Saving a bumblebee from a watery fate

Summertime is a busy time for a bumblebee. You go to work no matter how windy it is. And sometimes the wind prevents you from getting your work done. A gust might blow you into a swimming pool.

I was walking past an above ground swimming pool last Saturday morning, when I noticed a bumblebee at the edge of the round plastic pool struggling to climb out. I photographed it and recorded it as it tried to escape the water. I realized that it was probably going to drown. I used a dead weed to lift the bee out of the water to safety, where it dried and flew away.

There is a lesson here. A bumblebee can deliver a painful sting. If you find one trapped in water do not attempt to pick it out of the water with your fingers. The bee won’t know you are going to save it. It will think you are going to eat it. You will probably get stung!

Horrell is an artist and outdoorsman. He lives in Chaffee. He owns Painted Wren Art Gallery in Cape Girardeau.