I was thinking it would be terrifying. Also think about how bad bee stings hurt when they're small. I imagine a bee. The size of a cat would give you something similar to a bullet wound.
If there was a pet bumblebee industry there would also likely be a bumblebee cosmetic surgery industry like we see with other popular pets. I'm sure stinger removal would be a standard procedure for an indoor bee. Or they'd be bred out after so many years. Probably designer bee coats as well. I bet they'd bee pretty cute and cuddly.
Bumblebees are not aggressive, and even though they can sting without dying (unlike honeybees), they generally don't. It would be like getting bitten by a Labrador. It's possible, but something went wrong somewhere for things to end that way...
I'm by no means accusing any bees of violence beyond what is warranted, or any hypothetical pet bees of aggression, but as it is humanity clips dogs' tails and ears and breeds them into monstrosities for no reason other than aesthetics, so why wouldn't we do the same to any other hypothetical pet?
There are actually legitimate reasons to crop tails and ears in certain breeds. For instance, a lot of dogs with very floppy ears get ear infections so frequently and severely that they end up going deaf, and cropping them is a last-ditch effort to prevent that from continuing. I've also heard of at least one dog that broke his very skinny tail so many times from wagging it against furniture in happiness that he had to have it cropped.
Bumble bees also eat small animals such as spiders, aphids and wasps not strictly nectar and pollen. I would be concerned having other small pets around these "kitten bees".
Years ago, we had a big garden with snapdragons, and those big fat bumble bees would root deep inside the blossoms, with their big butts hanging out. My cat would go up and put her nose right on their butts to get a good whiff! Never got stung. The bees didn't even really mind, it seemed.
Bumblebees average 100-150mg and have a ~2mm straight, barbless stinger. The average housecat weighs 8-10lbs. Using 125mg and 9lbs (4,082,331.3mg), the big bee is ~32,658.65x increased in mass. The cube root for this is 32. So big bee has a 64mm (2.5”) stinger. That’s roughly the size of the talons on a golden eagles front digits. Also the same size as the infamous sickle claw of a scientifically accurate velociraptor.
It’s all fun and games until some little old lady that sells organic honey at the farmers market has the Feds kick down her door because she’s in the wrong state to call her business “Grannie’s Backyard Bees”. Even worse when they discover grannie’s really has been hustling since ‘67.
41 Comments
queerlilhayseed@piefed.blahaj.zone · 47 pts · 112d
I've never wanted to brush a bee before but boy do I now.
CannonFodder@lemmy.world · 39 pts · 112d
You want a cat sized version of this?
Nightmare fuel.
Tempus_Fugit@lemmy.world · 41 pts · 112d
Edit: apparently that's a tiger beetle.
Much cuter from just a few inches away.
HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world · 19 pts · 112d
I imagine its face would get cuter. Kind of like how lions will eat you if you don't agree with me
aeshna_cyanea@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 11 pts · 112d
That's also not a bee, bees don't have jaws
CannonFodder@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 111d
My bad
NannerBanner@literature.cafe · 9 pts · 112d
Yeah, I'd give those antennae ridges a good scritch.
BigBrownDog@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 112d
I was thinking it would be terrifying. Also think about how bad bee stings hurt when they're small. I imagine a bee. The size of a cat would give you something similar to a bullet wound.
queermunist@lemmy.ml · 11 pts · 112d
It'd be like that Futurama episode when Fry is stung by the space bee, and the singer just kinda goes through without poisoning him.
Noodle07@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 112d
Bumblebees dont have stingers though, right ? Big puppies
BigBrownDog@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 112d
Not only do bumblebees have stingers, they can sting multiple times without dying like honeybees.
QuinnyCoded@sh.itjust.works · 7 pts · 112d
I've bonded with a rock before, I'm sure I would give this little guy a big ol hug
Dinglefluff@piefed.social · 30 pts · 112d
Make it happen science
FinjaminPoach@lemmy.world · 26 pts · 112d
::: spoiler spoiler And then they'd sting you in the balls if you get up too fast :::
alekwithak@lemmy.world · 28 pts · 112d
If there was a pet bumblebee industry there would also likely be a bumblebee cosmetic surgery industry like we see with other popular pets. I'm sure stinger removal would be a standard procedure for an indoor bee. Or they'd be bred out after so many years. Probably designer bee coats as well. I bet they'd bee pretty cute and cuddly.
