I wanted to post here a short video I took in Jersey recently, but can't discover how to do so. It shows two butterflies on the ground mating, and being constantly harassed (?) by a honeybee. What was going on? Did the bee think she had found a new very lively flower? Or were there odd pheromones about? Or what?
British Beekeepers Association Official Forum
bees and butterflies
- General Q&A, Bee chat and only Bee chat please
Guard bees sometimes react to movement near the hive entrance, especially if they have been put on edge by recent stressors. I've seen bees attack a bumblebee near the entrance (and other times, letting one in!) - they seem particularly sensitive to black and yellow movement (wasps!). I once got 2 stings on the wrist when I wore black-and-yellow gardening gloves near a hive. What colour were the butterflies?