HomeMy WebLinkAboutApril 29, 2004 - He's all abuzz about bees April 29, 2004 • The Suffolk Time
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I'r wAs �Ro�A[�t.Y otvE of the best together like honcybecs and bum e-
days we've had so far this year.The bees—but not the carpenter bee. It � 3 �
temperature was up in the 70s and it nests by itself in a tunnel it has � �. �
seemed that spring was really here to chewed in such places as the siding o � �
stay.Like everyone else,I was out- or eaves of houses,porch railings, � � �
side doing odd jobs when I noticed fence posts or shingles—any °- � �
three big bee-like insects buzzing unpainted wood. � ���
around the south side of the barn.I It was these guys that were busy � °� °_
knew what they were,for I buzzing up and down,driving one � ��
had checked them out another away from the choice area � � `�
years ago.They were car- �OCv$ where they intended to build.Some Q-� �
P
enter bees. carpenter bees actually use their old � a� �
The three were darting QN nests but,if they dodt,the female � � ��
up and down and around, starts boring a new one.To begin,she �. � �
com etin for the territory. NATURE goes in an inch or so and then � � �
P g
Once that was sorted out, by Paul abruptly turns 90 degrees and fol- "� o
the lucky ones settled Stoutenburgh lows the soft grain of the wood, D o �
down to making a nest in chewing a tunnel up to 10 inches sv ,� �
the wood of the barn. 1ong. � �o
These carpenter bees havc �hcir I remember years ago,when I was � � �
kin in bumblebees,which most ol'us first introduced to these bees,I saw o � �
are more familiar with. Carpenter this fine sawdust floating down out- g _. m
bees are usually found living in old side a building. On closer examina- �� � �.
or soft wood,in which they bore tun- tion I found the hole the sawdust .< <� m
nels about the diameter of a dime. was coming from.The borer respon- -� CD -o
Usually we think of bees as social sible for it doesn't eat the wood,but � � °
es with rou s nesting merely chews it out and then pushes
it out of the h��le. It takes a fcm,�l�
, u that had evidently been t ere for
, _
�';° ""'"�" �`� �»-� �,,,� �� ���""� � some time.What I saw amon the
,i�'' ,:� �, Y��"Mr�,.w,�,,u�,„� � u� '"r� � g
,;;,
���' � ,. �.„ „, � �'� ��� „ � �` maze of old grass tunnels was a
�
, "`�"� �,,„ �"'�� �'���a�� A,,�`�,�������-��� "�°"� � beautiful little mouse nest that bum-
��� ,� � ,�► ,,�' ,, �,���,�""'�-- �� Mr^^� '°��Ga r blebees had taken over.
� �'. « � " `'�
u - � � ,"'���`�,�"',�''� ����ra��� �„�-�'���'`"� As I mentioned before,bumble-
���
�"' � � �"'"""�"�-� bees are social creatures.There were
� .Ww�: , +,�'^a� ��„�
� �^����,�� �`� �d� �� � � �"*������,��, probably 10 or more buzzing around
��„ �'� �� ����% �, �,�;� �,� �'�, � �,���y � ��� as I was taking a picture.I didn t stay
��,„„�r,�� � ar '�� � ° � �� � � � � � �� � too long to find out whetber or not
w�,+�' m F a�� ����� ��� � .� � ,� ' ���� �� � '�� , �� they would sting.I just put every-
�� ,„���� �� �,��� � a� '�% �� �� ���� thing back the way I found it and let
� r
� �n'�' ,„ w"' "� � ������ ���' �w��� nature take its course.
���d �
��,��;�'�"� i ti ,u' �"�P� ' � �" '�� �°p° �ti'� ,W �°!1�� ti��"��" � We often see these big bumblebees
� �'��� ��"°
p�� �� �� u'' �' � �-� �°�" with their fuzzy yellow-and-black
l i �xw��""y ^� rri � �vu� �,
��� � ��r i � � , ;, � "� / � ���� coats filling up on nectar and pollen
�Ur �'� ��'� "���� ra����/°,) ; /� h��w ���' �d ;"�j�` f1'OITl t�18 �OW81'S lri OUi g%liC�eriS.
��''" " '�, "��;'�'' � „� r�l' ,��j ������`� �'� ;�� �Many wonder where they come from
ur�' �" � �mu� � � � -
" �b' �' '� � ���� � � �' "� �" �'� , � �" � and where they go.They nest in the
,� � u�i�,�r�� ' °� �
� �,� r '1 � � ' ;�� ,r � � � �, � ground in small numbers and should-
°�� �"-� �"�� „ ��� � �" �,.� �' �,',"' �, � � '��'a�' �" n't be disturbed,for they play an
�y"' � �, �� '",��, ,�, ' p ,� ����r�� y �,�� '�,"" ,�
� �s
ri�� "� � � N � W ' —
, � -«,,�,,,� im ortant role for all of us in olli
� �''' � ,�� P P
,,�w� , n� , ,� � � � � � ,i,7
����,"�,� � . , ,� � � '�,� ,r� nation.
