More Bees

     I like leafcutter bees. I think they're neat. You've probably all figured that out already. I don't really have anything new to say about them, but I got some great pictures of them the other day that I just have to share. I hope you enjoy them.

     Each bee house will have hundreds of bees. This picture does little to justify just how busy a place this is. Click the picture for a larger view with better details. Try and count all the bees!

     While almost constantly in motion, there will be a certain amount of bees at any time resting. After a few seconds they'll head back out to the flowers. Speaking of which...

     Alfalfa flowers start blooming from the top up. The middle one in the bottom is 'sprung' while the others are not.

     The reason that leafcutter bees are such good pollinators of alfalfa is that they really dig into the flower. Right after I snapped this picture the spring loaded flower popped the bee right in it's little bee face.

     This honey bee, in contrast, has a long tongue and can lick all the way down to the nectar.

     I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I do. It's hard to overstress the importance of these bees to the alfalfa industry. Either way, though, I think they're very photogenic little insects.