Bumble is an adjective which, at the very least, indicates a person or creature is not nimble. Bumble usually modifies an insult to compound its effect, such as bumbling fool, bumbling idiot, and so on.
Actors and actresses have made a career in the entertainment industry bumbling to the pleasure and amusement of their respective audiences. W.C. Fields, Don Knotts (Barney Fife) and even Sandra Bullock are just a few of the theatrical bumblers.
Nature, however, does not tolerate bumbling. Clumsiness is a quick route to extinction.
It is a curious footnote that one of the most efficient native pollinators has been hung with the common name bumblebee.
Panhandle Florida has six different members of the Bombus family, three of which likely live in the north part of this state.
This bumblebee, with its slick and hairless abdomen (the section furthest away from the head), is collecting pollen for its colony. Queens which survived the winter are emerging currently and will soon begin producing workers. In the weeks to come, more and more bumblebees will be encountered around flowers.
The name bumblebee may come from the corrupted Middle English term, “Humblebee.”
However, it may be just as likely the name is a comment on the aerodynamic profile of the creature which moves in an ungainly fashion from flower to flower collecting nectar and pollen.
Bumblebees live in colonies which are commonly smaller in population than those of European honeybees. Mature bumblebee nests will ordinarily hold fewer than 50 individuals.
Bumblebees differ from European honeybees in other traits too. The bumblebee queen emerges in the spring and begins collecting pollen and nectar from flowers.
She locates a suitable nest site which offers protection for her eggs and food stores in or near the ground. The initial nest construction is the responsibility of the single female.
When the eggs hatch, the larvae feed on the reserves of nectar and pollen. They progress through four phases, getting larger with each molting. At the end of the fourth molt, the larvae spin silk cocoons under the wax which covers the brood cells, forming pupal cells.
An adult bumblebee will emerge from the cocoon. The process from egg to adult bumblebee may take about five weeks, so expect to notice them later in spring than first sightings of European Honeybees.
Once enough worker bumblebees hatch, the queen focuses on egg production.
Unlike European honeybees, the worker bumblebees can lay eggs which produce only male bees. The queen produces female worker bees and replacement queens.
At the end of the season, the new queens find a place to overwinter and are ready to start the process again in the spring. The colony will survive for only a single season, leaving little evidence it ever existed.
Bumblebees are prolific pollinators, aided by the bristly hairs covering their bodies. While collecting pollen and nectar for their colony, they move pollen on their bodies to countless blooms.
Recent scientific research has determined their incessant buzzing stimulates a reaction in some plants which promotes the release of pollen and fosters successful pollination.
Because of their pollination capabilities and the fact that they have a one season life cycle which requires little human input, bumblebee swarms are frequently used in greenhouse vegetable production operations.
Sometimes bumblebees are confused with carpenter bees. While they look similar, they are a different genus.
Carpenter bees nest in wood and can be quite destructive to siding and structural lumber. Their potential for damage makes their bumbling cousins much more appealing by comparison. At least carpenter bees can be effective pollinators too.
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