I caught this tiny little sweat bee trying to find her way out of our hoophouse. She had obviously been foraging on something, probably thistle, judging by all the white pollen she had acquired around her back legs. Sweat bee is a common name given to a family of bees that like to lick sweat for the minerals it contains. This particular type of sweat bee is the smallest bee I see around here. As small as they are, female sweat bees can still sting a human, but they reserve this ability for when they are in immediate danger of being crushed to death. And yet, they are one of the more likely bees to be stung by simply because they are tiny and have a habit of landing on people, who may not notice they’re there. Fortunately, their venom is extremely mild (maybe just because there’s so little of it); for me, the effects last less than five minutes.
After I had carried her out of the hoophouse, this little bee let me take some pictures of her before she flew off. She even seemed a bit curious about my camera, crawling too close to the lens to focus on, and landing briefly on the camera as she flew away.
Very cool, as always! So, I guess since it’s a solitary bee, not a colony bee like honey-bees, then it doesn’t die when it stings? And can perhaps sting more than once if needed to get away? Are honey-bees unique in dying when they sting?
Nope, they don’t die! They sting only to save their own lives, so it wouldn’t be very helpful if the act of stinging killed them. They can probably sting more than once, but I can’t imagine them having very much venom in their tiny bodies… But yes, I believe honey bees are unique, even bumble bees don’t die when they sting (and they live in colonies).
You words beautifully capture the soul of this tiny creature. ❤️
Thank you!
Perfect timing.
I was just noticing some very small bees in my yard yesterday.
Wondered about them, but didn’t take the time to research.
Thanks for tuning in😁
Beautiful shots too.
It can be surprisingly tricky to identify all the different bees. Sometimes the easiest way to tell if something is a sweat bee is to work outside and see if they land on you and start licking you! There are some I still have yet to identify, but I always enjoy seeing them (and taking pictures) either way!
Camera-happy, inquisitive bee. Love that, and your inter-species studies.
Glad you enjoyed it. (And I love it when they’re camera happy too!)
Beautiful pictures and very interesting information, Brennah! Well done!
Thank you!