Swarming Bees in my Garden

We recently started keeping bees in our garden and during this hot weather one of them swarmed. It was amazing to watch, and to see them walk up into their new home in such an orderly manner.

The swarm walking up into their new hive. We use Quadratic Hives which have a similar interior shape to a hollow tree.

Bees signalling by opening their Nasonov gland gland (the white area on their abdomen) and fanning their wings vigorously, to call all the other bees to the new hive entrance.

The swarm was shaken onto the bottom of the sheet. They then walk up into the new hive. The speed they walk up is amazing

Sunday’s Flowers – a time of proboscis and cheating bumble bees #biodiversity #bumblebees #wildflowers

We set off on our bikes down the green Devon lanes, panniers empty, for a visit to our local plant nursery. I saw so many bumble bees on the flowers in the hedges that today they will be the main feature.

Drilling a hole in the Red Campion with its proboscis to get directly to the nectar

Not only bees squeezing up inside the Foxgloves but also avoiding or cheating on the pollination route and drilling a hole directly to the nectar with their proboscis. Our return journey, panniers bulging with green leaves, was faster as the thunder rolled and the rain watered us, plants and all.

Exiting a Foxglove covered in pollen
Sharing a feast on a wide platform
How scary is that. Glad they are so small!

Saturday’s Flowers – a day of stigma and anther!

After a night of heavy rain and strong winds the bugs in my Devon garden are all well hidden. But peering into the flowers I was struck by the variety and beauty of the stigma and anthers.

One of the many Geraniums romping through the wild area in my garden. What an incredible colour.
Isn’t this Lilly just amazing. The stigma is like a heart.
This Geranium looks so different

Friday’s flowers – spiders emerging on a wet day

I love the droplets of rain on flowers and leaves here in my garden. I found these tiny nearly emerged spiders in my hedge.

Baby spiders emerging in the rain. After 5 minutes they had all vanished
Cow parsley, Anthriscus sylvestris
Raindrops on a Buxus leaf
Snap dragon, Antirrhinum
Sweet William, Dianthus barbatus
Fuchsia riccartonii

Devon in May