- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Published on: March 11, 2011
When something is a "plum," it's something desirable, whether it be a "plum" position, a "plum" assignment or a "plum" reward.
With honey bees, a bee on a plum blossom is definitely a plum job.
The honey bees foraging today in the Häagen-Dazss Honey Bee Haven at Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility, University of California, Davis, were on a plum assignment.
A gorgeous springlike day with more to come, a colony building itself up, sister bees helping one another, and nectar and pollen all for the taking.
However, when I saw the bees packing huge loads of golden pollen, I figured: "They must be plum-tired."
![HONEY BEE from the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility, UC Davis, heads toward a plum blossom in the Haagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven, a half-acre bee friendly garden on Bee Biology Road. The garden is open dawn to dusk at no charge. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) HONEY BEE from the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility, UC Davis, heads toward a plum blossom in the Haagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven, a half-acre bee friendly garden on Bee Biology Road. The garden is open dawn to dusk at no charge. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/bugsquad/blogfiles/6403.jpg)
Bee Heading Toward Plum Blossom
![A HONEY BEE and a hover fly, aka flower fly, share a plum blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) A HONEY BEE and a hover fly, aka flower fly, share a plum blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/bugsquad/blogfiles/6404.jpg)
Sharing a Plum
![PACKING a heavy load of pollen, a honey bee buzzing toward a plum blossom appears to be PACKING a heavy load of pollen, a honey bee buzzing toward a plum blossom appears to be](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/bugsquad/blogfiles/6405.jpg)
Heavy Load
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