Year 6 June - Reuniting with Our Bee Buddies 🖊️

-Spotting Dr. Will Robinson’s rabbitbrush swarm, nature’s revival!

June Joys: The Buzz is Back with Dr. Will Robinson’s Rabbitbrush Swarm!

I’ve been on a quest for bees this season. A few weeks back, while steering a bus on the west end of town, a little buzzy friend darted across my windshield. And then another joined, followed by yet another. My excitement soared at the thought of a feral hive in action.

But as I reached the hill’s crest, reality hit – a semi-load of bees parked along the right-of-way. The temperature was pushing 90 degrees, and it was high noon. Bees were aflutter everywhere. Not exactly the idyllic scene I had in mind.

In the latest Ameriise Journal, Dr. Will Robinson shared an incredible image – a snapshot of a Wyoming rabbitbrush swarm.

He shared:

I thought you might like to see some photos of a swarm I collected recently, so low in a rabbitbrush (Ericameria) brush that it was actually dragging on the ground. I collected it by sliding a grain scoop underneath it and clipping the supporting branches of the bush. It gives you an idea of how strapped for trees swarming bees are here in Wyoming.

Did it emerge from that bee truck mishap southwest of town? Or did it descend from the myriad migratory hives returning from almond fields? Regardless of its origin, it’s a glimmer of good news.

Back home, I’ve spotted a few bumblebees and some wild bees. There was even a honeybee with an unusually vibrant yellow hue, almost like cordovan, frolicking on the hollyhocks. But that’s been the extent of it. Here’s hoping it’s the modest beginning of a natural comeback.

Notably missing are wasps.

In my backyard, several thriving ant colonies have been a constant for years. One particularly lived beneath the patio, becoming quite a bother for anyone unwinding there. Yet, no more. The ants have vanished, much like our wild bees and wasps. Those that linger are not flourishing.

Could migratory bees be an unwitting carrier, hampering or even preventing a potential natural resurgence? Only time holds the answers!

I remain optimistic that, given the time, Mother Nature will stage a remarkable comeback. ✨

-Buzzing with hope, D 🐝🤠