View Full Version : Looks like a honey bee
KQ6AR
07-17-2008, 06:37 PM
I have some very large bees working my sunflowers. They look like a honey bee on growth hormones. A little smaller than a bumble bee.
The abdomen Is black & yellow striped.
Does anyone know what they are?
Dan
MapMan
07-17-2008, 07:08 PM
I have some very large bees working my sunflowers. They look like a honey bee on growth hormones. A little smaller than a bumble bee.
The abdomen Is black & yellow striped.
Does anyone know what they are?
Dan
Any pictures?
Interesting article on the number of bee species:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080611135020.htm
MM
KQ6AR
07-17-2008, 07:32 PM
I'll try, they don't sit very long. spend a lot of time fighting with the honey bees over the flowers. They can also carry a heavy load of pollen.
I noticed their wings are smaller proportionately than the honey bee.
Dan
dragonfly
07-18-2008, 09:06 AM
Could be a species of bee-fly. I have several species of them here, and one of them looks almost exactly like a honeybee.
KQ6AR
07-18-2008, 06:37 PM
Thanks,
I was looking at google images of bee flies. A couple of them are close, but I think the wings on most of the images are to large.
We tried to get a picture last night but the breeze was moving the sunflowers too much.
Dan
Gene O
08-01-2008, 05:23 PM
Hi i'm seeing the same large look like a honey bee here in north east al. to on the sunflower also. dont know what it is.
KQ6AR
08-01-2008, 10:42 PM
Maybe you can get a photo, I haven't had favorable conditions. I got 1 of the large bee & honey bee together, but it was too blurry.
Dan
dragonfly
08-02-2008, 01:27 PM
I have some photos at home (not home now) that I can link for you. They are beeflies that look like honeybees. Let me know and I can link them later.
KQ6AR
08-02-2008, 10:00 PM
Just curious if Geno & I are talking about the same bee. We'll probably both have to get photo's of the ones we're seeing.
Dan
Gene O
08-04-2008, 08:06 PM
Hi Dan will try to get photo soon been to bussy robby extracting and botling plus wind blew big limb off tre in my yard so had to cutup and remove and i'm 73 year old so it takes me a little longer to do tings. The bee you discribe is the same bee.
Dave Burrup
08-05-2008, 08:20 AM
It is easy to seperate bee flies from true bees. Flies do not collect pollen, and they do not fold their wings along the back. Bees will fold their wings parallel to and, flat against their abdomen. Bee flies wings form a triangle. The degree of the protective mimicry in bee flies is amazing. They look like bees and buzz like bees.
Gene O
08-08-2008, 10:26 AM
Guess i waited to long , can't find the bee has cleaned the sunflower good and moved on. will keep looking.