But…that’s a Wool Carder

The Wool Carder is a little bee with an outsize dose of possessiveness. Almost every afternoon, I see one patrolling the snapdragons as if making sure no other bees try to get in. Then it climbs in for a snack and zooms away. They’re called Wool Carders because the female take the fuzz off fuzzy […]

Look at the lily, not the cats

We stuffed the cats into carriers this morning, and subjected them an abduction experience, before bringing them home again. Now they’re out in the yard. Somewhere. The sweet cat showed up to have dinner, but I haven’t seen the evil cat at all this afternoon. I think he talked this lily into covering for him. […]

A darker harvest

Sounds like a cheesy vampire novel, but all I see are deep colored berries entering the mix: black raspberries, blueberries, and darkest of all, mulberries. Oh yeah, the strawberries are still ripening, too. Whenever I pick black raspberries, I always remember a story I read as a child, “Green Black Raspberries are Red.” This is […]

Pinks for me, but not for bees

I planted myself some flowers today. I planted a new pot of cilantro to replace the ones flowering and going to seed (to the delight of the tiny bees). I planted a pot of dill. And I planted some pinks. I’ve been a fan of pinks, or Dianthus, almost since I started gardening. They’re pink, […]

Impatient bumblebee caught in the moment

After spending a little time every day of National Pollinator Week chasing bees, I finally caught some nice pictures of a Common Eastern bumblebee. It always amuses me to see these big, fat bees landing on such small flowers as this daisy fleabane. These bees have mass! I also think the Latin name, Bombus impatiens, […]

Hunting bumblebees in the raspberries

This is one of the uncommon bumblebees I’ve been seeing lemon yellow flashes of in the raspberries. I think it’s the Perplexing Bumblebee. Better look quick, there she goes!

More syrphid flies and the prettiest bee

Here’s some more syrphid flies that I’ve seen recently.

Carpenter bees

More bees. Here’s some carpenter bees big and small. Both kinds tunnel their nests into wood, but they’re two separate families. The last few years in the spring, a big fat male carpenter bee patrols the yard. He can be pretty intimidating, flying by, but he can’t sting you. Aside from the pure bluster, you […]

A raspberry and a blueberry from the bees

Today’s harvest was brought to you by the bees. Honeybees and small carpenter bees in the raspberries. Bumblebees, too, but they’re too fast for me to get a good picture. I caught a Lasioglossum bee in the flowerhead of one of the scallions I planted last fall. And the coriander flower is showing off one […]

Tiny bees in the raspberries

I wouldn’t be looking forward to so many fruits if it weren’t for the bees. And since National Pollinator Week starts today, it seemed like a good excuse to spend a little time this morning looking for bees. It never ceases to amaze me, how many bees you can find. The big ones buzz pretty […]