Anyone know a beekeeper?

[PandaPancake]

 

I came home from work yesterday and saw this guy in my yellow jacket trap so I fished him out. I tried to put him on a flower but he was content on my sleeve, and out of the wind, until he dried off then flew away. 

 

What I'm wondering is where the hive is? Will my new bat box hurt their population? If it does how far do they need to be apart? What do I need to do to make sure they last through the winter? Should I build them a hive? Out here it's considered high desert and in ways it's very fragile. I drove across the field two months ago in my pickup and you can still see the marks in the grass. These little guys are important.

[Zaximus]

Not sure about the other stuff, but I don't think the bat box will hurt anything, since bats will hunt at night and most bees I've seen usually go home before dark.

[sharkkiller]

Building a hive for one bee seems a little bit like overkill. If you see them swarming, then yes get a hive. Honey bees will travel great distances searching for pollen. If you want to have them in your area, plant some flowers. Even a nice patch of clover will attract them. If the area is a high desert, then there would in all likelihood be a dearth of flowering plants, which would lead to a larger area for them to search, and also result in lower honey production, and a natural reduction in hive size. 

 

Source: My father had 10 honey bee gums when I was growing up. Up until he got stung on Christmas day and developed an allergy that almost killed him. They were gone the next day. I still miss the fresh honeycomb.

[sharkkiller]

Oh, and the bat box will not have an ill affect on the honey bee population.

[Paa Langfart]

I ve been keeping  honey bees for about 20 years.  That doesn't appear to be a honey bee, but if it is its a drone and has been kicked out of the hive by the workers - females - all the males get the boot when cold weather is ready to set in.

[Zaximus]

It looks more like a bumble bee than a honey bee to me, but in that part of the country I'm not sure.

Props for setting up a bat box though.  People don't realize that we're losing our bat population to the white fungus disease or whatever, and when the bats die, have fun with a TON of more bugs EVERYWHERE.  Bats perform a huge service for us.  

As do honey bees, which are also disappearing and no one seems to care.  Both of these things could lead to some bad things happening.   Thanks for creating those killer bee hybrids whomever.  

[sharkkiller]

It looks more like a bumble bee than a honey bee to me, but in that part of the country I'm not sure.

Props for setting up a bat box though.  People don't realize that we're losing our bat population to the white fungus disease or whatever, and when the bats die, have fun with a TON of more bugs EVERYWHERE.  Bats perform a huge service for us.  

As do honey bees, which are also disappearing and no one seems to care.  Both of these things could lead to some bad things happening.   Thanks for creating those killer bee hybrids whomever.  

Definitely a honey bee. Bumble bees are much larger, and more yellow than orange. Also on a side note, bumble bees with a white face do not sting. 

[Zaximus]

Definitely a honey bee. Bumble bees are much larger, and more yellow than orange. Also on a side note, bumble bees with a white face do not sting. 

Maybe it's just the zoom of the pic that is getting me, but it looks like 10 times the size of a honey bee (but yeah I think it's the picture).  

[Paa Langfart]

Definitely a honey bee. 

I dont think so but what do I know.

[PandaPancake]

I dont think so but what do I know.

Then what is it?

[Paa Langfart]

Then what is it?

looks like one of these - its a type of fly - a hover fly.

 

[PandaPancake]

looks like one of these - its a type of fly - a hover fly.

 

 

Any benefit to keeping them alive?

[Zaximus]

I think that is definitely what it is, nice find.  I thought the wings didn't really look like normal bee wings.  The size is what threw me off which is why I thought it was a bumble bee (and yeah there are bumble bees that have orange on them).    That's a big ass fly though.

[Zaximus]

Any benefit to keeping them alive?

Reading up, it doesn't sting or anything, so no point in killing something for no reason.  They don't seem to provide any nuisance or anything.  Let them live.