"y��n,�"�) �ryk��. .� �' 1����il�N � '�`�lN y�rv�p w �N- i
' i�i i� ` ��..,�,
� �,�,�'��,� "„�" � ;"� � ��„�t , �� �^�� '�,�Ip► � , „ It's here they outshine all others in
, ���, , "�,, ��'�„ � ,u �� �, � 'w ,,, �,'� their ability to collect pollen and
� '� � �"� ��' ��'�,� � „�,�
�
q��p n��, °'��,�,��� °��, „ ` � '�" � •� �� „�'+i�,��,r�,*"��,, q��,�� � ncctar and,in doing so,become one
�, � r w�� ,�n, of nature's chief pollinators.This
Times/Review photos b Pa�d and Barbara Stoutenburgh �1CC1CIeTlt81 POLI1l1at10II Of flOWeTS,
carpenter bee about six days to che When the weat er ecomes co , fruits,vegetables,clovers and other
one inch of tunnel,so you can see carpenter bees all die except for the crops is most essential if the farmer
why they like to refurbish old tun- queen,who goes into hibernation is to get a good crop and we good
nels rather than make new ones. until the next spring.Then,when it flowers.There are even certain flow-
There are approximately seven warms up like the days we've just ers that only bumblebees can enter
species of these borers in had,the sleeping queen will emerge and therefore only they can polli-
the United States.The one to start a new generation. nate.We should all stop every once
I watched was a large one, Some of you might have these car- in a while to appreciate the impor-
bigger than a bumblebee, penter bees about your house or you tant role these little winged creatures
with a glossy black body might have noticed dime-sized holes play in our lives.
and brown upper parts. in your outbuildings.It's best to treat 'I'he pollen and nectar
They can actually do struc- the holes with a spray pesticide that The females the bumblebee collects
tural damage if the holes a competent dealer recommends. C111 Stlllg� are rolled up into a ball
aren't treated.Once the S uirt it into the hole at ni ht and I upon which the female
9 g , whereas the places her eggs. It's then
bees find a good spot,the repeat,at night,when the bees are ma�eS (�011�t� covered over with a waxy
queen will come back year after inactive,then plug the hole with a
year.So watch out for round holes wad of cotton or something of that � substance,leaving the
but who s
and busy bees.The females are quite sort so that the pesticide can work. g'oing to stand ��gs to mature on their
aggressive and can sting,whereas the The more we know about carpenter own.As each little bee
males don't sting—but who's going bees the better we'll be able to han- arOund and grub hatches,it will have
to stand around and find out who's dle the situation while still being fas- � its meal right before it.
find out who s When the grub is fully
who? Not me.They've got to go. cinated by their interesting world. llyho? Not me.
Once the tunnels have been made, Although the carpenter bee and developed,it spins itself a
it's time for the female to start bumblebee look somewhat alike, cocoon in which it
depositing her eggs on what's called there are differences.Usually the pupa es,mcaning its body changes.It
"bee bread."This is a mixture of bumblebee has that yellow-and-blac then comes out as a true bumblebee,
pollen and nectar that will be the furlike body whereas the carpenter but smaller than the mother queen.
food supply for the young.She then bee's body is smooth and All these new young soon go out and
seals it over with saliva-softened glossy.The bumblebee start collecting nectar and pollen to
pulp. lays more eggs than the expand the nest.
It's interesting to note that when carpenter bee and lays But unlike the honeybee,which
the young hatch out,they develop them in the ground. lives through the winter on its
first near the opening of the tunnel, Bumblebees like to seek reserves of honey,bumblebees and
exactly opposite from the way they <�ut old mouse nests carpenter bees have no reserves,and
were laid. In other words,the ones under logs and boards o all die except the queen,who hiber-
nearest the opening,which were laicl just anywhere on the nates through the winter and starts
last,hatch out first,then the next, ground where mice will anew in the spring when the temper-
and the next,until the one at the nest. I remember years atures warm up and their life cycle
very end of the tunnel,which was ago I was cleaning up in starts again.
laid first,finally hatches out last. back of my in-laws' My hat is off to these little-known
Pretty remarkable control, I'd call it. garage when I picked up insect workers that so many think of
a piece of old plywood as unwanted pests.