Category Archives: Bees
Pipevine Swallowtail
Today I saw a beautiful black butterfly flapping its wings as it drank from the butterfly bush. I thought “Black Swallowtail!” and grabbed my camera. It did not take well to being photographed, let alone chased all around my yard. … Continue reading
Good Bee Hunting
I found lots of bees today on my way to and from my community garden plot. On the way over, I saw some beautiful coreopsis with cute little Halictus (I think) sweat bees filling their saddle bags with pollen. In … Continue reading
What to plant for bees
It’s Pollinator Week and everyone wants to know what to do for the bees. The one best thing you can do for bees is to plant flowers. The bees will find even little flowers in a windowbox or a small … Continue reading
Another bumblebee in the raspberries
A couple weeks ago, my old camera’s sensor stopped working outside, though I can still take video with it. (Like this.) I tried to put off getting a new one, because I knew I would get obsessed. But with National … Continue reading
7 Ways to Help the Bees
It’s National Pollinator Week, a good time to talk about what we can do to help the bees. Bees are so not different from us. All they need is safety, food, shelter, and a little help from our friends. By … Continue reading
Let’s spend a couple minutes watching bumblebees
It’s the first day of National Pollinator week, and the raspberries are flowering. So are the strawberries, the bladder campion, the mock orange, and the catmint. June is a good time for bees! So here’s a quick video I just … Continue reading
Honey Tasting and Movie: Queen of the Sun
On Wednesday June 25, Friends of Bees will be showing Queen of the Sun: What are the Bees Telling Us? at Watertown Free Public Library. Queen of the Sun is a beautiful and fascinating movie about our relationship with bees. … Continue reading
Now here’s a Miner bee!
In spring you may see lots of little bees emerging from the ground or your lawn. The ones I find are little brown Early Miner Bees. First are groups of them zooming around. These are the males, who emerge first. … Continue reading
Garden Tour in Watertown for the Bees
This Sunday, May 11, from 1:30 pm to 5:00 pm. I’m participating in the Watertown Chemical-Free Garden Tour. This is a semiannual garden tour featuring yards and gardens where no chemicals have been used for at least a year. Needless … Continue reading
Are the bees coming out?
Last week, I saw a bumblebee go by a window, and dashed out to see where she was going. I missed her, but I did find this bee-like bug, resting on the stamen of a crocus flower. It had a … Continue reading
A Native Bee Rancher 