass, moss, and wax. They are made by bumblebees thanks to the abdominal glands, and then with their paws they clean thin strips of wax from the belly, put them in growth, knead them and use them to sculpt everything they need. The optimal temperature in the nests is 30-35 degrees.
Forced settlement of the bumblebee.
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In the evening, catch the queen bumblebee. A fertilized uterus can be easily recognized by two stripes!
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Insert the test tube into the bumblebee entrance and cover with foil. Early in the morning, remove the test tube and check the bumblebee for colonization two days later. There should be obvious changes in the nest; if there are no changes, repeat the colonization.
You can also do forced settlement like this: In the evening, catch the queen bumblebee (she should not have pollen on her hind legs), carefully wrap her in a piece of napkin and place her in the nest of the bumblebee house.
Bites and consequences
This insect is considered peaceful. It is not aggressive and bites only in defense, for example, when closing the entrance to a nest. But such a bumblebee bite is weak and not harmful. Females sting when threatened. The sting does not remain in the body, compared to a bee, so bumblebees do not die after being stung. But the poison causes pain, itching, and redness. There may be swelling. Symptoms may persist for several days.
Insect venom is similar to bee venom, but contains fewer components that can cause a toxic reaction. For most healthy people this is not dangerous. It is better to prevent a bumblebee bite, but if this happens, first aid should be provided:
- Treat the painful area with an antiseptic, alcohol or soap and water.
- Apply a cold compress.
- Provide plenty of warm fluids.
- Eliminate itching with an antihistamine, for example, Suprastin.
Bumblebee insect. Description, features, lifestyle and habitat of the bumblebee
The bumblebee is the most frost-resistant insect. It has adapted to contract the pectoral muscles, accelerating the blood, warming the body up to 40 degrees. The device allows bumblebees to fly out for nectar at dawn without fear of an unheated atmosphere. This is a competitive advantage over bees.
Description and features of the bumblebee
The hero of the article is furry. The bumblebee is covered with hairs, as they say, from head to toe. The cover is thick. The bee's hairs are sparsely planted and are located only on the anterior compartment of the body.
Other features of the bumblebee include:
1. Dense and thick compared to a bee’s body. It is also wider than that of a wasp. This is another insect similar to the bumblebee .
2. The presence of stings in females of the species and working bumblebees. However, bee relatives rarely sting. The sting of bumblebees is smooth, like that of wasps. In bees, the process is jagged, so it remains in the human body.
A bumblebee bite leaves behind only painful sensations, local redness, and swelling. Less than 1% of those affected develop an allergy. It is typical for those who have been stung repeatedly.
However, there is also a literal bumblebee bite. The insect performs it with its jaws. These are powerful, crossed mandibles. When defending itself, the bumblebee first uses them, and only then the sting.
3. Three-centimeter body length. This is a record compared to wasps, hornets, and bees.
4. Weight about 0.6 grams. This is the mass of working individuals. The uterus can weigh almost a gram.
5. Moderately expressed sexual dimorphism. In particular, the female's head is longer than that of the male and is rounded at the back. The dotted line on the crown is faint. Males have clear stripes and a triangular head.
Males also have longer antennae. Therefore, you can understand whether the photo is a bumblebee or a bumblebee.
6. The proboscis is from 7 to 20 millimeters long. The organ is needed to penetrate the corollas of flowers. Bumblebees extract nectar from them.
7. Striped or completely black coloring. The last case is rare. The coloring is determined by the balance between the functions of protection and thermoregulation. Black, in particular, attracts the energy of the sun.
Alternating colors with yellow and orange scares away predators, signaling that the bumblebee is poisonous. This is a lie. The hero of the article is not poisonous.
The frost resistance of bumblebees is due not only to contractions of the chest muscles, but also to the density and length of the fur. It, like a fur coat, warms the insect on frosty mornings and evenings.
In hot weather, the bumblebee's cover, on the contrary, keeps a layer of air near the skin at body temperature, and not at ambient temperature. If an insect needs to cool down, it releases a drop of saliva from its mouth. The liquid evaporates, cooling the animal in the process, which facilitates the bumblebee's flight .
The critical air temperature for a bumblebee is +36 degrees. The insect overheats and cannot fly. The minimum temperature for animal activity is +4 degrees.
Types of bumblebees
The bumblebee is an insect with three hundred “faces”. Three hundred animal species differ mainly in color, size, and places of residence.
The main types of bumblebees include:
1. Ordinary. Its commonness is in question, since the insect is listed in the International Red Book. The animal has a black background with two yellow stripes. You can meet the insect in Western Europe and on its Russian borders.
2. Forest. He is smaller than other bumblebees. The insect's body length is usually about 1.5 centimeters. Representatives of the species are also distinguished by their dull, non-contrasting color. The yellow in it is almost white, and the black is close to gray.
