Our Bumble Bee Population is Causing Quite a Buzz!

Bumble Bees are dancin' in my flowers!

I can't remember the last time I saw a Bumble Bee in my gardens. 
Until this year. 

Every day it seems that I see several 

out and about gathering nectar from my blooms. 

Take a look at that tongue!

This is such a delight that I decided to do a little research.

Just what exactly is going on here?

Why suddenly a population boom? 

I'd like to say that people have finally awakened to the idea 
that broad spectrum pesticides are poisonous 

to these beautiful and beneficial creatures.

While I can hope that is true to some degree, 

here is what I have discovered:

Utah had a very mild Winter  

(so little snow that some of our trees and shrubs didn't survive).  

Our Spring was moisture-challenged 

(as is our Summer...rain oh rain where art thou?) 

This has actually meant quite a boost for the Bumble Bee. Their population is noticeably up especially in Northern Utah. 

U.S. Department of Agriculture researcher Jamie Strange says a three-year pattern of one species showed a population of just 129 bees in the entire western United States. But now dozens have been spotted

this Spring in Logan alone.

Now that's something to buzz about.

So much so that Utah State University in Logan, Utah 

held their first ever  

Bumble Bee Workshop.

 Scientists and anyone else interested gathered to discuss conservation techniques, 

threats to these little creatures, 

and how to coax bumblebees 

into our backyard gardens.

This prompted me to want to learn more about our new little residents 

so I continued my research. 

Did you know that...

♥ Bumble Bees are quite large (3/4 inch long) and are shades of black and yellow but may also have white or orange markings as well. All Bumble Bees are furry. There are 50 Species found in North America, 20 of them are native to Utah.  

♥ Bumble Bees form colonies like the honey bee, but their colonies are small.  Bumble Bee colonies only survive during the warm season. New queens hibernate alone to begin another colony the following Spring.

♥ Bumble bees are important pollinators of many plants. Both queens and workers collect pollen and transport it back to the colony in pollen baskets on their hind legs.

♥ Bumble Bees only produce enough honey to feed themselves for a few days.

 

 

How's the Bumble Bee population in your gardens?

Short of wishing you a mild Winter, 

there are some things you can do.

Include a wealth of flowers in your landscape.

Be sure to include plants that bloom in the Fall.

Never use broad spectrum pesticides.

Here's a great website that will answer all your questions 

about Bumbles Bees.

.

June "Walk in the Gardens" Challenge...

I've been watching this weed with delight

as I walk through my gardens each morning.  

Common Milkweed

I was hoping it would show up again.

Fit for Royalty

 Most weeds don't stand a chance of growing in my gardens.

This one is nurtured...

for the hope of what may follow.

 Monarch Butterfly

 

In My Garden

I have loved butterflies since I was a little girl. 

I am fascinated by their quiet beauty, 

their colors, 

the grace of their movement, 

the stillness of their existence. 

 In my mind, they are surely a gift from Heaven.

When a butterfly enters my garden, 

a sweet peace fills my heart that my offering has been accepted 

and the whispering of "well done" fills my soul. 

 ♥  ♥  ♥

We don't see many butterflies here. Perhaps because we live in a suburb where caution is thrown to the wind as far as pesticides are concerned. This month alone I have had three young men at my door wanting to sell me pest control.  Imagine the look on their face as I politely share my thoughts on the subject: 

We are stewards over this beautiful earth 

and the creatures who live here. 

When was the last time you saw a butterfly frolicking through the flowers?

If you want to enjoy the wonders of nature in your gardens, you

must find other ways to manage any unwanted pests. 

No, I don't want you to spread a blanket of pesticide over my gardens,
and I hope my neighbors don't either.

BTW, I didn't plant this Common Milkweed.

Last Spring, after eight years of living here, it just sprouted in my flower bed.

And now it holds a royal place in my gardens. 
I'm hoping the Monarch Butterflies think so, too. 


♥  ♥  ♥

Don't Bug Me!

Bugs in my garden... 

that seems like a natural place for them to be.
 

And I'm ok with that...

                           until they begin eating my plants.

Slugs and Snails know they better watch out.  My grandkids keep them in check. 

Grasshoppers? They have a bounty on their heads... 25 cents for each hopper caught.

But there is one ugly bug that holds no welcome in my garden...

The Root Weevil

This little creature can cause more damage faster 
than any bug I know.

He hides at the base of each plant by day 
and unleashes his voracious appetite by night.

He methodically treads around each leaf 

removing large scallops as he goes

until each leaf looks as though 
they have been carefully edged with pinking shears.

Maybe he thinks he's beautifying his world.

I think he's causing havoc in my beautiful gardens.

Once he's made his little notches...

you'll be looking at them for the rest of the summer.

Root Weevils are a major pest in Utah.

They are seldom seen, but their damage is highly visible.  

They attack ornamental plants as well as food crops.

Organic controls are limited but effective under the right conditions. Parasitic nematodes are available from some nurseries and from mail-order sources. Keep in mind that natural controls are going to suppress the pest populations but do not eradicate them. That is because the predators would die out themselves if they were to kill all the weevils, so expect some notching to occur with this method.

The beetles can also be trapped if they are only bothering a few plants. Bury straight-sided glass or slick plastic tumblers around the plants so the top edge is even with the soil surface. Pour a half-inch of cooking oil in the bottom of the glass. As the beetles fall into the containers they will be trapped and destroyed. The traps need to be cleaned and the oil replaced regularly.

These pests are aggravating and destructive. Learn to tolerate some damage because total control is almost impossible. Concentrate controls on valuable plants that are the least likely to tolerate the damage."   ~Larry Sagers, Horticulturist With The Utah State University Extension Service