Tree Bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum)
Genesis 7, 1-4
The LORD then said to Noah, ‘Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation. 2 Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, 3 and also seven pairs of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth. 4 Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.’
My photograph reflects the amazing creatures that are all around us in God’s wonderful world. It also reminds me of my garden during the Covid-19 pandemic ‘Lock Downs’ of 2020 and 2021.
The greatest delight in my garden has been the abundance of bumblebees. Compared to the dull honeybee the bumblebee is a joy, especially those big black and yellow furry ones. Honeybees may be the only insects that produce food that we can eat and might be in decline, however, in my garden, the number of colourful, fluffy Bumblebees, seem to be growing in numbers.
But, honeybees also make up less than 5% of the world’s total bee population and crop pollination is reliant on all manner of insects, including bumblebees and also those pesky bluebottles, wasps and horse flies.
But bees are also very clever. Noah did not need to gather in pairs of bees he only needed mated female bees. By a very clever process the ‘Queen’ can carry the eggs for up to a year and is then able to determine which of her offspring will be male or female. Maybe this could have saved just a tiny little space in Noah’s Ark!
Patricia Faraday
Volunteer Coordinator