SPECIAL DELIVERY!

See the orange bumps on this bumblebee's sides? Those are pollen-filled sacks (corbicula) on the sides of its back legs. She's returning to the new hive location (underneath the siding on my house) with more pollen, after being out on a gathering mission. This is so amazing: Bumblebees have stiff hairs, like combs, on their legs, especially the back legs, which they use to comb off the pollen that has stuck to their body and leg hair. This combing collects the pollen into a ball which is then pushed into sacks on the tibia of their back legs to be transported to the hive. They can carry about 90% of their body weight. This is a female worker - the males don't have pollen sacks.

They must have flown several miles today alone, as they did this all day long. Just imagine how much work that is for this little creature. I say 'little', but these were approximately ¾" long, and quite round. The full sacks can be yellow, orange, red or brown depending on where they get the pollen.

The entrance to their new hive is where the house siding meets the foundation, so I just waited (what seemed like forever) to see them. They flew in and out so quickly that there was no chance to focus, etc. As they'd arrive some had either orange or yellow sides, but as they left the house the colorful sides were gone. With more internet searching I found a great article that explained the phenomenon. I'm having so much fun learning all these interesting facts, mainly about insects. Things I never knew! An added benefit to the Blip experience!

This shot was with the regular 'close up' option on my camera, plus a generous zoom. Later I thought to try the 'sports' option, hoping to get a more focused shot of their quick motion. The article says their wings are estimated to beat 130 - 240 times per second - no wonder the wings can't be seen! Good experiment, but this was the best I had. Quality-wise, it's not great, but with the storage sack information, I just had to share it!

The bumblebee (Bombus Apidae) feed on nectar and carry pollen to the hive to feed the young.