That tiny anthill you noticed may actually be the entrance to a ground-nesting bee family. A single female bee excavates a ground nest by using her saliva and tough mandibles to break up and move soil.
When submitting photos of bees for iNaturalist identification, consider your angles. Providing photos of the bee’s abdomen, head and thorax from multiple angles can help ensure accurate identification.
Goldenrod crab spiders are adept at ambushing bees by changing their color to match the flower they're inhabiting. The spider will sit in the center of a flower and when a bee moves near, the spider attacks.
Emerald green sweat bees are striking in appearance with coloring that ranges from metallic green to blue or purple. It is found throughout the US from sea level to about 8,000 feet but is most common on the West Coast.
This group of lesser-known perennials that can make your garden last longer and attract more pollinators. Here are five suggestions for attractive flowers to fill out the late-season bloom.
In late summer as most seasonal flowering plants start to wither, the cheery garden cosmos is still blooming strong. It is also attracting a diversity of bees, pollinators and other beneficial insects.
Many home gardeners put much effort into attracting bees to their summer flower and vegetable gardens. But it's just as important to be bee-friendly in the fall and winter. Here's how to do it.
How do wildfires affect Oregon bees? Flames and heat can destroy their nests and smoke can disrupt their navigation abilities. But research shows they rebound strongly along with other flora and fauna after a fire.
The white mariposa lily is a bulb-forming perennial that produces a flowering stem up to 20 inches tall. Flowers have three large white petals with purple blotches, and bloom occurs June to August.
Mountain death camas is a perennial that grows in mountain meadows, rocky slopes and forests. Its creamy flowers bloom in the summer. The plant is toxic, including its pollen and nectar, and attracts one type of bee.