Bombus, the Humble Bee by Kimberly Sheahan

Photo by Kimberly Sheahan
Bombus nevadensis #1

The bumble bee’s scientific name is Bombus and prior to the 1920’s they were more often called “humble bees” due to the soft droning noise they emit. Unfortunately, a few articles in the 1920’s referred to them as bumble bees and the new name took. (I personally vote that the internet reclaim the common name humble bee to refer to these fuzzy pollinators.)

Chelinidea vittiger aequoris nymph by Kimberly Sheahan

Photo: Kimberly Sheahan

Photo of adult cactus bug by Lyle Buss, University of Florida

I love this time of year because my xeriscape yard is in bloom.  I recently signed up to be a citizen volunteer for the Native Bee Watch (you can check out more information here if you’re interested https://arapahoe.extension.colostate.edu/nbw/#theproject).  As part of my new interest in bees, I’ve been photographing them as they pollinate the cacti in my yard. Today I noticed something odd on one of my opuntia sp. pads (prickly pear), it looked like it had a weird growth of extra spines.

Supporting Your Pollinators by Kimberly Sheahan

Photo: Kimberly Sheahan

Late spring is a wonderful time in Colorado - gardens are beginning to hit their stride and show off their magnificent blooms and the pollinators are hard at work.  A wonderful way to support pollinators and beneficial insects that you've attracted to your garden is to provide them their own water source separate from birds.  Typically, a bird bath is too deep for pollinators as well as potentially putting them near predators.