We're pretty sure this is a bumblebee. There are almost two dozen species of bumblebees in the eastern United States and it was if half of them were in our Greensboro yard this week. The one in this photo was extremely large and spent several minutes feasting on the flower of a hosta plant. Its bottom half was so large is hard to believe that it was able to fly. The bumblebee is often referred to as the apex pollinator. If you move slowly they let you get close to them and pay very little attention to you.
There were several other species of bees buzzing nearby, enjoying the flowers on the mint plants. The hot days this past week have caused the mint to start to seed; not the best for the taste of the mint leaves, but fabulous for the needs of pollinators. Our yard is pesticide free and we plant lots of edibles which attract pollinators. Interacting with nature is so much fun in the backyards of Greensboro. What have you seen in your yard this summer?
A splendid macro!
Posted by: William Kendall | Thursday, July 18, 2019 at 10:54 AM