A Day in the Life of a Bumble Bee's Journey

A Day in the Life of a Bumble Bee's Journey

By: Sinegha

Buzzz, buzz and here I go buzzing up as high as I can to get a glimpse of that sunrise. I can see the sunlight peeking through amongst the leaves of this great big willow tree. Ahhh, there it is, what a beauty you are, Mr. Sun, yes, we both share that bright yellow colour, but you are the bright smiling light of the world. Oh, what would we do without you? Anyway, it was nice having our morning chat, Mr. Sun. Luckily, I didn't miss seeing you rise today. I must get going there's a tremendous adventurous journey lying ahead of me today. Where may you ask? Well, guess what? I've obtained some intel from my sources that there is a marvellous sight of a tulip field up North, just past the Amazon. And guess who's hungry for some pollen this guy!

I don't think I will be back till nighttime. See you tomorrow Mr. Sun. Drip, drip, drip what's that I hear. It sounds like the sky is spitting some rain. It was a sunny morning just an hour ago. Well, a little bit of rain is not going to stop me. Although that fresh earthy smell when those droplets of water hit the ground is quite lovely, I know this is going to be a big journey for a tiny guy like me. But, guess what you got to risk it to get the biscuit. This world is truly a beautiful place to be in, get it to bee in. But, I think that there should be more stories about little guys like me out there—the world in a bee's eye. Do you know? We always hear stories of the mighty bear or the jolly dog but how often do you listen to stories about the bee that buzzes around from flower to flower trying to get as much of those little specks of pollen as we can. Just because we are tiny, doesn't mean we don't exist. Our existence plays a massive roll in your human's lives. Without us, none of you guys or our furry friends would have any fruits or veggies to eat! We pollinate all the vegetation for you guys to eat, and oh, don't you forget about our scrumptious honey that you spread on your toast. There are always pictures, posters and shows of our fellow fuzzy friends, but we could use some spotlight too. I would like to see something like bumblebee takes on the mighty piranha plant or bee scores the jackpot field of pollen. Wouldn't that be a nice change? Anyway, enough of that. Let me focus on my path; don't want to get there when it's dark.

Screech, screech, screech. Ahh, what's that… Don't tell me it's what I think it is…Shoot, it's exactly what I thought it was. Guys, get ready to meet my tribe's arch-nemesis. The Varroa destructor mites… we call them the big VDM. They have attacked and fed on the blood of many of our ancestors. We don't even let one near us. I can't believe I've just spotted one. This is the first time I have seen one in person. I've only heard about them in the stories my nanna tells. But, never have I been this close to one. I need to make sure I zip past him without letting him catch my sight. I won't let him get a taste of my blood. The ground is still muddy from the rain from earlier. I'm going to dip myself in mud, so my bright yellow doesn't show, and I get camouflaged within the trees. Here we go. Swoop, splash. Great, I am covered in mud. Now all I have to do is buzz past him. Buzzz… Swish… That was the fastest I have ever buzzed by something in my entire life. Thank god. He didn't see me.

Today's been a pretty wild day; I still can't believe I saw a glimpse of the devil today (VDM). If I can get past a VDM, I can get past anything. This truly shows that nothing is going to stop me from getting my pollen and finding that tulip field. I wonder what time it is, probably close to 7 pm. I can see the sun starting to go down, but just a bit. Oh my, great god. What a wondrous sight. There it is below the hill. The most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Nature at its finest. A massive field filled with gorgeous tulips dancing in the wind. I've never seen this many colours of tulips before. Pink, white, red, purple mixed with yellow, white mixed with red, a magenta colour, bright yellow ones like me and more. All I have to do is get past this hill, and I can hit the jackpot. 3…2…1… Here I go… Wait, but what do I see… Oh no, please… Giant footprints… Fresh in the ground. Those of a great big bear… Today is not the day for me to get the attention of a bear. If that bear gets a sniff of me, he's going to follow me right back to our honeycomb. We all know how much bears love our honey. The mud I dipped into earlier, has almost completely crumbled off into the wind. How do I get past him now? I can't turn around after all this. I am so close. Don't give up now; you know you got this. If I wait for him to leave, it will get too dark, and I won't be able to see the pollen or this beautiful sight of flowers up close. If I try to sting him, I will die. So that's clearly not an option. How did I forget this? Guess what? Another thing us bees are good at is nesting in grass! All I have to do is lay low and travel down the hill. It won't be easy, though, because I have to watch out from getting stepped on by him. I think it is a him, but it could be a her. Whoever it is, I can't get stepped on. Do you think I can make it? Come on, have some faith in me? Pray for me guys… Here I go… Remember, you have to risk it to get the biscuit… Roll… roll… buzz… buzz… buzz… thump… thump… thump…

Buzz… Buzz… Did you think I died? Nope, not this guy! I almost got my left wing stepped on, but I flew past right before the foot touched my wing. I have finally reached paradise! That smell of fresh pollen amongst these beautiful tulips. This is truly a euphoric moment. I have already eaten with my eyes. But, now it's time to have a feast. Yum… Yum…Yum… this is some of the best pollen I have ever tasted. Delicious… Hold on… Let me lick my lips… I have to bring some home for my family. And don't worry. I have already thought of this. I just gather some pollen in a tulip petal, wrap it and fly with it between my hind legs. It's getting dark; I must start heading home.

I've finally reached home. There's a full moon in the sky. Thank god, I didn't have any obstacles on my way back. What a great and adventurous day it has been! See if you set your mind to it, you can do anything! If a little guy like me can, you can too!