Ants vs Bumblebees

[GuyF]

Hi everyone,
I came across this interesting scene today whilst out and about, where it seemed that some Wood Ants had discovered a Bumblebee nest! These photos are poor, but they should give an idea of what was happening - the entrance to the nest is the dark hole to the left, and although you can't really see it in these images the inside of the nest was crawling with ants! I saw a number of bees trying to return to the nest, only to be forced away by the ants outside the entrance. A couple of brave individuals dived into the hole, but after a few seconds (and a lot of buzzing!) they shot back out again. I didn't see ants emerging with any food, but I assume they must've found something worthwhile in the nest!




Does anyone know what the likely outcome would've been for this bee colony? I'm guessing it will probably be bad news for the bees! I did feel a bit sorry for them, but it was absolutely fascinating to watch!
Thanks
Guy