Hi Steven - the variety is amazing, isn't it? I have a bug book, and I am thinking about keeping track of the different kinds I see, sort like a 'birder'. You must have created a little Eden for them to be so abundant!

I was wandering around in the woods near my grandfather's place recently and came across a HUGE spiraea (I've never had to look up at one before). I took a sprig back across the creek to ask him about it and one of my aunts said she used to have one but it "attracted too many bees." Can you imagine?

People who wander by to look at my garden seem reluctant to get near any bees, as if the bees would rather land on them instead of the flowers. I've been "buzzed" any number of times when I get in a bumble bee's way, but have yet to be stung by one.

I've been looking for honey bees, but have only seen a very few, so you're lucky to have them there. I've seen any number of small wasps here (they seem most attracted to the Eryngiums) and other tiny pollinators (like hover flies).

I felt really guilty earlier this week when I cut down a spent valerian and noticed, too late, a bee's nest in the stem. I have some awful-looking angelica still standing for the same reason. I feel compelled to tell visitors why it's there, as if the rest of the yard is so neat. : )

Steven - same here. Do you have any carpenter bee's? Mine especially love the morning glories.

Edna

How do you identify the different sorts of bees/wasps? I have them galore too, and quite a few different ones, but I don't really know how to tell them apart. Any pointers you'd like to share?

Eduarda

Such a timely topic. You would not believe the amount of bees/wasps/other buzzy things I get in my yard. Especially right now, with all my Drumstick Alliums in bloom. There is a constant hummmmmmmmmm going. I've gotten very used to them. I do my work and they do theirs.
Nan was out the garden one day and pointed out a honey bee. It appeared to be kinda chubby like a bumble, but without the fuzz. They move about kind of like a hummingbird. I felt honored to have them.
Last night I grabbed my camera and plopped myself down in front of my lavendar patch. The bumbles love it. I was trying to score some cool pics. I took a bunch but only a couple turned out decent.

We have tons of bees and wasps in the yard, as well as other bugs. In fact, I noticed a wasp's nest in one of my tiny birdhouses on the side of the garage. There couldn't be more than two inches of usable space inside there, but they were building a nest. The bees don't bother me at all, they just do their work and leave me alone, even when I'm working right next to them.

I tried to snap some photos the other day of them working in the spiderwort, but none of them came out. They kept moving right when I snapped the photo!

Tracy

Funny that this topic was brought up, because I was thinking about this yesterday while weeding.

One thing gardening, and this forum, has brought to my attention is how a garden fits into our eco-system. Yesterday while weeding and watering, I saw dragonflies, bees, swallowtail butterflies and spotted a couple of hummingbirds sipping from the salvia greggi.

I know this might sound strange, but I felt very privileged to have these creatures in my garden. They are fascinating!

A few years ago I was terrified of bees and wasps, in general. Now I fully realize their purpose and I've come to respect them and enjoy them.

Marilyn

I'm just wondering where all the bumblebees are! I adore them, and haven't seen nearly as many as I've seen in past years. I definitely have my share of carpenter bees though :(

Hi all

Great topic- i was going to start a similar thread asking you're advice how NOT to e so darn afraid of them.

OK- I moved out to this "country" home in NJ over 4 years ago. When I got here i was scared of everything.. I grew up in an urban suburbia and don't liek bugs.I was scared of lady bugs, butterflies,moths, dragon flies- everything. Once i got out here- boy was I in for a shock.. Unidentified bugs everywhere.. It's a curse to love gardening and be so afraid.

I am working on it sooo hard.. I know have come to LOVE my MANY MANY MANY bumblebees. But I still get nervous if they buzz me too close.I usually shriek and then realize it's just a bumble and I'm ok. But pretty much all the other bees and wasps I am afriad of. It has gotten to the point that i wont go out and do what i want to in the garden becaus eI am afraid i will see one! UGH. it's terrible. I force myself. I scream daily- several times. My neighbors all think I am insane. ha

Anyway- over the last few years ( as my garden grew) I have seen more and more different wasps..This yeat I had to look up two on line. I had a shiny metallic green one.. ( apparently a cuckoo wasp) and a pretyt darn big black one with a white strip.. which was a potter wasp. That one was VERY docile. it hangs out on a flower and like never moves! I can deal with that. If it took flight- i'd be a mess though.

And for the 2nd year in a row- i had a 2 inch long wasp in my garage and it dissapeared before I could ID it or decide if it would live or die( i know I am so bad- and i try not to use any chemicals and here I am killing wasps) Since this is the 2nd year and both times it disappeared wihtout a trace, I assume it is harmless and though i dont know what it is and it's the biggest thing I have ever seen- I will be sure to let it live.

The bald faced hornets and yellow jackets just scare the CRUD out of me. Do you all kill the yellow jacket nests? we killed two so far.. am I terrible?!

