Hi! I’m Beatrice and I’m thrilled to be the guest contributor for Sundrops and Starflowers this year. Let me tell you a little bit about myself and my family… My scientific name is Apis mellifera but most people know me by my nickname, the honey bee. My ancestors, like many of your ancestors, come from Europe. I’m an Italian honey bee, but some honey bees also come from the area of Romania, Hungary, or Slovakia. Some honey bee families have ancestors in Russia, too. My immediate family was born and raised in California, arrived in Colorado last spring, and took up residence in Stephanie Selig’s backyard.
My family’s accommodations are called a Lathrop Hive. It looks kind of like a stack of boxes but it is perfectly sized for us bees. I live with my mother (our queen), my sisters, and a few brothers. My sisters and I do a lot of work. Our duties include caring for the eggs, feeding the developing larvae, foraging for food, finding water, caring for the queen, cleaning the hive, protecting our siblings, and more. We are very busy bees!
This spring when we have nice, warm days my sisters and I like to take short cleansing flights. We are very tidy and like to keep our hive clean. We also look for any available food and water. At this time of year, we are just as happy as you are to see winter Crocus and netted Iris in bloom. These little purple and yellow flowers are a great source of pollen for us in the early spring. If you have a birdbath, you may see a few of my relatives getting a drink of water there. We appreciate the fresh water.
I look forward to telling you about my activities throughout the coming year!
Beatrice mentioned that she really likes these plants right now:
