Bumblebees can be nasty. Here's a Utube video of one attacking a spider that's just captured another bumblebee in its net.
Bumblebees can be nasty. Here's a Utube video of one attacking a spider that's just captured another bumblebee in its net.
I think this is what may have happened. I clearly saw the bee under the bumblebee/carpenter bee's body. It may have been a scuffle/fight rather than a kidnapping.Last weekend I watched a carpenter bee (looks like a large bumblebee) enter a hive on which I'd just removed the entrance reducer. The carpenter bees had shown interest in this hive before, but had never actually entered with the reducer in place, although they could fit thru it.
The CB stayed in there for maybe 2 seconds before exiting with a worker pinned to its left upper abdomen. The CB was in evident discomfort. After a mad dash off the hive stand and across gravel, it took flight for the woods. I would not characterize this as attacking one of my bees and carrying it off, more like was attacked after unwisely intruding and flew off with a brave little defender still attached.
Wasps and hornets are insect predators. I've watched hornets attack and yellowjackets and carry them off for a fate worse than death.
I hope I’m doing this right. Anyway. I’m a newbie beek. I’ve been seeing different size carpenter bees attacking my hives. They fly up and into it deliberately and come out with bees clasped firmly under them. I wasn’t sure what I was seeing at first then realized they’re doing it over and over. I started killing them. I have killed a robber fly also. however these are definitely carpenters. They’re huge. I finally started killing them. So far about 20 have succumbed lol. They were coming back again and again all day long. One of my hives is weaker and they couldn’t sustain the hits. It’s carpenter bees tho.What the hell? I'm a nebwee, but wow! I never thought I'd see that! I was looking at my hives today, two that are about 7 weeks old. I had just removed the entrance reducers yesterday. The bees are very busy, flying in and out doing their thing, and then I saw a bumble bee drifting around low near the entrance. Next thing I saw it was carrying one of my bees! I followed it, trying to see exactly what was happening, but it carried it away. My bee was heavily loaded with pollen, I could see it as it was kidnapped. I was pretty shocked by this.
I then sat near the hive, and before I knew it, there was another one! It flew right by me. I will confess, I smashed the bejesus out of it. OK, my question: is this normal? Anyone seen this before? I always thought the bumblebees were sort of nice "bumbling" creatures, fellow pollinators who were solitary, and not colonists. They even feed off the same flowers. I don't think this was a "carpenter bee." Anyone? Wish I could have caught that on film.