Like Jan I believe it is a bumble bee evicted from the hive but queens are usually hairless on their underside to better keep the young bees warm in the nest and this 'baldness' can extend on older queens.
Yes, thanks, I think they must be bumblebees, there were about 4 of them and we have heaps of bumble bees here. What mystified me was they are completely hairless, black and shiny like a beetle except for a little bit of residual collar. My bees went to a lot of trouble to completely remove all that fluff!
Comments
What kind of bee...
Hi Janice,
I think it is a normal Bumble Bee. They probably trespassed in the hive so your honeybees sorted them out by removing all their hair and killing them.
Regards
Jan
Hi Janice
Hi Janice
Like Jan I believe it is a bumble bee evicted from the hive but queens are usually hairless on their underside to better keep the young bees warm in the nest and this 'baldness' can extend on older queens.
Cheers
John
Yes, thanks, I think they
Yes, thanks, I think they must be bumblebees, there were about 4 of them and we have heaps of bumble bees here. What mystified me was they are completely hairless, black and shiny like a beetle except for a little bit of residual collar. My bees went to a lot of trouble to completely remove all that fluff!