3. Garden. This bumblebee is distinguished by the length of its trunk. But the body of the insect is not large - about 2 centimeters long. The color is distinguished by a wide black stripe between the wings and a yellow breast. The color is close to the tone of the hollow flowers.
4. Armenian. It is distinguished by brown, rather than whitish, wings. The insect also has elongated “cheeks” and a whitened rear abdomen. The Armenian bumblebee is large, more than 3 centimeters long. The species is rare, listed in the International Red Book.
5. Mokhovoy. Extended to a maximum of 2.2 centimeters. Representatives of the species are distinguished by the absence of black stripes. All the hairs of the animal are golden. There are rows in which the fibers are almost brown. The back of the insect is bright orange.
6. Earthy. He has a black chest. A black and red band runs along the back of the insect. Females, which in all types of bumblebees are larger than working males, reach a length of 2.3 centimeters.
The ground insect is bred on an industrial scale to pollinate crops.
7. Steppe. The largest size reaches 3.5 centimeters. The bumblebee's cheeks are square and the color is light. Pale yellow and gray stripes alternate. There is a thin black band between the wings of the insect.
8. Underground. Its yellow stripes are the dullest among bumblebees, appearing white. These lines are the color of vanilla flowers interspersed with black. The underground insect is also distinguished by an elongated abdomen and the same elongated proboscis.
Color “varieties”
The easiest way, according to experts, is to distinguish hairy insects by the color of the bristles, as well as the color of the characteristic features of the body structure. Below we will talk about what honey collectors are like from this point of view.
- Painted in alternating yellow, black and white colors:
- garden;
- small earthen;
- underground.
- With a visible dark stripe on the back, a burgundy end of the abdomen and a basic gray-yellow tint:
- steppe;
- forest.
- Bright yellow, with a spot or dark stripe between the wings:
- carder;
- spotted back.
- Gray with a visible black stripe on the back:
- field;
- urban.
- Pure black interspersed with red - at the end of the abdomen:
- stone;
- small stone;
- horse.
- Yellow-red:
- volatile;
- moss.
Individuals of an insect pest called the cuckoo bumblebee can masquerade as the females of all the bumblebees listed above.
Behavior and habitat
Bumblebees live in families. They contain queens, males and workers. Their total number is from 100 to 500. This is less than in bee colonies.
The bumblebee family is strong from spring to autumn. Then the females go to winter, and the team breaks up. Before this disintegration, the queens bear offspring conceived from males. The role of worker bumblebees is to build, protect the nest and carry provisions into it. The latter are occupied by large individuals. Small workers look after the larvae.
The habitat of an insect depends on its species:
- The urban bumblebee is distributed throughout Eurasia
- meadow is found in Europe and parts of Asia, for example, Kazakhstan
- the steppe bumblebee is typical of eastern Europe
- underground species distributed from England to the Urals
- The moss bumblebee has populated all of Eurasia except the Arctic
- representatives of the earthen species live in the countries of Europe, Asia, and northwest Africa
- where the Armenian bumblebee lives is clear from its name
- garden species are worth looking for in territories from Great Britain to Siberia
- The common bumblebee lives in Western Europe
The highest concentration of different types of bumblebees is observed in mid-latitudes. In the tropics and the far north there are minimal insects. In the Amazon forests, for example, there are only 2 species of bumblebees.
In some areas, striped insects are alien, brought from outside. In Australia and New Zealand, for example, the garden bumblebee was introduced in the last century.
Life cycle
Stages of development of bumblebees:
- egg;
- larva;
- chrysalis;
- adult (imago).
The overwintered fertilized female flies out in the spring, feeds intensively for several weeks and prepares to lay eggs. She builds a nest in the form of a bowl and stores nectar at the bottom in case she is unable to fly out due to the weather. She deposits a supply of pollen and nectar into the wax cells and lays eggs, there can be 8-16 of them.
After 3-6 days, larvae appear and grow quickly, feeding on beebread and pollen. After 10-19 days, the larvae spin a cocoon and pupate. After 10-18 days, young bumblebees gnaw through the cocoon and go outside. The queen continues to complete the cells and lay eggs, and the emerging worker bumblebees feed her and take care of the larvae.
At the end of summer, the queen lays eggs, from which males and young females emerge, which the males fertilize. These females will survive the winter and produce a new generation the following year.
Bumblebee feeding
About 40 species of bumblebees consider clover nectar as a delicacy. Insects also land on other flowers. Additionally, relatives of bees drink tree sap. So, it becomes clear what bumblebees are doing on the trunks.
Bumblebees produce honey, but in limited quantities. Access to treats is also limited. Adults abstain, leaving the honey for the larvae. Bumblebee honey is thinner and lighter than bee honey. The aroma of the product is also less pronounced. The sweetness of bumblebee honey is also minimal.
