"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...

Yesterday, I found a very large handsome bumble bee bumbling around
the kitchen. Vaguely, I seemed to recall someone here saying that bumble
bees don't sting. So instead of catching him in a glass, as I would a
honey bee, I gently picked him up in my hand. The bee had not read urg,
and promptly stung, though not thoroughly enough to lose his
stingerthing , before being liberated outside.

Bumble bees CAN sting but they rarely do, they have to be provoked, you were
unlucky. Don't let it put you off!

By the way, your bee was a female - a queen indeed, she will be the mother
of perhaps a couple of hundred others through the short season.

Bumble bee stings are smooth, not barbed as they are in honey bees, which is
why they retain them when they're used.You won't have caused any damage to
the bee.

Also, male bees cannot sting, honestly! But there aren't any about yet, they
haven't been born.

Ungrateful little b
Seek no favours from me
I won't give any wellmeaning assistance
Next time you get stuck

Oh please do, they're lovely things and are great for pollination - better
than honey bees in some ways. Just revert to the glass system!

Mary


Janet.

On 30/4/05 10:03 pm, in article ,
"Janet Baraclough" wrote:


Yesterday, I found a very large handsome bumble bee bumbling around
the kitchen. Vaguely, I seemed to recall someone here saying that bumble
bees don't sting. So instead of catching him in a glass, as I would a
honey bee, I gently picked him up in my hand. The bee had not read urg,
and promptly stung, though not thoroughly enough to lose his
stingerthing , before being liberated outside.

Ungrateful little b
Seek no favours from me
I won't give any wellmeaning assistance
Next time you get stuck

No need to continue the rhyme......... ;-)
Indeed they do sting. I have a tiny swelling left in my leg from a bumble
bee that stung me nearly 30 years ago. At the time, that leg swelled up to
three times its normal size, went several rather lovely shades of purple,
pink and blue and stayed that way for over six weeks. Next time I got stung
was about 9 years ago when my own honey bees attacked me and I got around
12 to 16 stings in my head, nose, waist area. My body's reaction was so
violent that my doctor warned me never to be stung again - not a comforting
or practical piece of advice! The rather sad consequence of this for me is
that I have to be very wary of gardening on sunny days and in bee-busy areas
of the garden. The only upside is that having been stung by a wasp during
an urg meet here two years ago, I know that wasps don't have the same
horrible effect!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

The only upside is that having been stung by a wasp during
an urg meet here two years ago, I know that wasps don't have the same
horrible effect!
--

Yes they do. Joan is in risk of her life with wasp stings and it is on her
medical records. Last time, and the first time, she was stung it was a
doctor/hospital matter, so your glib statement that they don't have the same
effect, is if you will pardon me .... crap.

Mike

On Sat, 30 Apr 2005 22:22:42 +0100, Sacha
wrote:

My body's reaction was so violent that my doctor warned me never to be stung again - not a comforting or practical piece of advice!

A boy at school carried a syringe in a belt on his waist at all times
for such emergencies. I presume he was liable to suffer anaphylaxic
shock from bee or wasp stings. I imagine the syringe contained
adrenaline.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...

Yesterday, I found a very large handsome bumble bee bumbling
around
the kitchen. Vaguely, I seemed to recall someone here saying that
bumble
bees don't sting. So instead of catching him in a glass, as I would
a
honey bee, I gently picked him up in my hand. The bee had not read
urg,
and promptly stung, though not thoroughly enough to lose his
stingerthing , before being liberated outside.

Ungrateful little b
Seek no favours from me
I won't give any wellmeaning assistance
Next time you get stuck

I think it is the mining bees which make mounds in the lawn and flower
borders that have stings too weak to do any damage.

--
ned

http://www.bugsandweeds.co.uk
last update 28.04.2005

"Janet Baraclough" wrote

Yesterday, I found a very large handsome bumble bee bumbling around
the kitchen. Vaguely, I seemed to recall someone here saying that bumble
bees don't sting. So instead of catching him in a glass, as I would a
honey bee, I gently picked him up in my hand. The bee had not read urg,
and promptly stung, though not thoroughly enough to lose his
stingerthing , before being liberated outside.

Ungrateful little b
Seek no favours from me
I won't give any wellmeaning assistance
Next time you get stuck

I sympathise with you Janet.
Remember riding my motorcycle home when a youngster and getting one full in
the face which promptly stung me on the top lip, by the time I got home you
wouldn't believe the state of my face. Doc gave me some stuff, so no
permanent damage except it was my Applied Maths "A" Level second paper in
the afternoon, no chance with all those anti-histamines!

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

Janet Baraclough wrote:
Yesterday, I found a very large handsome bumble bee bumbling around
the kitchen. Vaguely, I seemed to recall someone here saying that bumble
bees don't sting. So instead of catching him in a glass, as I would a
honey bee, I gently picked him up in my hand. The bee had not read urg,
and promptly stung, though not thoroughly enough to lose his
stingerthing , before being liberated outside.

I think it depends on the species of bumblebee. Certainly when I was
about five I caught a bumblebee in my hand and it stung me; it took
about ten years for the mark to disappear...

Rhiannon

Janet Baraclough wrote:
Yesterday, I found a very large handsome bumble bee bumbling around
the kitchen. Vaguely, I seemed to recall someone here saying that
bumble bees don't sting. So instead of catching him in a glass, as I
would a honey bee, I gently picked him up in my hand. The bee had not
read urg, and promptly stung, though not thoroughly enough to lose his
stingerthing , before being liberated outside.

Ungrateful little b
Seek no favours from me
I won't give any wellmeaning assistance
Next time you get stuck


Janet.

Excellent.

And it works on two levels.....

Just imagine you are saying it to Mike. Still works doesn't it!?

Martin (A house spider bit me once).

Just reading Sacha's post, and thinking of the wasp sting I had in my finger when I inadvertently picked up a wasp - the sting caused bad swelling for a couple of weeks but the wasp lived to tell the tale to its mates outside. Anyway, just as I was reading this, felt the slightest 'tickle' on my back inside my blouse, and thought, o, oh, so, very carefully took the top off, and there inside was a wasp. Both of us unscathed.... Anyway, time to put my top back on, release the wasp into the garden and get back to the snooker. Just thought I'd share that moment. )

jay jay