Tuesday, August 28, 2012

The Bees' Knees

It's time to gather in harvests. I'm canning tomatoes every day and hauling spent plants out of the garden. What was the cucumber and sunflower bed is now ready to prep for another crop -- time to haul out the plans and wish I'd sown more winter plants this summer.

One patch of sunflowers was too occupied to pull. Some bees had more pollen on them than others:


This worker's head was almost completely powdered -- I wondered how she's able to smell.


Even on a six inch square set of real estate, you're never alone here:


Proof that they can fly, even heavily burdened. I'm glad to see them storing pollen for winter, and reminded that I have to harvest -- soon!


Hope you're all enjoying harvests now.

9 comments:

Curbstone Valley Farm said...

I could be wrong, but it looks to me like the bee in your second photo is a Longhorn Bee, not a honey bee. We had a lot of them last year on our Rudbeckias and Sunflowers. You can tell because they carry their pollen a little differently on their legs. I love the last photo with those bright orange pollen baskets. Did you get your summer honey harvest in?

Jill said...

Your ladies are LADEN!

I've noticed that a lot of pollen has fallen below our new hive (I call it the purple princess palace). Is it normal for them to drop so much pollen? I don't see it on the other hive as much, but it is subject to a bit more wind.

Stefaneener said...

CVS,you may be exactly right. I did notice some variation in pollen and bee colors, but was mostly paying attention to trying to focus!

I need to harvest, and soon. Sigh. Maybe this weekend, or whenever I can rope Jill here in. . .

Jill, hello. Maybe they just drop it? if it's wind, it would be outside, not under. . . I have no clue. Wanna help harvest?

Kristin said...

Those are fantastic images. I didn't realize that sunflowers provide so much pollen and that workers are so masochistic. That one bee just couldn't get enough!

Michelle said...

I love the photos! I'm still waiting for the tomatoes and peppers to start rolling in, but we're finally getting a bit of warm weather which should help nudge things along.

Stefaneener said...

Kristin, it's like my other favorite bee moment -- when they are rolling drunkenly around in squash blossoms!

Michelle, I'm not enjoying the heat, but maybe the tomatoes are. I hope you get enough to nudge all of your heat lovers along.

kitsapFG said...

Something really wonderful about watching a bee at work - loaded up with pollen. They are magical little beeings (pardon the pun!).

Stefaneener said...

kitsapFG, Groooooooaaan! I love, love,love puns.

Erin said...

lovely photos!