Honey Bees and Bumblebees

Honey Bee on Milkweed

Honey bee feeding on milkweed. It’s a challenge to shoot a honey bee when they are feeding on small flowers like this as they only spend a quick moment at each flower before moving onto the next one. It’s like a buffet instead of a single course meal. Pennypack Ecological Trust, Huntingdon Valley, PA-US

Honey Bee in Field of White Aster

A honey bee feeds on a small white aster flower against a blue sky on one of the last days of summer. Asters and goldenrod are important sources of nectars for insects as Autumn settles in. Central Park, Doylestown, Bucks County, PA-US.

Honey Bee on Blue Mink

A honey bee feeds on the small blue fuzzy flowers of Bluemink, or ageratum houstonianum, in our bavckyard garden. This plant attracts plenty of bees and butterflies, and is so easy to grow you'll have a hard time stopping it. Newtown, Bucks County, PA-US

Honey Bee on Aster

A honey bee feeds on some New England Aster in late September. Won 1st place in the Annual Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust 2018 photo contest in the Wildlife catergory! The honey bee, along with nearly all insect populations, are in a disturbingly serious decline. Please try and find out what the native plants in your area are, and plant some. They are usually easy to grow, look nice, and may help sustain a local population of insects. You may not personally like bugs, but you'll miss them if they go, and so will your wallet when it comes to the grocery store. Pennypack Trust, Huntingdon Valley PA-US.

Blue Sky Honeybee II

A honeybee feeds on a small white aster flower against a blue sky on one of the last days of summer. Asters and goldenrod are important sources of nectars for insects as Autumn settles in.

Blue Sky Honeybee

A honeybee feeds on a small white aster flower against a blue sky on one of the last days of summer. Asters and goldenrod are important sources of nectars for insects as Autumn settles in.

Honeybee With Pollen Pellet

A honeybee, carrying a 'pollen pellet' on its hind leg, visits a yellow wildflower for a feast of nectar. These "pollen pellets," which also include nectar and can account for one third of a bee's weight, hang off their hind legs like overstuffed saddlebags. They bring balls of pollen back to the hive for food, and are secured to the long hind leg hairs for transport. I have tried to ID, but I do not know the flower the bee is feeding on. Tyler State Park, Bucks County, PA

Honeybee in the White Fields

A honeybee really stands out against the tiny white and purple flowers it is feeding upon. I am unsure of the flower type, but it made for an interesting looking scene. Shot at Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve, New Hope, Bucks County, PA

Honeybee in the Yellow Forest

A honeybee tried to feed on some early blooming goldenrod, the flowers of which were not quite open for business yet. Newtown, Bucks County, PA.

Honey Bee Hanging onto Goldenrod

A honey bee drinks nectar from the tiny yet numerous flowers of the native goldenrod wildflower, which is a brilliant shade of yellow this time of year. With the flowers being small, the bees do not spend much time at each one before moving. I caught this one feeding on the last flower of the stem before moving on to the next. Power Line Trail, Horsham, PA-US

Bumble Bee in a Forest of Coneflowers

To a bumble bee, a coneflower is a tree, and many trees are a forest. Bumble bee among some coneflowers. Shot at Power Line Trail, Horsham, PA-US

Honey Bee Mood

A honey bee uses the last of the fading sunlight to feed before retiring for the day. I loved the mood the lighting created. Tyler State Park, Newtown PA-US.

Honey Bee Feeding In Flight

A honeybee hovers at a tiny yellow bird's-foot trefoil flower, drinking nectar. I have been attempting to catch more insects in flight this season, and have had a few successes so far. A very bright sun helps, and we have had plenty of that this summer. Bonus round: find the tiny bug who is hiding in the photo! Horsham Powerline Trail, Horsham PA-US

Bumblebee Taking Shelter

A large bumblebee takes a position to ride out the rain. If you ever wonder where bugs go during downpours, they either do what this big guy is doing, or get under a leaf, which you can see if you look at the underside of foliage right after a heavy rain. This one looks like it got pretty wet, as this looks like a last minute effort to avoid the storm. Tyler State Park, Newtown, PA-US

Honey Bee on Golden Rod

A honey bee feasts on some native golden rod. With the small but numerous flowers that golden rod produces, it can be a challenge to get a good shot as the bee spends very little time in one spot, quickly moving on to the next small source of nectar. I got lucky with this shot, as it was combined with a beautiful late day sun that back lit the pollinator. Tyler State Park, Newtown, PA-US

Vibrant Honey Bee

A closeup of a honey bee feeding on goldenrod, against a vibrant background consisting of wildflowers with a hint of autumn. Powerline Trail, Horsham PA-US

Honey Bee Feeding in Fall

One of the last honey bees I have photographed of this season feeds on some White Aster wildflowers, with a peek at some Autumn colors in the background. Ended being a pretty good year for honey bee sightings in most places I usually visit. Power Line Trail, Horsham, PA-USA

Bumble Eyes

This bumblebee is taking shelter from a light rain that began to fall, giving me a great opportunity for a nice closeup. When it rains a bit harder, you can find many insects on the underside of leaves. If you think about it, a rain drop for them is like a water balloon to us. This is a milkweed plant, which is renowned for a monarch butterfly breeding ground, but is very popular with bees, especially these big guys. Newtown, Bucks County, PA

Minding its Business

A honeybee flies through a tunnel of leaves after collecting some nectar, and getting a nice coating of pollen in the process. Newtown, BUcks County PA.

Honeybee Energy

A honeybee feeds on the glowing nectar of a New England Aster flower, which is brilliantly lit by the sun. Horsham Power Line Trail, Horsham, Montgomery County, PA

Honeybee on Thistle

A honeybee feeding on the nectar of a thistle growing wild on an overcast day. Power Line Trail, Horsham, Montgomery County, PA

Honey Mustard

A honeybee feeds on the nectar of a wild mustard flower. My wife questioned what the lump on its hind leg was, and while I knew it was pollen, I didn't realize how specialized the process was. The little ball on its hind leg is actually referred to as a pollen basket, or corbiculae, which is a compressed ball of mostly pollen and some nectar held securely by long hairs on the hind legs, which are moistened to do the job by the bees tongues. The bees bring it back to the hive for food. Power Line Trail, Montgomery County, Horsham, PA.

Bee On Mustard Plant

A honeybee feeds on some wild mustard flowers, which are everywhere during mid spring. Power Line Trail, Horsham PA.

Honeybee on the Last Days of Spring

A honeybee visits some tiny white flowers, like someone lined up shots of nectar for it. Shot at Power Line Trail, Horsham PA