First time a bee hung out on my finger

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Being around these bees for the last few years, I finally built up the courage to allow one to hang out on my finger. Maybe four generations of me of raising them as had them quite trustworthy of people. But I needed to build my self up to having one on my finger. Though honestly I should not worry, as male Mason bees do not have stingers. So I just needed to become brave enough to allow one on my finger. It crawled on within a few seconds of me extending my finger to it, and did not want to leave.

More information on this type of bee:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megachilidae

It all started when I saw one emerge form the cocoons I harvested. It was hanging out on the side of the container that held the cocoons. I went back inside for awhile, but decided I was going to try to get one on my finger. Now before this, my whole life I have never held an insect. Any bees that were on me were between me and my bee suit. Many honey bees have tried to sting me, but I am always wearing protection. Using a full bee suit and lambskin gloves, even with all that protection they have penetrated the gloves while wet with sweat. But these bees are different, they are not honey bees. Nor do they have any of the aggression of them. Solitary bees such as these Mason bees almost never sting, and the male that I am holding does not even have a stinger. Unlike the females that do, but since they are all queens being solitary they will rarely sting.

After psyching myself up I went back outside, but without my camera. The I out placed my finger, and the bees antennas moved back. Though seconds later it moved forward onto my finger. First thing it did was stick out its tongue and checked out, probably seeing if I am food or a friend. It licked my finger for a few seconds and then seemed content with its action.

It hung out on my finger for a few minutes though without my camera was it was an experience only me and the bee can recount. I placed the bee on this Akebia leaf and decided to grab my camera. It hung out there until I returned, being it just hatched it cannot fly just yet.

With my camera in hand I tried to encourage it to climb onto my finger. But it fell off the leaf and clunked to the ground, I guess it was not ready to climb onto me just yet. Though once on the ground and it getting its bearings it climbed onto my finger :-)

I brought it out into the sun, by the blossoming kale flowers. I encouraged it to feed on them but it seemed not interested. Just wanted to hang out on my warm finger.

We can tell its a male because of its white mustache. The males emerge first from the cocoons, followed by the females week or so later.

I would hold the females too quite honestly. But they may be too busy to want me to hold them for long. The males are just chilling, waiting for the females to emerge to mate with them. So their life is a little more relaxed.

Once in awhile it would scratch its abdomen, but for the most part it just walked around my finger.

While holding it I was worried it would do something to hurt my finger, but it never happened. It tickled a little when it was walking all around. But I tried to stay as steady as possible to let it feel calm.

It seemed quite happy to be in the sun, and on my warm blooded finger. I tried to encourage it to leave but it rather stayed on my finger. It was a nice sunny day, so being out in the sun for the first time in its life maybe was something it was basking in. Enjoying the moment being out of their cocoon after emerging from a larva previously.

So it just stayed on my finger for about ten minutes, pretty amazing :-) I was expecting it to fly off at any point, but since it just hatched it was not ready to do so. So it bided its time on my finger.

After while I tried to return it to where I got it from, but it just wanted to stay on my finger. Not sure if he felt comfort being on my hand, it seemed quite calm while resting on my hand. Maybe it knew me based on generations of genetics affecting their behavior. Not sure, but it just really wanted to hang out on my hand.

Using my one free hand I texted with my phone lovely.logic@lovely.logic that I had a bee on my finger. She came outside and I transferred it to her, first time for her as well to have a bee on her hand.

It just hung out there, seemingly quite happy. Though eventually it dropped to the ground while we tried to put it somewhere safe. Worried it was hurt we watched it for a minute but it was fine. These bees are quite clumsy and crash and fall all the time and turn out just fine.

The bee right away went to climb onto lovely.logic@lovely.logic's shoe. Seems it wanted right back on us, so cute... hehe We tried to encourage it to hang out on some decking near by but it would stay clinged to the shoe.

She took off her shoe and transferred it to some railing using a small leaf. It just hung out in the sun for a bit. And by the time evening occurred it was off to fly to where it wanted to be.

Pretty amazing to have an insect on crawl around on my finger. It was peaceful and seemed to be happy to hang out with me. I wonder if me raising many generations have calmed them to people, its hard to say. But just amazed I could have one stay on my finger for over ten minutes just happy to be there.

First time a bee hung out on my finger | Ecency