Buzzing bees, fluttering butterflies, marching ants - I am always amazed at the active lives insects lead, and sometimes I wish I could borrow some of their energy. They fly or walk in search of food and mates, and some even hunt for their meals. In addition, they must stay alert to escape predators lurking … Continue reading Insects Do Sleep Too – Nighty Night
Category: bees
Happy Spring!
I have been taking in the sights of all the blooms in the valley - what a display! The cherry blossoms were unbelievable this year, as if the trees were making up for last year's lack of blooms caused by the unexpected cold snap. It is wonderful to see the cherry orchards doing so well … Continue reading Happy Spring!
Breakfast at the Chicories
The common chicory is a weed that is not native to British Columbia and can be a problem in disturbed areas in Interior British Columbia. I have seen them on roadsides, pastures, and abandoned fields. Chicories have beautiful blue flowers. I was lucky to come across a lot of American gold finches having breakfast at … Continue reading Breakfast at the Chicories
Bugs in the Milkweeds
It is always nice to see the swallowtail butterflies feeding and frolicking around milkweeds at bloom. I decided to take a closer look at the milkweeds this year because I had come across a patch with a lot of bees and other bugs. Milkweeds are called milkweeds because of the milky sap they produce. They … Continue reading Bugs in the Milkweeds
It’s Time to Smell the Roses
We had some much needed rains this spring and the wild rose flowers were spectacular and smelled divine. I made it a point to stop to smell the roses during my walks while taking stock of the bugs on the roses 😊. There were a lot of honey bees, mining bees, bumble bees etc. also … Continue reading It’s Time to Smell the Roses
A Visit to the Cacti
The spring crickets and cicadas are still singing but the spring has been very hot and tree fruit bloom time went by very fast. A kind gentleman showed me a patch of brittle prickly pear cactus last spring and it was quite the treat to see the flowers. I saw said gentleman on an afternoon … Continue reading A Visit to the Cacti
The Bees in the Willows
I love pussy willows. Seeing them always lifts up my spirits because I know spring is around the corner. I do not know much about willows but my google reading tells me that there are different species of willows and most of them are either male or female (you don't get male and female parts … Continue reading The Bees in the Willows
At the Goldenrods
I meant to finish this post last fall but did not get to it. I had a lot of fun summer days at the goldenrods - there were bees and flies buzzing around, lots of wasps, butterflies, and I even saw a lone grasshopper at the goldenrods. The bees and some of the wasps and … Continue reading At the Goldenrods
A Cold Spring
It has been a bit cold this spring and it is taking a while for the bugs to warm up. I have been on a few hikes but there has not been much bug activity. Lots of wildflowers though - Okanagan sunflowers, shooting star, woodland star, larkspur etc. The bees have been active on sunny … Continue reading A Cold Spring
If it looks like a bee, flies like a bee, buzzes like a bee, then it must be a bee?
No one wants to be stung by a bee or wasp. Bee and wasp stings are painful and there is the added concern of allergic reactions. Bees and wasps usually have a combination of yellow, black and red colours. In the insect world, yellow, black and red colours spell danger for would be predators. We … Continue reading If it looks like a bee, flies like a bee, buzzes like a bee, then it must be a bee?