Delio de Jesús Suárez Gómez, a member of the Indigenous Tucano community in Colombia, is combining ancestral knowledge with science to help pollinating bees survive the harsh conditions of life in the rainforest.
In return, the bees provide honey for families, which is sold, and boosts the communities’ food and fruit supply through pollination.
So there's this Greek myth that says Zeus was fed by bees when he was born. In gratitude, he blessed them with the color of "shining bronze", and made them immune to cold and harsh winds. These bees lived in Zeus' sacred cave in Crete, and aggressively chased away anyone who tried to steal their honey.
Any #apiarist or #entomology expert out there who could tell me what these bees are by any chance?...
This dazzling and ambitious literary debut follows three generations of beekeepers from the past, present, and future, weaving a spellbinding story of their relationship to the bees—and to their children and one another—against the backdrop of an urgent, global crisis.
An Anthophora curta napping on a rock by the beach in Isla Vista, in Santa Barbara, California, this past Summer 2023 while visiting UCSB. Its silvery colours and large green eyes are captivating. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/173683325
I was worried the pollinators wouldn’t find these flowers after two new species were completely ignored (achocha and pink soba). But they found it. 😊 Maybe I will have spider berries for Halloween?
#Random thought through my head recently: what #shampoo to use or make which is minimally scented... as a #beekeeper I find #bees are extremely sensitive to perfumes in hair/soaps/etc. and it's better to minimize scented soaps, etc. The "whatever random stuff is on sale" default here (I am not the shopper, typically) is not ideal. (Update: Looks like I am going to try to make Castile soap, which is made out of olive oil. I have all the supplies and ingredients needed here, LOL).
I've not seen a bee so completely black and white before. Anyone know if this a particular type (a quick search suggests b&w bees exist) or is this an aged, usually black and yellow bee (an OAB, if you will)?
I quite frequently present flowers as being alarmed when they have bees and bugs on them. For some reason I thought this one was probably just a bit grumpy at having a big fluffster sitting on its face.
My five seconds of fame. 🙂 Glad to have helped local bee reseacher Zestin Soh (we're not related) by spotting a rare bee in Singapore. Now we know a bit more about its natural history.
In a corner of the neighborhood I walk by with dogs sometimes there's a big Tecoma sp. bush that's been in bloom a while. The thing always has at least half a dozen American bumblebees on it (easy iNaturalist observation), usually more. I think there's a nest nearby. They squeeze nicely into the flowers to reach the nectar, this flower evidently evolved to be bee pollinated. Their little bee butts sticking out crack me up.