"David in Normandy" wrote in message
...

Wasps are bovver boys while bees give every appearance of being rather
benevolent and not looking for trouble. I am convinced that wasps *like*
annoying people, spoiling their al fresco suppers etc. ;-)

Not true.

One of the best ways to catch bees is a match box. Empty it, slide it
open
and turning it upside down, put it over the bee. Slowly slide it shut,
take
it outside, open it. Bingo. I hope!

And possibly damage the bee.


Bees / bumble bees all seem to be far more interested in
flowers than me, but wasps on the other hand are "hoodie"
bees - just hanging around looking for trouble.

They're not. Until the later part of the year you'll hardly be aware of them
yet there are more around then when you do see them.

I don't know if there are different varieties of bumble
bees

There are.

but the one I rescued would have pretty well filled a
standard sized match box, it was huge.

It will have been a queen.

The loud hum it was
making was also impressive - like some noisy electrical
equipment.

Yes, we say they're teddy bears on motor bikes.

I have a pathological fear of wasps. As a child playing in
some bushes the ground beneath my feet gave way demolishing
the home of a substantial number of wasps - I didn't know
the nest wast there but the wasps sure made a thing of it -
I was stung head to toe - probably around 50 or more
stings. They were all over me and chased me a good 100
yards while I was trying to beat them off my clothes with a
stick. Since then wasps hold a certain dread for me.

But it's not rational - you know that the worst violence to Man is performed
by other people yet I bet you'll happily walk around in crowded places ...

You were the irrational one, you can't beat off wasps with a stick. And as
for attacking you, well every animal defnds it's home and it's young, you
would too. If you only got about 50 stings you were lucky. And you survived
so ...

shrug

I've had far more honey bee stings at one time than that and I had a general
reaction which needed adrenalin to save my life - but I'm not afraid of any
stinging insect.

I don't warm to slugs and they do me no harm at all.

Mary
--
David in Normandy.
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