The Misfit Bee

by Lydia Holley November 4, 2024

If you remember “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Island of Misfit Toys,” you may recall the Abominable Snow Monster was nicknamed Bumbles. He was large, hairy, and scary at first. Whenever I see a bumble bee, I think of Bumbles because, like him, these bees are large, hairy and scary at first, especially with their accompanying buzz which feels like a warning. But their wings perform an interesting type of pollination called buzz pollination in which the pollen is shaken by the vibration caused by their wings. That is not the only way they perform pollination, though. They also store pollen in baskets on their back legs like a honey bee.

Like the misfit monster, bumble bees seem a little too large—they are clumsy fliers. But most bumble bees are not aggressive, especially when foraging. However, they will protect their nest, and their sting is painful. They usually nest in the ground, so sometimes you are unaware you have disturbed their nest until it is too late. According to the National Wildlife Federation, they will also nest in “abandoned bird nests, grass tussocks, hollow logs, spaces beneath rocks, compost piles, or unoccupied birdhouses.” The problem is not usually where they nest, it is the size of the colony, which can be made up of 500 bees, although most nests are nowhere near that large.

Once you get past the initial shock of seeing such a large bee, remember bumble bees are in decline, so try not to disturb them. One species, the Rusty Patched bumble bee, has been listed as endangered since 2017. But all species of bumble bee are in decline. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the American bumble bee, “thought to be among the most common and widespread bumble bee species in North America,” now has losses amounting to “an 89% reduction in abundance relative to other bee species that share their habitat.”

Wondering if you are seeing a bumble bee or a carpenter bee? Some bumble bees have black tails like a carpenter bee, but they are furry, like Bumbles, the Snow Monster. Carpenter bees have a tail that is smooth and shiny instead of covered in hair. Carpenter bees have a bad reputation because they build their nests in wood. Although their holes do not usually cause extensive damage, sometimes woodpeckers will hunt for the bees, causing the damage to become severe. Sometimes rainwater or carpenter ants will also increase the damage from a carpenter bee’s holes. Unlike bumble bees, carpenter bees are solitary bees and do not form colonies.

If you are interested in recording a bumble bee sighting, you can do so at bumblebeewatch.org. Learning more about these large, hairy bees may put you at ease. After all, Bumbles the Snow Monster also turned out to be nice.

For more information, call 903-675-6130, email [email protected].