Evil Guard Bee

[The End Is Near]

So I was just in the garden and I noticed this bee acting odd around the basil patch. It never went to the flowers like some of the other bees were, but caught my attention by very persistently attacking this other bee like it was on a vendetta. I watched for a solid 5 min as this bee purposely scanned the basil patch to find where the intruder was hiding, before viciously attacking it, chasing it around the yard and into the street, and making me duck under their wrestling bodies. I'm sure the intruder got stung, as it seemed to be struggling to fly when it broke free. In the next 10 minutes two more bees were attacked this way, and the guard bee even went as far as to chase away a butterfly, attack a falling leaf, and even go after a formation of birds flying overhead.

Not once did it go for a flower, and now an hour later it's still outside on patrol. I'm sure it's sole purpose is to monopolize the basil patch by only allowing it's sisters and nothing else into the patch of basil flowers, since it regularly "scans" the bees it doesn't attack to make sure it's a sister bee.

I tried to take a picture, but it's too erratic. Somehow I know it'll be back tomorrow. I know it's her by her slightly smaller size and darker thorax fuzz. Here's her patrol area anyway:

And I saw this yesterday. I got the pic just as the last of the 26 grubs broke out from the caterpillar's backside and started to spin a cocoon. The caterpillar was still alive, as it responded when I poked at it.

 

[MoldyFrogToe]

parasitic wasps, nice

 

[Barney Fife]

What's the white things hanging off the caterpillar?

 

[MoldyFrogToe]

parasitic wasp larva that used to be in the caterpillar (the mother shoots eggs into the caterpillar with her ovipositor) emerge and weave white cocoons and hatch into wasps to start it all over again

 

[tonto]

insect sopranos perhaps?
grab a video camera
shoot a series
sell to HBO
Profit?

 

[MoldyFrogToe]

i like the bee story. you are my kind of person, the end is near

 

[OrganicMeds]

As far as I know a bee can only sting once, so I dont think your Guard Bee stung the other bee...... unless your guard bee dropped & died.

 

[The End Is Near]

As far as I know a bee can only sting once, so I dont think your Guard Bee stung the other bee...... unless your guard bee dropped & died.

Forgot to mention, it was a bumblebee. They can sting multiple times. Even if I had a good enough camera I doubt I could keep focus.

 

[h^2 O]

u should have had mercy on that poor caterpillar and burned the whole bunch of em alive like in Aliens

 

[guest3901]

smoke it...!
or at least stir fry it with some garlic and shallots...consume.

 

[MrMcBean]

next time the bee is around smoke some pot and see if it calms the F down..

 

[ToughGirl]

I know I'm a bit late here, but we have one of those bee's here too! It hangs out on the front porch and no other flying bugs are allowed anywhere near us or he will go into combat mode! I don't know how long they live (this bee is huge btw), but we have one every year. He doesn't bother with me so I leave him alone, he's actually fun to watch! We named him Aldrin

 

[Sleepy]

bzzzzzzzzz

bzzzzzzzzz

there is a beekeeper social group here at icmag...

have you seen any cicada killers this year...wow, they are nasty!



thats a beautiful herb garden, by the way.

 

[MoldyFrogToe]

How do I find the beekeepr group?!? Link? (Seriously)

Is there a bathouse making club too??? (Semi seriously)

 

[ToughGirl]

Is this what he looked like? Ours can fly almost endlessly, like for a solid 8-10 hours without ever landing. He's also a better flyer than regular bees, which are kind of sloppy. I've seen him pull very fast flying insects right out of the air!

 

[Sleepy]

How do I find the beekeepr group?!? Link? (Seriously)

Is there a bathouse making club too??? (Semi seriously)

social groups can be found:

Site Menu drop down menu...select "Social Groups".


bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

[The End Is Near]

Is this what he looked like? Ours can fly almost endlessly, like for a solid 8-10 hours without ever landing. He's also a better flyer than regular bees, which are kind of sloppy. I've seen him pull very fast flying insects right out of the air!

No, mine has a brown fuzzy thorax, the rest is black with a bit of fuzz on the sides of the abdomen. Tried to find the species, but couldn't. And I'm pretty sure my guard bee and Aldrin are female. Males are pretty much just for reproduction and not much else, certainly not a bouncer. It's been getting cold so I don't see her anymore.