Week of June 28, 2020

This is the final blog from our Florida Home, as we travel to TAProots Farm and our Keuka Lakehouse.  The COVID-19 pandemic is entering a surge phase in Gainesville so our annual retreat to Yates County, with only two cases in June, is well timed.  This blog will celebrate the BEES of Florida.  We have planted many flowers and shrubs to attract pollinators, but the butterflies and hummingbirds get all the attention, when most of the activity involves bees.  Early spring brings the citrus blooms and the honey bees, which of course are endangered.  We still get many and they are most welcome to make their orange blossom honey from our trees.  Our main venue for bee watching is the bed of blue salvia at the outer corner of the lanai.  This allows us to lounge in the pool and watch the parade of bees on the dark blue blossoms.  There are many species, especially small ones.  A couple of favorites are the large yellow and black bumblebee and the black bumblebee with the shiney behind.  A newcomer and instant favorite in the Florida garden is a whole hive of Four-lined Stinkbug Killer Wasps.  The name sounds ominous but they don’t bother us at all.  They are quite large 2-3 inches long with 4 yellow stripes around their bodies.  They buzz around the backyard all day and live in a hole they dug next to the driveway.  Summer would not be the same without our bees.