Today’s animal is one that I have admired for quite some time. It all stems from a little trick my dad taught me when I was a kid. Now I know you are dying to know what it is so I will fill you in. You see, my dad taught me how to pet Bumble Bees! That’s right, it is a little trick he learned from his dad and it isn’t too difficult so I am sure you could try it to. All you do is wait until the Bumble Bee is busy sucking the nectar from a flower and you gently (this is important….GENTLY) pet the back for the Bee. You will also want to make sure it is Bumble Bee and not a wasp or a hornet. So how can you tell it is a Bumble Bee? Let’s find out.

Bumble Bee’s are the nice, fat, furry bees and personally one of my favourite insects. I would like to say that all Bumble Bees have black and yellow bands, however, some species have orange and red bands, while others may be entirely black. This isn’t surprising since there are over 250 species of Bumble Bees in the Northern Hemisphere so you are bound to have some colour variations. Although this “fuzzy” hair may distinguish them from other flying insects, this is not an unique trait to the Bumble Bee. That’s right, other bees will also have this furry look so how can you make sure we are petting an actual Bumble Bee? Well, you can ask the bee first but if they don’t answer (and they probably won’t….but let me know if they do) then you can always look at their hind leg. They will have a bare, shiny hind leg with a few fringe hairs that help collect pollen. Other bees will typically have furry legs.

Let’s talk a bit more about the hair of the Bumble Bee, which is also known as the “pile”. You have obviously noticed the cool colours and pattern. This isn’t just so the bee looks good. In fact, this bright colouring acts as a warning system to other animals out there. Basically, it says don’t mess with me since you will probably end up hurt. Besides giving the bee the “tough” look, it also acts as insulation to protect the Bumble Bee from colder weather. How about that….the Bumble Bee wears a winter coat!

Bumble Bee Fast Fact – Although Bumble Bees don’t have ears, they are still capable of sensing vibrations through the ground or from the plants their sitting on. So you will still need to be “vewy, vewy quiet” when trying to pet the beautiful Bumble Bee.

I hope you enjoyed today’s Wild Fact on one of my favourite insects. Have a great day and I will see you tomorrow for the last fact of the week.