"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.