What are these bees? Help, please! September 5, 2012
Posted by ourfriendben in critters, gardening.Tags: bees, bumblebees, types of bee
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Our friend Ben and Silence Dogood have been seeing a lot of new-to-us bees here at Hawk’s Haven this year. They absolutely love the jewelweed blossoms that flourish along our creek, Hawk Run, which brings them up to our deck for close observation. Problem is, we have no idea what they are.
These bees look like bumblebees, but are only half the size of the bumblebees we’re familiar with. They’re way smaller than those other bumblebee impersonators, carpenter bees. We don’t have a clue what they are.
If you do, please let us know! We’d love to have a better handle on them.
looks like bumblebee, I’d think carpenrter bees. but half the size?? my poor eyesight makes reference bvolimes marginal, and since there’s a bunch of em id wager against one of the solitary breeds. But ms. milius is in good with the bee experts at ag research center (a mere 2 miles from me) so I bet she could help.
the barker
Hey you! I can’t believe you’re actually still reading my blog, I’m so honored! Yes, I don’t get what these pint-size bumblebees are either, let’s hope Susan can help. I agree that they’re not the solitary ones since they come out in droves, but really don’t have a clue. I guess entomology wasn’t my strong suit! But now, thanks to Susan, I have regular nightmares about tarantulas…
any chance they’re leaf cutter bees? we have many of them this year. they could also potentially be bee killers. they resemble bumble bees a bit and are more likely to be out in groups laying eggs
Hi Becca! Thanks for checking in! These are definitely bees, going into each flower with their heavy little bodies and emerging with the pollen stashed on ther legs. I’ll look up leafcutter bees and see what I can find!
There are numerous species of bumble bees. This is most likely one you are unfamiliar with.
Happy Gardening
Good point, and no doubt you’re right! What we’re really wondering is what happened to the bumblebees we knew and loved? And (sob) the honeybees we stupidly took for granted.
This is one time being a pictureless blog doesn’t help… IDs are much easier with a picture!
So true, Jennie! And there are so many other times in our life as bloggers that we realize that even one good photo would be worth bazillion words. How we’d love to show everyone our beloved black German shepherd, Shiloh, and our beautiful but clueless cat, Linus. Or, say, Silence receiving her teaching certificate from Hyakuten Inamoto Sensei at the Komyo Reiki Zen retreat in August, or all three of PRA’s bloggers attending the annual Bowers Chile Pepper Food Festival this weekend. But we really are Luddites, with no clue how to take photos or upload photos, so we must rely on the kindness of those who are able to bear with us.