Beekeeping > Other Pollinators

More Native Bees

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The15thMember:
Our flower border around our vegetable garden is buzzing with bees of all kinds right now.  My sister caught this bee yesterday and brought it in for me to ID.  She's really big, bigger than a honey bee, and bigger than a lot of the bumble bee workers out and about right now.  I knew right away she was from the family Megachilidae since she had scopa on her abdomen for carrying pollen and big mandibles.  Using Discover Life, BugGuide, and the NC Biodiversity project, I'm pretty sure the species is Megachile inermis, the Unarmed Leafcutter Bee.  Don't ask me why she's called that.  :D  She was back on the sulphur cosmos this morning, and was good enough to hold still for some pictures. 

The15thMember:
I saw another new bee on the flower border today, well sort of a new bee.  I saw a male bumble bee, of the species Bombus vagans, the Half-black Bumble Bee.  I could tell he was a male because of his unkempt hair and his big eyes, and the way he was lazily moving from flower to flower, instead of looking busy like the females.  I'm also sure because I caught him in my hand, and he didn't sting me.  ;D

Jen:
Oh 15th! such a beautiful bee and bumble! I love them all. We have soo many bumbles here tho and they hog all the food from my hive bees  >:(

The15thMember:

--- Quote from: Jen on August 05, 2023, 02:58:41 pm ---We have soo many bumbles here tho and they hog all the food from my hive bees  >:(

--- End quote ---
What do you mean?  A honey bee colony has so many more bees than a bumble bee colony, and bumbles often prefer different plants than honeys.  I've only ever heard the concern about competition go the other way around.   

Bakersdozen:

--- Quote from: The15thMember on August 05, 2023, 06:22:01 pm ---
What do you mean?  A honey bee colony has so many more bees than a bumble bee colony, and bumbles often prefer different plants than honeys.  I've only ever heard the concern about competition go the other way around.   

--- End quote ---

That's what I have heard too.
Jen, be happy that you have so many native bees.  That is a good sign that your area is free of toxins and has plentiful native plant species.

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