mizblueprint

For #EarthDay, I am happy to report the return of this red-rumped #Bumblebee beauty, #BombusMelanopygus. I have only seen this type in our garden on two other occasions, and never so early in the spring. Our #MasonBees, #BlueOrchardBees, or #BOBS have filled all the houses we put up, and they have taken over the stack of air drying Port Orford Cedar.

#Bees

Apr 23 at 12:00amWeb
Show threadEd SullivanApr 23
@mizblueprint I build up leaf piles in autumn and frequently see the queens of this, and other species, flying in and out at the end of winter. This one will be nested in old bird feeders, under house overhangs and similar places in late spring.
Always nice to see.
Show threadmizblueprintApr 23
@edsullivan
We have a lot of bee friendly habitats - including leaf piles, western red cedar duff, standing perennial stems, cut stems, wood piles, bee houses, and stacked and stickered air drying milled wood. Even with all that, I've only seen them when the agastache is blooming later in the summer! 😊 Maybe there will be more this year.
Show threadEd SullivanApr 23

@mizblueprint We have Ceanothus velutinus and Aruncus dioicus (Goatsbeard) that attracts the females, while the males are on Salal and Evergreen Huckleberry. I think that’s because the depth that they have to go in the urn shaped flowers would dislodge pollen on females. Observation, not fact.

Once these plants sputter, Bombus Vosnesenskii takes over mid June to frost.

I like hearing other stories of plant preferences!

Show threadmizblueprintApr 23
@edsullivan
We have rhododendrons in bloom right now, and Wikipedia says they are attracted to them. The agastache blooms are also tubular, and all the bees and hummingbirds are attracted. This is August, mid day.
Show threadEd SullivanApr 23
@mizblueprint We have Alyssum and Evergreen Huckleberry currently and we’re about a week away from Pacific Ninebark popping, which is a pollinator powerhouse. Salal and a few Penstemon are in line to pop a week off, and the bumblebees will absolutely destroy the Penstemon as they shoulder their way down to the nectar. Tragic but entertaining.