Great question Rob. Having raised honey bees for a number of years I know this; Bumbles are NOT honey bees. Bumbles don’t mind low light conditions and some even tolerate light rain/ mist conditions. Honey bees shun those scenarios. We see a variety of bumbles from spring to fall. I am not sure how they choose their food source. Honey bees generally are looking for the ripest nectar at the closest distance from their home. Once I found a bumble ground nest entrance randomly in the field. We have a lot of emerald bees on the property, they are also ground nesting, and are easy to spot as the create small mounds.
Right now the bumbles (both the Rusty Patch and other varieties) are feeding on the Bird’s-foot trefoil ironically this is considered an ‘invasive species’. It also is considered a favorable consumable for ruminants.
We have 33 acres of old pasture, over grown, currently loaded with different grasses, golden rod, milkweed, trefoil, red & white clovers, etc. as well as a recent infestation of wild parsnip (read: no bueno). Where we cut the grass (main lane and hiking paths) different species thrive more than the typical pasture growth, like this particular trefoil as well as yarrow, orange hawk weed, wild strawberries and some other species.
I’ve heard that pollinators can ‘see’ vibrations from flowers and can home in on those that are at prime picking for nectar as well as the bonus pollen that is associated with it. That being said, these flowers are ‘less vibrant’ early and late in the day (lower light). So there are fewer pollinators inhabiting them. We do our best to cut during that time. My wife and I discussed an option of attaching a front mounted, lightweight,‘whisker’ system to alert the critters. Something that would tickle through the grass in front of the riding mower. We also have an abundance of frogs, toads and snakes (red belly racers and garters). We appreciate having them and don’t enjoy incidental encounters.
Our property is very rustic, the mowed areas are everything but flat and level and the variety of plants/ grasses growing range from light and flimsy to stalky and rigid. Designing an early warning system is challenging. I am confounded as to why they don’t hear/ feel the vibration of the mower with 3 spinning blades coming in their direction, especially the snakes.
In closing, a good course of action is more regular mowings to prevent blossoming of plants. We are not full time at this property (yet) and it is 3 + hour drive north of us. We fail at being ‘on top’ of the mowing task. The hiking trails, paths, lane and yard take about 5 hours to complete. Neglect creates a scenario where a brush hog is required. At this time I have a Leyland 270 that has a failed PTO and no resources to repair… IF I was up there full time there could be an opportunity. Also not grooming creates issues with our pack of dogs and ticks…
Sorry, a bit sleep deprived today. Blah blah blah…
I DID buy a lottery ticket on the way home this evening and if it hits guess who is getting an early retirement and no excuse for not living in the Northwoods full time?
