You need a bit of patience to see a Small Carpenter Bee, genus Ceratina, well. I caught this little male, put him in a jar in the freezer, and then took photos as he woke up (yes, this is all quite rude). I let him go right where I found him and will forever cherish these little bees when I catch them zipping around our flowers. (Image: Brendan McGarry)
Recently, I was out in my garden pulling up old pieces of bamboo used for fencing around some fragile native plants getting established. I was in the process of making a pile of them to burn, when I noticed several had their hollow ends delicately cemented in. Several years ago I would have thought almost nothing of this, but these little plugs brought me back to spring and the delights of plants and their pollinators. It was a gentle reminder that life is still going, even in the middle of winter.
Until I started learning about bees through the Washington Native Bee Society, joining the Washington Bee Atlas, and studying to become an Apprentice Master Melitologist through Oregon State University (half measures be damned), I probably wouldn’t have had much to say about what bees are doing during the winter. Or rather, I probably wouldn’t have even realized it was a question to ask. Most of us know that insects aren’t out in force during the winter and we generally understand they have to go somewhere during that period of time. But most of us don’t dwell on these ideas and certainly don’t consider them when we go about our annual gardening tasks.
The capped off ends of my bamboo poles were almost certainly created by a Mason Bee. These members of the genus Osmia are well known for their pollination services (they are much more efficient pollinators than European Honeybees), as well as their particular style of nest. Continue reading
