Humble Bumbles

   I was looking at my blueberries early this morning to see if we had good fruit set when I noticed several  bumble bees, each just hanging onto a blossom.  Apparently they had been working late, were stranded by the rain or cold, and had spent the night clinging to a blossom.  I suppose it is also possible they had been stranded by an early morning rain storm.  When I took this photo there were other bumblebees busily working the blueberry blossoms.  I really have to admire the grit of the bumble bees.  They start really early in the morning and they work until its almost black dark. I wish we had honeybees that were so well adapted to our cool maritime climate.  The beehive in the background of the photo is my modified Warre hive.  I took a photo of the entrance of the Warre hive just after taking this photo and there was no activity at all.

Note the bumble bee in the center of the photo

Modified Warre Hive with no activity at the entrance 

    We have a huge rhododendron tree in our front yard.  I say tree because it is larger than some semi-dwarf fruit trees.  In late May and early June its covered with lavender pink blossoms and it is alive with bumble bees. With all of the bumble bees working the blossoms the plant is much louder than my little apiary of 10 honeybee hives. That buzz is already going strong when I go outside at 6:00 a.m. and continues past dusk. Bumble bees certainly can't be accused of working banker's hours. I've often watched the bumble bees working the blossoms, but I have only noticed a honeybee on the rhododendron once.  I'm assuming the structure of the flower or the nectaries is probably such that the honeybees have difficulty working the blossoms.

     It looks like our himalaya blackberries are getting close to blooming.  That is probably a consequence of our relatively warm weather in May.  I think we had close to ten seventy degree days scattered throughout the month.  I've lived in Snohomish since 1993 and I can't recall ever having seen that much warm weather in May.  I pay very close attention to the 70 degree mark as that is the magic point at which it is warm enough for queens to take mating flights. Now that we're into June the weather patterns seem to be more normal. Normal spring weather for us consists of highs in the mid to low sixties with a fair amount of rain showers, chance of showers, and chance of rain.  Now I'm concerned that the blackberries will bloom several weeks before the weather will be warm enough for a good nectar flow. Himalaya blackberries seem to be very temperature sensitive where nectar production is concerned.  At seventy and sunny they produce nectar profusely, At lower temperatures they seem to be a non-event for the bees.

Himalaya Blackberries on the verge of the bloom

Evergreen Blackberry with its deeply cut leaves.
Note the Himalaya blackberry leaves in the center of the photo.