Garden Insects

No, vine weevils are not known to have bitten anyone. The insects in question (Otiorhynchus spp) in fact will not be able to do so because their mouthparts are merged with their snouts.

One year is the length of time that a digger bee lives. The insect in question also receives the common name mining bee because of ground-dwelling lifestyles. The adult stage represents about six to eight weeks of the year-long life cycle and natural history.

The number of worms that can be put in one container depends on its size and the type of worms. Generally, you can house a dozen or more small composting worms in a gallon-sized container, while larger fishing worms may require more space. It's important to provide adequate space, ventilation, and food for the worms' well-being.

No. Some bumble bees are solitary but even the largest social bumble bee colonies are quite small with up to a couple of hundred members -- compared to a honey bee colony at 20,000 to 60,000 members.

Also, bumble bees only store enough honey for their immediate needs because over the winter the new queens hibernate and the rest of the colony dies. With honey bees they have to build up a large stock of honey for food when they can't forage in the winter because they do not hibernate and a large part of the colony will survive through the winter.

Internal plant fluids is the prey of the chinch bug. The insect in question may be considered a serious pest of such grasses as centipede, St. Augustine, and zoysia because of the toxin which each sip inserts into plant tissues. The insect uses piercing/sipping mouthparts to break through a plant's exterior in order to wreak havoc on the interior life-sustaining juices.

Yes, bees can have spots. The spotted nomad bee (Nomada maculata) numbers among the 700 worldwide species of nomad bees, whose presence in North America adds up to 300 species thus far. The two-spotted bumblebee (Bombus bimaculatus) serves as another example, with two yellow abdominal spots.

Yes, you can put paper towels in a worm bin as long as they are plain, unprinted, and not treated with any harmful chemicals. Tear them into smaller pieces to make it easier for the worms to break down. Just be mindful not to add too many at once to avoid creating an imbalance in the bin.

No, ladybugs do not guard their babies. The beneficial insects in question (Coccinellidae family) leave eggs generally on the underside of leaves, for shelter and stress-free access to food. The eggs tend to hatch within 3 to 5 weeks in an environment where there is no parent but there are food, peers, and shelter (in addition to predators).

A difference in appearance, behavior and distribution ranges and an inability to sound-dislodge pollen through buzz pollination account for smaller bees attacking and chasing bumbleebees that are collecting pollen. Bumblebees (Bombus spp) count among North America's native wildlife and exhibit bigger, bristlier appearances, gentler behaviors, and less organized, lower-lying nests than such naturalized bees as the non-native honeybee. They forage for what keeps the nest fed and healthy whereas such aggressive, diminutive, territorial non-native as honeybees tend to factor huge storage requirements into the nectar and pollen that they take.

It depends on the species but the female will normally have a more rounded belly as she fills up with eggs. Also you will notice that the males will be paying her more attention and chasing her around the tank as she gets ready to lay her eggs.

Honey bees do not eat mud. They eat nectar and pollen from flowers, as well as the honey that they make from nectar.

Location of and support for the maxillae (lower jaws) are the ways that the base of the head helps in a grasshopper's eating habits. The lower jaws help mouthparts cut prey and hold edibles in place. The stability is needed since grasshopper mandibles (upper jaws) move horizontally (sideways), not vertically (up and down).

No, grasshoppers do not have stingers. They use their powerful hind legs to escape predators and do not possess any venomous or stinging capabilities.

Bee venom therapy involves the injection of venom by a needle, insertion of the stinger, or stinging by live bees. While a licensed physician must give injections, other treatments can be done by a bee venom therapist

Insects are less attracted to colors like white, yellow, and light blue. These colors are less likely to mimic flowers or ripe fruits, which are common cues for insects to find food sources. Conversely, colors like red, orange, and purple may attract insects due to their resemblance to flowers and fruits.

Yes, insects are needed to pollinate some flowers but no, they are not needed to pollinate all flowers. Insects count -- along with bats, birds, and some mammals and reptiles -- among nature's pollinators.

No, box elder bugs do not have red blood. They nevertheless have liquids which circulate internally and which may be released under stress and with death.

During winter, honey bees form a cluster inside the hive to keep warm. They vibrate their wing muscles to generate heat and protect the queen at the center. They rely on stored honey and pollen for food during the winter when there are fewer flowers available.

Worker bees typically live for several weeks during the busy summer season when they are foraging and working diligently. However, their lifespan can increase to several months during the winter months when they are less active.

The drink- and food-processing components from the frontal exterior opening in the head, through internal parts in the middle and rear sections respectively called thorax and abdomen, to the back exterior opening known as the rectum comprise the digestive system of a honeybee. Digestion jumpstarts with the tube-like proboscis that extends outward to sip floral nectars and proceeds through the mouth to the esophagus, the honey sac, and the large and small intestines. The rectum lets out as waste products what cannot be processed or regurgitated.

Bees like honey and nectar even though they need nectar in order to produce honey. Floral nectar is rich in the sucrose that gives bees energy to fly from flower to flower and transport nectar and pollen loads back to the hive or nest. Back at the hive or nest, the bee uses the enzyme invertase to transform nectar into dextrose- and laevulose-rich solutions that we know as carbohydrate-rich honey.