Posts Tagged: pollen

Celebrating the Honey Bee on Labor Day

It's Labor Day but "The Girls" continue to work. "The Girls" are the honey bees, a great example of a matriarchal society. How many workers...

A honey bee, packing a load of orange pollen, buzzes over a red zinnia in a Vacaville pollinator garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A honey bee, packing a load of orange pollen, buzzes over a red zinnia in a Vacaville pollinator garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Packing the Red Pollen

Ever seen a honey bee packing red pollen?  Rock purslane (Calandrinia grandiflora) is one flower that yields red pollen.  It's a...

A honey bee packing red pollen as she visits another rock purslane blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A honey bee packing red pollen as she visits another rock purslane blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A little adjustment of her pollen load and the honey bee reaches a rock purslane blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A little adjustment of her pollen load and the honey bee reaches a rock purslane blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A 'Morning' Carpenter Bee and an Evening Primrose

As National Pollinator Month winds down, let's visit a "morning" carpenter bee and an evening primrose. The evening primrose, Oenothera...

A female Valley carpenter bee, Xylocopa sonorina, heads for evening primrose in a Vacaville pollinator garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A female Valley carpenter bee, Xylocopa sonorina, heads for evening primrose in a Vacaville pollinator garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Valley carpenter bee slides inside the evening primrose. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Valley carpenter bee slides inside the evening primrose. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Valley carpenter bee rolling in the pollen of the evening primrose. Note the metallic wings. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Valley carpenter bee rolling in the pollen of the evening primrose. Note the metallic wings. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

And it's off to forage in another blossom. Valley carpenter bee is loaded with pollen. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

And it's off to forage in another blossom. Valley carpenter bee is loaded with pollen. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Sorry, Bee, I'm Closed for Bees-Ness

A honey bee heads for a patch of California golden poppies. She finds a blossom she likes.  Bee: "Hey, Goldie Locks, I'm here to collect some...

"Open up!" A honey bee attempts to enter a California golden poppy. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

"Open up!" A honey bee attempts to enter a California golden poppy. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

"Maybe I'll try this entrance." The honey bee doesn't realize that some flowers close for the night. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

"Maybe I'll try this entrance." The honey bee doesn't realize that some flowers close for the night. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

"Please, please open?" The honey bee makes no progress. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

"Please, please open?" The honey bee makes no progress. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

"You're closed for bee-ness?" the honey bee mumbles. "Oh, well, guess I'll come back tomorrow."

"You're closed for bee-ness?" the honey bee mumbles. "Oh, well, guess I'll come back tomorrow."

Tower of Jewels: Christmas in May?

Christmas in May? When it's in full bloom, the aptly named "tower of jewels," Echium wildpretii, which can tower as high as 10 feet, looks...

Honey bees can't get enough of the tower of jewels, Echium wildpretii. The plant yields both nectar and pollen. The pollen is blue. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Honey bees can't get enough of the tower of jewels, Echium wildpretii. The plant yields both nectar and pollen. The pollen is blue. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A honey bee peers through the blossoms of the tower of jewels, Echium wildpretii. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A honey bee peers through the blossoms of the tower of jewels, Echium wildpretii. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Read more