Our Daily Smart Bee

And sometimes the bees tell you which plants to buy! Gaillardias are tough plants and they fill me with the nostalgia of childhood prairie pastures. I just found out there are perennial Gaillardias--I must find out more about this. This red variety would do nicely in a hummingbird/bee garden of red flowers.

Our Daily Bee: The Land of Osmia

As I sort through my collections of bee photos, I thought it would be fun to try to post one bee or bee plant photo per day. This is a mason bee I saw two days ago foraging on Ontario and 20th in the Hyancinthoides hispanica (Spanish bluebells).

Observing Orchard Mason Bees (Osmia):

Look for pollen under their hairy abdomens.
Look for little white beards on males.

Good Question: Do male mason bees pollinate?

Yes, but only as they forage to feed themselves. The females visit more blossoms as they feed themselves and collect food for their progeny.