Identification of Bumble Bees from Western North America with Lincoln Best

[@VillaParkHearts]

This was really fun! I especially enjoyed the actual specimens compared to the color templates and the information on the microscope tips.

[@stephaniebarkay2762]

Excellent teaching on using the field guides, pointing out specific ID markers.

[@Pasites]

Thanks for your comments and for viewing this lecture!

[@darrenpellichino2923]

I found a nest of bumble bees here in Louisiana that had black and white members along with solid black members. While cutting grass the mower disturbed the nest and because I only have one leg they got me pretty good while I was rolling across the yard =). I think they stung me about 10 times and the stings aren't too painful. But like I said the colony had members that were the traditional black and white along with some slightly smaller members that were solid black. Pretty cool to see the variation. Just have to talk my mom and kids out of poisioning them. I really hate killing bees and wasps.

[@darrenpellichino2923]

We decided not to kill them and sorta co-exist. We use the weed eater around their hive and they seem to not mind it.