So there was I, diggin' this 'ole

Cobra

Cobra

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And along comes a bloke with a camera :D

More record shots than anything as I was having real trouble getting a decent focus lock on the little bugger ...
A Miner bee moved into one of my Bonsai pots a few days ago, the wind turned it on its side this afternoon,
I stood it up right and the bee was in there like greased lightening, turfing out the debris.
That'll teach it not to "shore up" with Acrows!

You can just make out the piece of akadama between its feet

023 by Cobra, on Flickr

Walking backwards scraping out the lose soil


025 by Cobra, on Flickr

I think she saw me


022 by Cobra, on Flickr


As I've yet to master a gob shot on these I'll finish on a "Bum" shot :D


033 by Cobra, on Flickr
 
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Do they sting?

Only asking because one of the sand pits I frequent (with monotonous regularity!!!) has loads of the buggers digging in it (or did a few weeks back) so I was taking relief to a non infested part of the sand to avoid disturbing them.
 
I think some varieties can - we have bees living underground in our garden during the spring, and have been stung once.
 
Nice spot Chris it will keep coming and going so have another go at some shots

Nod said:
Do they sting?

Only asking because one of the sand pits I frequent (with monotonous regularity!!!) has loads of the buggers digging in it (or did a few weeks back) so I was taking relief to a non infested part of the sand to avoid disturbing them.
Click to expand...

Solitary bees like this are unlikely to sting
 
Cobra said:
As Alf said, they are pretty placid, and don't go looking for trouble :D


Are you sure they weren't bumble bees? they nest underground.
But even then you gotta really p*** them off ..


Cheers Alf (y)
Click to expand...

Definitely not BBees - very small, with yellow patches.
 
Cobra said:
As Alf said, they are pretty placid, and don't go looking for trouble :D
Click to expand...


I do my best to stay out of the sand but the bloody thing's just on my natural length and the fairway slopes down to it! I mainly take the drop so I don't need to rake over their burrows rather than to avoid potential stings.

Nice catch BTW. #22 and #33 are a bit soft but the others look OK to me.
 
Nod said:
Nice catch BTW. #22 and #33 are a bit soft but the others look OK to me.
Click to expand...
Cheers Nod (y)
Unfortunately she seems to have buggered off, so I doubt I'll get a chance for a re-shoot :(
 
Allegedly ivy bees can sting but I have never heard of anyone got stung by a solitary bee.
 
Going purely on the volcano like spoil heaps, I'm guessing at a Tawny Mining Bee (for the ones in the bunker). Seems that their stingers are too short to do their thing on humans so can be considered harmless.

Chris, once they've done their digging and egg laying, they leave their nests alone AFAIK so while you might not get a chance at a reshoot (this year), you might catch an emergence and she Or another) might be back next year (not sure whether the young nest in their birth area.)

Managed to sting myself a couple of weeks ago - brushed past our Oregano and must have goosed a bee!
 
Nod said:
Seems that their stingers are too short to do their thing on humans so can be considered harmless.
Click to expand...
Most if not all solitary bee stings are too short to penetrate human skin.
They are used solely for paralysing insects to "shore up" with the eggs.
So the grubs have food when they hatch.

Nod said:
Chris, once they've done their digging and egg laying, they leave their nests alone
Click to expand...
Opera-Snapshot_2019-08-11_141930_www.flickr.jpg

:p
 
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