The last of the Bumble Bees

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There was a patch of sunlight in the garden and I dashed outside to stand in it and warm myself up a little. It seemed incredible that only a few days ago there was another blanket of snow again.

On a geranium leaf was a bumble bee. Knowing how rare theses beasties are, I crouched by it for a closer look.

That is when the battle began.

A honey bee dived down directly onto the bumble bee. The bumble bee did its best to swipe the attacker away with its legs. Within moments the honey bee returned and attacked again. I tried to swipe the honey bee away risking the wrath of both bees. However, the honey bee was not to be deterred. It dodged the flimsy grass stalk I was waving at it and attacked again and again, dive bombing the bumble bee and then chasing it off into my neighbour’s garden.

I had never seen such deliberate, determined, aggressive behaviour before between bees. Perhaps there is so little nectar available that the honey bees are defending the little that there is.

Have killer honey bees arrived in England?

Have I seen the last of the bumble bees?

I backed off as more honey bees patrolled the area like airborne sharks and headed back into the safer darkness inside the house, muttering my mantra:
'Cowards live longer!'