Bees seem HUGE this year ?!

[GaaaaarlicBread]

Just sat in the garden and I’ve seen three different bees buzzing round and they look like they’ve been on steroids !! I saw one the other day and thought it looked big but assumed it was a queen bee or a one off biggun but no!
Anyone else noticed?! Not an important question but felt the need to share my observation , they scare me as I’m allergic and it’s ruining my ‘feet up and enjoy pregnancy’ vibe in the sun 🤣

Wasps do too

Yes we have quite a lot of big bees flying round this year too.

Ha that's so weird, my husband came in from the garden yesterday and was going on about massive bees! I just assumed he was talking nonsense but it seems maybe there are indeed some massive bees going about?!

They're constantly in my house, the bees I mean, and my kids are running riot cause "the bees are chasing us" FML

The bumblebees are huge this year. I don't think they sting though.

Yes! One flew into my living room yesterday and poor DS screamed his head off. It was gargantuan and the noise was unreal 😲

Oh I've noticed them too!!!

This is so weird because I have been saying the same for weeks. The bees are massive and really fluffy. They look like you could reach out and stroke them as they're so lovely. I thought maybe they were the queen bee's looking for nest sites?

@ScarfLadysBag he definitely isn’t talking nonsense I can assure you! I’ll try and get a photo of the next one I see if it stays still long enough!
@aladyofinderterminateage that’s reassuring , I’ve been stung many times by wasps and once by a bee and find myself panicking when they come a little too close !

There are some absolute units bumbling about and no mistake.

@Cosmos45 they do look so fluffy !! I thought that to myself , I was like ooo you look like I could fluff
your little back up and put a crown on you it was sweet from a distance but then it came too close . My neighbours kid thinks I’m mad running down the garden silently with a big ass pregnancy bump going on 😂

Yep I've noticed them too

I've noticed that there's some massive ones around this year. Maybe we're just noticing them more for lack of other things to do?

Are you looking for some bee love OP? (Just wondering why this is in Relationships? )

Yes they are the Queen bumblebees, so always huge. Ditto wasps, the Queens are massive. I think people are just in their gardens more than normal for the time of year, so noticing them.

All the bumble and bee queens are out at this time of year, scouting for new palaces ;-) - they're much bigger than workers who you see later in the year.

The big bumblebees you are seeing are probably buff or while tailed queens - which are common and HUGE! www.bumblebeeconservation.org/white-tailed-bumblebees/buff-tailed-bumblebee/
www.bumblebeeconservation.org/white-tailed-bumblebees/buff-tailed-bumblebee/

Some bumbles do sting, but they are not aggressive(and only females can sting, not males)

PS I've stoked dead bumblebees and they ARE lovely and fluffy and soft!

Yes i have seen some monster bees too.

@englebertsausagedog omg 😂😂😂😂 it’s supposed to be in chat but the sun was on my phone so I evidently clicked the wrong one lol! Thank you 🤣 Mumsnet HQ people , can You please move it to chat ?!

Please leave it in relationships - it properly make me laugh

(Yes they seem huge here too)

A bumblebee ain't going to do anything to you, unless you really provoke it. They just want to get on with their own beesness.

I mean, running away is fine if you really need the exercise, but yeah, no need.

@aladyofinderterminateage bumble bees absolutely can sting, and unlike honey bees they can do so multiple times. They are just unlikely to unless threatened. They also don't die after stinging.

I recall once at a farm park with a young child who got a bumble stuck in their hair. They flapped about trying to get out it out and in doing so got stung several times on the neck. Sadly the bee didn't survive the mauling, but the child did - helped by a kind passer by who lent us some Sudocrem.

@AndwhenyougetthereFoffsomemore firstly I love your username , secondly that is definitely more what I’m seeing in the garden yes !! They’re so yellow too! I tried to get a photo but it really did get too close for comfort so I stopped. But I am determined to show you what cracking ones we have here for saying we don’t have any flowers in our garden yet (currently renovating it before baby comes) . Wow! Do they feel really fluffy like a pompom ?

I'm always outside and they are definitely bigger this year. Maybe a reduction in pollution has helped them grow!?
I luffs bumble bees.

You can stroke them if you are very gentle. Shows small children not to be afraid of them.
I don't recommend we all go out harrassing bees though.

I honestly thought one was going to square up to me and call me a wanker yesterday it was so big.