2016 Pollinator Week, June 20-26
2016 Pollinator Week is recognized around the world. Its purpose is to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators to all living things, whether directly or indirectly, and to encourage planting beneficial to a wide range of pollinators.
Some Native Bees
More information on each of the bees in this image can be found here. More information on pollinators in general and 2016 Pollinator Week can be found at Pollinator Partnership.
Here are just a few of the images I have taken of pollinators over the years. The blue osmia is a little over-represented here, because I only see one day a year, late March or early April. But they are so different and so beautiful, I want you to see them. I stopped spraying my roses and using systemics some years ago, and have seen a marked increase in the pollinators in my yard. I love sunflowers and cosmos for their beauty, ease of care, and the way they attract pollinators ranging from bees through butterflies to hummingbirds. My next-door neighbors are evolutionary biologists who do totally organic gardening, so we have a tiny oasis for pollinators.
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- Green bee with pollen, on cosmos
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- Bee and Cosmos
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- Bee and Cosmos
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- Pollen laden bee
Look at all those fun bees! Great shots Susan!
Hi, Tim. Thanks! I have *a lot* more, many from your place over the years. I’ve got to get them organized in one place where they are easy to find! Great to see you this morning!
Thank you for compiling these beauties and their friends! I love the bee chart and that is Pollinator Week!
Hi, Laurie. Thanks for dropping by this morning! Isn’t that chart wonderful? I want to see how many I can find in old photographs – or some new ones. 🙂
Great shots ! I think some can’t be found here. Never saw any similar to the “blue” one, but maybe I didn’t really look for them. We have quite a few bees around though.
Hi, Marie-Claude. The first time I saw the metallic blue ones, I had no idea what they were, and I was not happy because they were chewing up new leaves on one of my favorite roses. Baldo Villegas, a rosarian friend and also a fabulous entomologist who freely shares his knowledge told me what they were and that the damage would not be lasting. They appear in my yard only for a day or two each year, and I enjoy them for that brief time.
Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment. 🙂