And here is a bumblebee that was also busy pollinating.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Pollinating Bees
I was walking back from lunch today when I spotted one of my honey bees on the an echinacea on campus. This is exciting! I love seeing my bees out and about.
And here is a bumblebee that was also busy pollinating.
And here is a bumblebee that was also busy pollinating.
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David! I'm just finally getting back into participating in the blog world again.. stumbled across The Giove Family blog... and.... bees!?? I'm so excited!! How did you know that was your own bee on that flower? Can you answer my lifelong question as to why beekeepers (or at least beekeepers in our western ny area) have apiaries in stacks of different color boxes?
ReplyDeleteI wonder if beekeeping would help my children get over their fear of bees.... hmm..
Hey! Thanks for the comment. Truth is, I really don't know if it is my bee. I just know it's a honey bee, and I'm pretty certain there are not any other colonies in the area. It was right across the street from my house, on campus.
ReplyDeleteI'm not certain, but I think the different color boxes are so the bees can differentiate their hive, from others close by. I have mine within three feet of each other, pointed in the same direction. I didn't mark them at all, and I wondered at one point if they were drifting to one and not the other. Next year I might mark the front.
Beekeeping is pretty fun, and you can even get bee suits in kids sizes! If you ever want to get started, let me know. It's really a whole lot easier than you might think. Plus it is entirely fascinating.
... Think about how cool it would be if one of your kids brought an observation hive into school for show and tell! (My friend who got me started in beekeeping had that hive as a centerpiece on his table for a while. Filled with bees.)