pollinators

Flower “Beds” for Bumble Bees

Flower “Beds” for Bumble Bees

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…

Gentle Golden Wasps Adorned with Pollen

Gentle Golden Wasps Adorned with Pollen

Despite my education, and the ecological role that I know they play, I have been pretty wary of wasps throughout my lifetime. It's a visceral thing. I respected their place in the food web, but I didn't lean in to study them. That is until I laid eyes on the star of this Phenology Note: the Great Golden Digger Wasp (Sphex ichneumoneus). They have won me over!

Give a Warm Welcome to Wild Bees (Super-pollinators Part 2)

Give a Warm Welcome to Wild Bees (Super-pollinators Part 2)

If you read Part 1, you know why it's so important to conserve this highly diverse group of super-pollinators. This follow-up post is intended to provide you with a few concrete actions you can take to provide these beneficial insects with safe places to nest and reproduce.

While the focus of pollinator conservation is often centered around planting flowers, providing nesting habitat is a critically important, but often overlooked step.

If you keep reading, I can almost guarantee you'll be charmed and surprised by the details of native bee nesting ecology, and want to know more about how you can help provide mother bees with a warm welcome in your own backyard, and beyond.