I don’t know about you, but when I am out in the garden, I am often amazed at the wonderful happenings there.  I can be watering plants and a brown praying mantid will pop out of the shrub or a hummingbird will come close to inspect what I am up to.

Its funny how you might forget all the interesting things that happen in your garden over the year, so again, I was surprised at the return of the longhorn bees.  I have noted them in my yard for about three seasons now.  The first time I noticed them, I was taken aback.  Here were a cluster of bees on my long- spent salvia flower stalks.  All of them lined up, upside-down, mind you, on the stalk.  It was so weird, that I took pictures and immediately sent them off to UC Davis and Dr. Eric Mussen.  He is the man when it comes to bee stuff.  I was told they are longhorn male bees that come to the yard with the purpose of mating and they rest on flowers and the like at dusk.  I have also seen the bees pollinating flowers along the way.

Longhorn bee on Black-eyed Susan. (Photo by Jennifer Baumbach)

This year, once I rediscovered them in my yard, I kept a close eye on the bees.  They found my Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia spp.).  There they were, just dangling like little jewels from underneath the petals.  It was like a gathering under a circus tent sans the tigers, and high-flying trapeze act.  It was interesting to note, they find their way back to the same plant nightly.  As the flower started to fade, they still came back until the flower was all but gone.

Longhorn bees resting underneath Rudebeckia flower. (photo by Jennifer Baumbach)

The bees were in two locations of my yard this year, but now I don’t see them anymore.  I’m assuming they’re gone for the season.  I look forward to their return next year-that is if I can remember to look!