Milkweed flowers wilting.

I'm seeing few *monarch* butterflies, but many butterflies of other species from large to small, together with about a billion bumblebees, a few honeybees, and many other flower-visiting insects. Flowers here are humming with pollinators.
 
SPedigrees said:
I'm seeing few *monarch* butterflies, but many butterflies of other species from large to small, together with about a billion bumblebees, a few honeybees, and many other flower-visiting insects. Flowers here are humming with pollinators.
Click to expand...
:love:thumbsup
 
@SPedigrees i'm glad to hear you are seeing bumblebees, they've gotten so scarce here the past four years, i wish i could build something that they would really target as a nesting site so we would have more.

i do notice that they are common on the squash plants and also the lima beans, besides the point that we love both of those vegetables i try to keep some planted each season for the flowers too.
 
Flowerbug, do you have a lot of honeybees? I have noticed a big increase in the bumblebee population since our honeybees almost all disappeared. I know that two different families within a 2 mile radius of us used to keep honeybees, and now they no longer do, so that probably explains their disappearance from my gardens. I have to figure that with greater food resources, the bumblebees moved in to fill the vacuum.

Our bee balm (aptly named) is blooming now and the pollinators are having a field day. I took a video the other day that I'll try to post. I love to watch them! I could stand out there looking at them all day. The video shows bumblebees, fritillary and tiger swallowtail butterflies, and a hummingbird moth. I'll see if I can get it to post.
 
SPedigrees said:
Flowerbug, do you have a lot of honeybees? I have noticed a big increase in the bumblebee population since our honeybees almost all disappeared. I know that two different families within a 2 mile radius of us used to keep honeybees, and now they no longer do, so that probably explains their disappearance from my gardens. I have to figure that with greater food resources, the bumblebees moved in to fill the vacuum.

Our bee balm (aptly named) is blooming now and the pollinators are having a field day. I took a video the other day that I'll try to post. I love to watch them! I could stand out there looking at them all day. The video shows bumblebees, fritillary and tiger swallowtail butterflies, and a hummingbird moth. I'll see if I can get it to post.
Click to expand...

yes, we have a lot of honey bees and at times they can crowd out native bees. a beekeeper has placed a large number of hives near our property.

i like all sorts of bug watching too. :) sometimes i just go out and watch 'em. as a kid i kept ants and studied them and bees and ... after some time you realize that ants have done pretty much all of the same habits as humans, they farm plants, animals, fungi, have wars, etc. if you are ever into a good winter read on them _the Ants_ by Holdobler and Wilson is well worth picking up from the library. :)
 
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