Tuesday, August 21, 2012

You may not quite be able to see him, but if you look closely you may see this Bombus sp.(Bumblebee) on my Heliopsis helianthus (False Sunflower).  

Bumblebees are among our most ambitious pollinators and are a great addition to your garden.  The males that hatch mid to late summer (also known as drones) do not sting. If you are great at male/female bumblebee identification you can impress your friends by catching the males and showing them that you haven't been stung! (silly party trick I know!)  The females will only sting when their life is being threatened, so just make sure that you act calmly in their presence and they will merrily go on their way pollinating flowers.  They do not produce enough honey for us to be concerned with collecting it, but they are easily recognizable and beneficial insects for your garden.

See how many are buzzing around your garden!!

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