Nectar of the Gods
Inviting & delighting this
humble bumble bee.
This summer, I’ve observed an unbelievable number of bumble bees visit the flowers in my garden. They definitely have taste preferences! Just like us humans!
Their favorite plant is my Lavender Grosso, followed closely by goldenrod, which flowers in early fall.
These bumble bees tirelessly forage daily for nectar and pollen from early morning until the sun has almost set. Some bumble bees have really long tongues which they tuck under their chin when flying.
I strongly believe that not using chemicals in my garden helps attract more beneficial insects. Hopefully that makes at least a tiny difference in helping to stop their steady population decline.
Which plants do your bumble bees like?
Sabine
in cahoots with muddy boots 
You are having such fun with that macro lens, Sabine! We don’t have bumblebees on mainland Australia, but I remember them well from my childhood in NZ.
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Yes Jane, I am having fun with that macro lens! Also, I didn’t know that there are no bumble bees on mainland Australia. Has that always been the case? Do you know why?
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I’ve checked that out, Sabine, and the reason seems to be to do with the bumblebee’s ability to pollinate certain weeds amongst other things-there’s quite a list. If I were to see one in my garden, I’m supposed to notify the relevant authorities. Feral bumblebees are found in Tasmania but I guess Bass Strait is enough to stop them from flying to the mainland.
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Thanks Jane for letting me know! I had no clue about bumble bees in your part of the world! One of my favorite things about blogging is that we learn things that we might otherwise never would. I would have never guessed that there aren’t any bumble bees where you live! 😊
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The bees are having a harder time these days finding flowers to feed on. Impressive shots!
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Thanks Marlene! One of my neighbors found several dead ones in her garden recently. I wouldn’t be surprised if it were related to many of our neighbors spraying Round-up rather generously year-round. 😬
Have a wonderful week Marlene! 😎
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so lovely, i love the bumble bees at work
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Thanks Beth! I’ve so enjoyed watching them at work all summer long, with and without camera!
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The bumbles in my garden seem to flock to the mint which is now blooming and the lavender. They’re such docile bees, and beautiful. Stay cool this week, Sabine!
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My lavender is also a favorite in the garden! Staying cool will be high on my list of priorities this week. Stay cool too Missy! 😎
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Bumblebees are so very beneficial to nature and to the health of the environment (which is having a tough time these polluted days).
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Yes they are! I love watching them do their thing in my garden! Unfortunately most people spray chemicals which don’t help their plight!
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We have a lot of carpenter bees, big black gentle bees here on the Santa Rosa plain. I’ve also seen lots of honeybees, and wasps. They are all pollinators and there for welcome in my garden! I love your pictures. You can see the bees “fur” !
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I love your carpenter bees, Christine! I love your whole garden! Bees are so important in nature. I hope more people start to provide flowers for them!
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These are great shots, Sabine. You are such a great photographer with close-ups. Where we live the bumble bees seem to prefer our ground cover. Last year we had lots of baby turtles in the lake in the park and lots of chipmunks in the yard. This year fewer turtles and almost no chipmunks but lots of fireflies. I don’t know about these fluctuations but they happen. One year it was tons of mosquitoes, then lots of bats, then another year it was lady bugs everywhere. I guess there are cycles of life forms balancing themselves just like we go through cycles in our moods – and politics. 🙂
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Thanks LuAnne! I’m sure you’re right on the cycles in all living things. Fireflies!! You’re so lucky to have those! I’ve never seen them in real life but hope to some day. We had almost no chipmunks this year too, they didn’t even bring any babies. 🙋
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I grew up in Nashville, TN and we had lots of fireflies (we called them lightning bugs) all summer. Here in MI we usually do not have many but this year we see a dozen or more in the back yard every evening. I would recommend going south to see them. The Smoky Mts. are very lovely in TN.
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My husband spent part of his childhood in the south and often talked about all the critters he remembers from there! Perhaps I’ll make it over there some day!
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