The skies brightened last weekend and the rain-weary honey bees returned to the nectarine blossoms in our yard They were in the pink again! Capturing images of the bees gathering nectar and pollen is more fun than eating cotton candy at a county fair. Springlike day. Radiant pink flowers.
Pistol packin mamas have nothing on honey bees. Have you ever seen the pollen load that a honey bee carries? What's pollen? It's the fine, powder-like material produced by the anthers of flowering plants, or the grains that contain the male reproductive cells of a seed plant.
The honey bee population is declining throughout the world, but not the interest in the art of queen rearing. The annual class taught by bee breeder-geneticist Susan Cobey, manager of the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr.
Blue merle mini-Australian shepherds have one. So do honey bees. What? A tongue. For a puppy, the tongue can symbolize pure happiness. For a worker honey bee: a solid work ethic.
If you like to take nature walks and lean against an occasional tree, you might rub shoulders with a red-eyed, red-shouldered bug. On warm, springlike days, soapberry bugs are exploring their territories--and doing what comes naturally.
