bumblebees at sea

[MM5AHO]

I've noticed over the years that bumblebees seem to be the insect that tarvels furthest out to sea.
It's a rare trip to not see one, and the furthest I've seen in 20 miles from nearest land. I'm amazed that they can fly that far, even amazing that they can fly at all.

But why so far from land?

It could be that being poor fliers, they are the insect most blown off course?
Or something more interesting?
Anyone know?

 

[ChrisRayner]

Bumble bees were imported to New Zealand in the 19th century in order to pollinate clover which had also been imported as a food crop for horses. In 1992 it was discovered that the New Zealand population had spread to Tasmania. So they can survive the passage of 1500 miles over open water.

 

[mjcoon]

Bumble bees were imported to New Zealand in the 19th century in order to pollinate clover which had also been imported as a food crop for horses. In 1992 it was discovered that the New Zealand population had spread to Tasmania. So they can survive the passage of 1500 miles over open water.

I'm in the middle of reading "A Sting in the Tale" by bumblebee expert Dave Goulson (very readable). He goes into this matter at length. But I think his conclusion is that the bumblebees had help!

Mike.

 

[pmagowan]

Certainly I have seen them far out and wondered if they were just unlucky ones doomed to die. They take a rest on board and then fly off. I don't know why they are out at sea but I suspect that they are natural explorers looking for sources on nectar and that they 'expect' loses.

 

[tillergirl]

Not a Bumblebee but:



In the middle of the Thames Estuary, wind from the south-east: 10.25nm from North, 17.56nm from the East, 18.10nm from the South; from the West ??nm!

I've seen butterflies mid channel (Poole - Cherbourg). Each time they have flown as though they are getting a rest from the genoa - or perhaps they are utterly confused.

 

[Mataji]

Monarch butterflies migrate south for the winter. They can travel thousands of miles.

 

[johnalison]

Monarch butterflies migrate south for the winter. They can travel thousands of miles.

I'm always amazed by butterflies' flying ability, considering that God was drunk when he designed them. A few days ago I saw a small white job happily flying a foot above the Lauwersmeer in about fifteen knots of wind, and I have seen butterf;ies flying upwind in similar conditions.

 

[mjcoon]

Monarch butterflies migrate south for the winter. They can travel thousands of miles.

But not, I'm certain, non-stop over water...

Mike.

 

[grumpy_o_g]

I'm always amazed by butterflies' flying ability, considering that God was drunk when he designed them. A few days ago I saw a small white job happily flying a foot above the Lauwersmeer in about fifteen knots of wind, and I have seen butterf;ies flying upwind in similar conditions.

How did you know it was happy?

 

[Spuddy]

45 year ago it were but there was a mass invasion of ladybirds from continent. I got bitten, or nibbled a bit at least, in the Solent. And bumblebees - I've seen them a surprising distance out and forgot to remind myself to google this phenomenon when ashore

 

[FWB]

Monarch butterflies migrate south for the winter. They can travel thousands of miles.

I'm always amazed at the flying range of some insects when compared to modern long range aircraft. Is the fuel to range ratio similar ? I somehow doubt it. Perhaps we should design jet engines to run on nectar

 

[Strolls]

Under a paraglider I have also bumped into them close to cloudbase, perhaps 4500' high.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

I'm always amazed at the flying range of some insects when compared to modern long range aircraft. Is the fuel to range ratio similar ? I somehow doubt it. Perhaps we should design jet engines to run on nectar

Well, you would have to really change the whole design of the plane as bumblebees and other flapping wing insects don't fly like planes, it's not just the honey.

I have found flying insects inside rolls of stuff which must have been there for over a year, get shaken out, revive themselves and fly away. Then there are the insects that freeze solid over winters and thaw out to fly in the summer again. Maybe the insects don't fly far out to sea but are stuck on vegetation or stuff that has been swept out to sea, they revive and fly on.

Bees and the myth that they break the laws of physics: -

The reality is that bees and comparable insects fly in an incredibly complex way that utilises, get this, mini hurricanes! ,,,,, bees fly by rotating their wings, which creates pockets of low air pressure, which in turn create small eddies above the bee’s wing which lift it into the air and, thus, grant it the ability to fly.

To find this out, scientists have conducted a variety of tests .... Chinese scientist, Lijang Zeng and his team, who devised system comprised of lasers and tiny mirrors glued to bees back in 2001. This experiment was deemed superior to previous tests, as it didn’t need to use tethered bees (which fly differently) and because it contained lasers, .....


In fact, the way bees and other comparable creatures fly is so efficient and causes so little drag, that research into the subject has been backed by various militaries in an attempt to mimic this method of flight ....

The above is from http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/08/bumblebee-flight-does-not-violate-the-laws-of-physics/

 

[johnalison]

How did you know it was happy?

I would have thought that was rather obvious - it was smiling.

 

[FWB]

Well, you would have to really change the whole design of the plane as bumblebees and other flapping wing insects don't fly like planes, it's not just the honey.

Yes I'm aware of that especially having flown airliners for a living. I just wonder at the fuel to range ratio of the two.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Not an insect, but we were used as a landing pad by a small brown bird (sorry, couldn't identify the species) when crossing from Peterhead to Eyemouth; we were approximately abeam of Fife Ness at the time, and were at least 20 miles from the nearest land. The poor little thing was obviously exhausted, but after resting for a while it set off again in broadly the right direction to reach land, though I'm afraid I doubt that it could make it.

 

[johnalison]

I remember seeing a table of different forms of animal and human transport. I think that starting with human walking getting 1 mile per unit of energy, birds came out best with about 6, but a human on a bicycle scored 15. I don't know about insects.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Yes I'm aware of that especially having flown airliners for a living. I just wonder at the fuel to range ratio of the two.

Okay, I did not know that and I am not telepathic, so thought I would help. Anyway, as you can't google, I assume, here is the data that you can use as a pilot to calculate the fuel to range ratio: -

Honey 12 kJ/kg

BP Avgas 80, 44.65 MJ/kg, density at 15 °C is 690 kg/m3.Kerosene type BP Jet A-1, 43.15 MJ/kg, density at 15 °C is 804 kg/m3.
Kerosene type BP Jet TS-1 (for lower temperatures), 43.2 MJ/kg, density at 15 °C is 787 kg/m3.

Apparently (cue Seajet) that plane that can take off vertically, what's it called, could atomise tomato sauce sufficiently to burn in its engines; probably an urban legend. I am not an airline pilot.

 

[FWB]

Hi B o B.
I don't think that answers the question of scale. A 777 can fly over 6500nm without refuelling and a Monarch Butterfly can fly 350nm on one fuel load. Just wondering which is the more fuel efficient?
I find the mere fact that an insect has enough fuel to cross the Channel astounding.
To add that it's the time in the air which is so amazing rather than the distance covered. Seems that butterflies and 777s have similar endurance.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

... To add that it's the time in the air which is so amazing rather than the distance covered. Seems that butterflies and 777s have similar endurance.

I agree, nature is full of amazing things, the navigation skills of migrating species equally so, like salmon / turtles returning to the same rivers / beaches. I guess the bee is just a very efficient flyer that does not have to deal with a lot of drag so uses minimum energy. The 777 is probably an aerodynamic brick by comparison, dunno though.