this post was submitted on 03 May 2026
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Science Memes

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[–] nathanjent@programming.dev 1 points 37 minutes ago

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".

I've never wanted to brush a bee before but boy do I now.

[–] CannonFodder@lemmy.world 13 points 6 hours ago (5 children)

You want a cat sized version of this? Nightmare fuel.

I imagine its face would get cuter. Kind of like how lions will eat you if you don't agree with me

[–] Tempus_Fugit@lemmy.world 11 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

Edit: apparently that's a tiger beetle.

Much cuter from just a few inches away.

[–] QuinnyCoded@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 hours ago

I've bonded with a rock before, I'm sure I would give this little guy a big ol hug

[–] NannerBanner@literature.cafe 5 points 4 hours ago

Yeah, I'd give those antennae ridges a good scritch.

[–] BigBrownDog@lemmy.world 4 points 5 hours ago (2 children)

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.

[–] Noodle07@lemmy.world 1 points 10 minutes ago

Bumblebees dont have stingers though, right ? Big puppies

[–] queermunist@lemmy.ml 7 points 4 hours ago

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.

[–] Dinglefluff@piefed.social 14 points 6 hours ago

Make it happen science

[–] FinjaminPoach@lemmy.world 13 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago) (3 children)

spoilerAnd then they'd sting you in the balls if you get up too fast

[–] daannii@lemmy.world 1 points 49 minutes ago

Okay but assuming all body parts would scale up the same.
The stinger would be incredibly blunt.

My balls or just any balls

[–] alekwithak@lemmy.world 11 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago) (2 children)

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.

[–] ada@piefed.blahaj.zone 8 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

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 1 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

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 2 points 2 hours ago

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.

[–] Korhaka@sopuli.xyz 14 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Just put a cork over the stinger

[–] cravl@slrpnk.net 1 points 2 hours ago

Clown nose.

[–] HumanOnEarth@lemmy.ca 3 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Why is nobody fucking talking about how big the stinger would be

[–] backalleycoyote@lemmy.today 5 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

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.

[–] HumanOnEarth@lemmy.ca 4 points 3 hours ago