When I see a bee, I think of honey, but most people not have a warm association with wasps, even though wasps do serve a purpose of eating insects and keeping other insect populations under control. But I still don’t like wasps as my body don’t like them and with one stinging me on the nose, I spent six hours at urgent care today with a very swollen face.
Nice Honey Bee
After the storms moved through yesterday, the bee and ant enjoyed the sunny and drier day as they gathered on the milkweed blossoms.
Bee and Ant
More white can be seen, but at least it isn’t snow, but blossoms from the wild plum trees giving additional sources of pollen and nectar for the bees.
Bee in Wild Plum Tree
As the warm summer days wind down for the year, the bees are quickly gathering in pollen and nectar from the pretty flower blossoms.
Blossom Bee
This bee has gathered a lot of pollens on its legs and these pollen baskets may be half of the bee’s weight.
Busy Bee on Sunflower
This bee is more interested in the white blossom than the green shamrock on this St. Patrick’s Day, although it would be hard even to find a dried plant from last year poking through the snow and definitely no new blossoms for a while.
Shamrock Bee
The fall flowers are providing some late pollen for the bees. Tansy is in the aster family and was brought to North American from Europe and Asia. Tansy, also called golden buttons, has become quite invasive in some areas.
Bee on Tansy
The sun was out today but it didn’t shine on any green shamrocks (or green grass) for St. Patrick’s Day around here, so no clover blossoms for bees to find pollen either.
Bee in Clover
There was stuff flying in the air today but it wasn’t bees or insects but those snowflakes again. It will several more months before there are any blossoms for the bees to come and collect pollen from.
Collecting Pollen
There was an air quality alert out today, due to the smoke from Canada and so sensitive people were warned to reduce heavy exertion outdoors. But work has to continue, especially on farms, and even critters and creatures carried on with their tasks. The bees were busy collecting pollen on this very warm day.
Busy Bee
