Jim expounded:


good question as well as a good observation concerning
the character of this particular species of bee. they
are rather good natured and have exhibited the most
civilized mannerisms of all the different bee types I'm
familiar with.

As Lar said, they're good-natured as long as you don't disturb their
nest. Then they'll chase you down for quite a distance! And they
don't die when they sting you, they live to do it again.

a speculation on my part would be, maybe the honey
is not the most desirable?

It's as tasty as honeybee honey, but it's stored in a much different
manner, and they don't stockpile it the way honeybees do, so
harvesting it is much more difficult.

http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/plantcli...bumblebees.pdf
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
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