Franklin's bumble bee is a rare bee that has not been seen since 2006, but people have been looking for it every year. Along with the western bumble bee, it is being considered for listing as an endangered species.
When squash blossoms are abloom in Oregon gardens, bees take notice. And one of those might be a squash bee, which was only recently discovered to exist in Oregon.
While both bumblebees and honey bees are attracted to lavender, the plant is more popular among bumblebees whose long tongues allow them to efficiently extract nectar from lavender’s tubular flowers.
That tangle of dead blackberry canes just might be hiding new life! Look for hollow stems, signs that the small carpenter bee has built a safe nest for her eggs.
Have you ever looked into a flower and discovered a bee just sitting there? Depending on the kind of bee, it might actually be sleeping. And that's a great time to get an up-close look at these tiny marvels.
Do you sometimes see a hole in a pithy stem? You might be seeing a nest of the small carpenter bee (genus Ceratina). Hear about how to identify these bees and their biology.
If you want to raise bees in your yard but aren't up to maintaining a hive, old raspberry canes might be the answer. Friendly carpenter bees like to burrow into spent berry canes to create their nests.