Slumbering bumble bee on smooth aster (Symphyotrichum laeve; photo by Deb Perkins).
“Have you noticed the bumble bees slowing down...?”
After a busy summer season many of us find sweet relief in the fall. The chilly air and the early evenings invite us all to slow down. Have you noticed the bumble bees slowing down as well?
In dawn and dusk the last couple of weeks, you might have observed bumble bees sleeping on your flowers. These are often males (drones) which are produced by the queen from late summer to fall. They emerge from the nest a few days after hatching, and never return. They are not welcome back in.
These males spend their short lives feeding on nectar to fuel their life's purpose: to mate a reproductive female.
Your slumbering bee could also be a reproductive female that stayed out too late and got caught in the cold. When it warms up she'll get back to her job: putting on a lot of fat for winter hibernation.
These late-season fertile females are next year's queens!
Slumbering bumble bee on smooth aster (Symphyotrichum laeve; photo by Deb Perkins).
I hope you enjoyed this Phenology Note!
Join me in witnessing the seasons of our wild world.
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#ThePersonalEcologist
I co-create biodiverse habitats with eco-minded stewards throughout the Northeast - at any scale.
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-
Deborah
Perkins
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