It's likely that queens have been out for a few days now, but today was the day. It's a beautiful, sunny day, in the 60s. Flowers that would normally be very attractive to bees have been open for a couple of weeks now. Natalia Bjorklund reported a bumble bee sighting, so I grabbed a net and went on a quest. Several Bombus bimaculatus queens are active (I counted 5 at one time) around a Rhodadendron bush right on East Campus. They are busy collecting nectar, and possibly pollen (as evidenced by some pollen build up on the corbicula of one photographed queen) amongst their cousins: honey bees and mason bees (Osmia sp.). I noticed one other queen nest seeking around a stream bank, but cannot confirm the species. Looking forward to seeing these queens, and others, soon!

Despite several strangely warm days (over 70 degrees F) over the last few weeks, we've dipped back down to a cool, damp, gray cycle of lows in the 30s and highs in the 40s. I expected to perhaps see an early queen or two visiting our Quince bush. But no observed activity yet. The rain will be a good drink for some of the flowers that are already blooming. Hoping to see some bumble bee queens soon. I'll be posting open blooms shortly.

-LIL