Korhaka@sopuli.xyz · 32 pts · 112d
Just put a cork over the stinger
cravl@slrpnk.net · 9 pts · 112d
Clown nose.
ada@piefed.blahaj.zone · 26 pts · 112d
Bumblebees are not aggressive, and even though they can sting without dying (unlike honeybees), they generally don't. It would be like getting bitten by a Labrador. It's possible, but something went wrong somewhere for things to end that way...
alekwithak@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 112d
I'm by no means accusing any bees of violence beyond what is warranted, or any hypothetical pet bees of aggression, but as it is humanity clips dogs' tails and ears and breeds them into monstrosities for no reason other than aesthetics, so why wouldn't we do the same to any other hypothetical pet?
PabloSexcrowbar@piefed.social · 6 pts · 112d
There are actually legitimate reasons to crop tails and ears in certain breeds. For instance, a lot of dogs with very floppy ears get ear infections so frequently and severely that they end up going deaf, and cropping them is a last-ditch effort to prevent that from continuing. I've also heard of at least one dog that broke his very skinny tail so many times from wagging it against furniture in happiness that he had to have it cropped.
daannii@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 112d
Okay but assuming all body parts would scale up the same.
The stinger would be incredibly blunt.
FinjaminPoach@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 112d
Like getting punched in the balls i suppose
pupbiru@aussie.zone · 4 pts · 112d
okay but that’s also cats with claws
FinjaminPoach@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 111d
God i hope not
HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 112d
My balls or just any balls
FinjaminPoach@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 112d
Your balls
nathanjent@programming.dev · 14 pts · 112d
Bumble bees also eat small animals such as spiders, aphids and wasps not strictly nectar and pollen. I would be concerned having other small pets around these "kitten bees".
rockerface@lemmy.cafe · 25 pts · 112d
So literally just like cats
quediuspayu@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 6 pts · 112d
Yes, except for the exposed mandibles. Cats would be terrifying if they didn't had lips.
ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net · 8 pts · 112d
Wow, so you could also groom a kitten size termite? How amazing would that be?
alzymologist@sopuli.xyz · 6 pts · 112d
I pet bees and bumblebees sometimes, pretty sure they enjoy it.
fossilesque@mander.xyz · 7 pts · 112d
BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today · 2 pts · 111d
Years ago, we had a big garden with snapdragons, and those big fat bumble bees would root deep inside the blossoms, with their big butts hanging out. My cat would go up and put her nose right on their butts to get a good whiff! Never got stung. The bees didn't even really mind, it seemed.
HumanOnEarth@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 112d
backalleycoyote@lemmy.today · 13 pts · 112d
Bumblebees average 100-150mg and have a ~2mm straight, barbless stinger. The average housecat weighs 8-10lbs. Using 125mg and 9lbs (4,082,331.3mg), the big bee is ~32,658.65x increased in mass. The cube root for this is 32. So big bee has a 64mm (2.5”) stinger. That’s roughly the size of the talons on a golden eagles front digits. Also the same size as the infamous sickle claw of a scientifically accurate velociraptor.
Rcklsabndn@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 111d
Now I'm going to measure out all of my drug transactions using bee-weight.
backalleycoyote@lemmy.today · 5 pts · 111d
An eighth would be “28 bees”.
Busted for trafficking- “Dude got caught haulin’ hives.”
OD- “stung by a killer bee”
Grow your own weed- “backyard beekeeper”
Cook your own meth- “backyard waspkeeper”
Rcklsabndn@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 111d
Let's make this a thing so narcs have to learn a hilarious new vocabulary.
backalleycoyote@lemmy.today · 4 pts · 111d
It’s all fun and games until some little old lady that sells organic honey at the farmers market has the Feds kick down her door because she’s in the wrong state to call her business “Grannie’s Backyard Bees”. Even worse when they discover grannie’s really has been hustling since ‘67.
HumanOnEarth@lemmy.ca · 4 pts · 112d
Fuck dude
Rcklsabndn@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 111d
I'm holding out for an Airedale sized earwig, chittering in my lap as I skritch it's carapace.
samus12345@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 111d
Zerush@lemmy.ml · 2 pts · 112d
https://youtu.be/PMGAaGus_z8