Bee Nests and Insect Observations

Bee Nests and Insect Observations

September 5, 2019

Marirose Kuhlman describes her observations of bee nests and insects interactions.

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Bee Nests and Insect Observations Late August 2019 Marirose Kuhlman

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Male bees were in a frenzy along the cut bank of the road in a rarely-seen mating behavior called “mobbing.”

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A dozen male digger bees were vying for the opportunity to mate with females that had just hatched deep inside this burrow.

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Digger bees are solitary, so each female digs her own nest and provisions each egg with pollen and nectar that she gathers by herself.

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Western Little Leafcutter bees occupied several neighboring holes. I watched as female leafcutters arrived with loads of pollen or pieces of cut flower petals

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I saw several male Green Sweat bees fly in and out of nearby holes

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I watched this tiny bluish-green cuckoo wasp inspect various entrance holes.

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A spider wasp also went in and out of several holes. Spider wasps catch spiders and feed them to their larvae.