It's so against everything I beleive in- but my fear controls me most times. By the way- i now adore butterflies, tolerate moths,love dragonflies ( though anythign buzzing me willscare me at first- every time!)

I hope I can get to the point where I can appreciate the wasps- but the paperwasps and such scare the junk out of me..

any advice is greatly appreciated. I'm liek a prisoner in my garden.. it's terrible. Maybe marilyn can tell me how she got over it..?

Tracey in NJ- you can have some of my bumbleys.. i have plenty to share! haha

I hope the more other wasps you get the less yellow jackets? haha

Eduarda - that's a good question regarding how does one identify species of bee/wasps. I had no clue myself until I ran into an entomologist at Annie's Annuals. That's when I discovered I had carpenter bee's in my yard. There are literally hundreds of species that hang out in our gardens everyday and we don't even know it. I captured a few photos in my yard, I'll post them on the Gallery side. From the largest bee to the smallest.

Edna

I LOVE bumblebees! I am always tempted to pet one. When playing soccer in elementary school I stopped to watch the bumblebee on my finger while the rest of the class left me in the dust. I think maybe I DID pet it.

I have an abundance of bees, wasps, dragon flies, ect all over my yard. I LOVE watching them work over the flowers and like Marilyn said - consider it an honor that they love my gardens. I feel like I am providing a service to nature with my little habitat of green because we seem to live in a society that will pave everything at a drop of a hat with no regard to nature.

I work daily in amongst them and have not gotten stung. They do their thing and I do mine. I also have an abundance of chameleons (North Carolina anoles). My day wouldn't be complete if I didn't run into a few of them. They seem to be territorial so I look for them where I know they live. Two of them love my shade house and greet me everyday......

Lynne

Several years ago I bought the Audubon Field Guide to Insects and Spiders. I have found it really useful, as I have developed a curiousity as to who it in my garden. You really do start to 'see' all of the inhabitants of this creation that is your garden. I also have one on Butterflies and Moths, not sure if it is Audubon, as well as a bird book. The neighbourhood kids love it, when they find something they've never seen before and I can look it up in the book! I do despair at their reading ability, though!

Anyway, what I wanted to say, is that the books are filled with great photos, to help you easily identify whether they are friend or foe. Great fun.

And friend, I am getting used to dragonflies landing on me, but not the bees yet - and I do hate wasps!

Here is a link that might be useful: Audubon books

A few years ago, we had a bald faced hornets nest about 25' above our hot tub. Imagine resting in the hot tub, looking up, and seeing this huge nest directly above you! We left the nest alone until frost killed it. Needless to say, that was the best year we had outside; there weren't nearly as many yellowjackets around. I have yet to find a yellowjacket nest. I guess queeny BFH didn't build another nest nearby :(

I've had a few wasps making nests in pipes I'm using as stakes in my veggie garden. I had to plug them, using Play-Doh. Harvesting tomatoes is an experience it itself; I don't need to worry about being stung by wasps! After I plugged up one of the pipes, we noticed a wasp trying to get in. He had a katydid (or something similar), trying to get back in. It was interesting to watch...

The only time of year I dread is when my white buddleia blooms; it's impossible to deadhead during the day, literally covered with carpenter bees. It seems they're alot more aggressive this year than past years.

Lynne, your talking about my favorite "porch pets". I have so many of them and I love watching them grow through the warm days of winter when they venture out for a warm sunny day and then grow and breed through the summer just in time to meet some of the babies before they retreat for the cold. The anoles and the garden spiders are the greatest porch pets that I never intended on falling in love with. I thought I gardened for hummingbirds (and bees too) but turns out these are my unexpected favorites.

This is in January
{{gwi:713590}}
Look how tiny. He is on a holly leaf. I wonder if it is this same guy I caught on video shedding the other day. LOL.

Here is a link that might be useful: anole video

I've noticed a ton of bumble bees in my lavender, but not much else. :-( Sweat bees, I have those in abundance. And wasps, too. I have tons of butterflies, and I had some adorable chipmunks until my darned cat killed one and brought the other one to me with a broken arm. I had to take it to the nearby wildlife rehabilitation center and they put a pin in its broken arm to repair it. They asked if I wanted to re-release him into my yard when he is rehabilitated, but I had to decline for fear that the cat would get him again, especially in his weakened state.
I also found a metallic blue lizard in my mulch pile--I'm seriously untutored in the names and species of all the critters in my yard, but he was really neat! Where's the camera when you need it!?

hollywog, is this your guy? This is the only blue lizard I know of but it is only blue on the underbelly and throat.
{{gwi:562382}}

This is an eastern fence lizard. I know there are also northern fence lizards too but I think they are similar.

I take it has a compliment when I have as many different insects and critters in my yard as possible. Last year it was bees-this year it seems to be lizards.
I know a lot of people are afraid of bugs but I am only afraid of brown recluse spiders, black widows and I HATE rats. My children taught me not to be so afraid because they love all animals/insects.
Gigi