Thursday 17 April 2014

The Bee Story

I was sitting on the bus into Oxford on Tuesday when I felt something tickling my hand.  Lifting my hand up I was surprised & delighted to see a small bee sitting there.

I carefully turned my hand to get a good look at him (how was I to know what sex the bee was?  I decoded he was a boy!) He was small with pale golden stripes on his abdomen.  Beautiful, delicate fur positively glowed in the sunshine; I was in danger of falling in love!

The bus rumbled on & the little bee sat happily on my hand grooming himself.  Tiny back legs rubbed over his abdomen, front legs brushed his antennae.  Then he rubbed his back legs together & turned slowly on my hand.  The sun shone & I kept very still so as not to disturb him.

He settled down & I felt the slightest brush of abdomen fur against my hand.  We moved on towards Oxford & I hoped that he'd sit quietly until we arrived so that I could release him.

As we approached my stop he began to move again.  I thought at one point he was heading up my sleeve but at the last moment he turned & headed for my wrist again.  Relief! I didn't want to have to divest myself of my top to release a bee in the heart of Oxford! 

I carefully got off the bus & the bee flew off immediately, almost as if he knew we had reached journey's end.  I was both happy & sad to see him go but I understand that bees don't make good pets so I couldn't have kept him!



1 comment:

  1. Well done for not being scared of bees. I expect it was a worker bee and therefore a she. The males are drones.
    Whichever it was it probably made a bee-line for some flowers or for home.
    Sue

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