Micro-ecologies

[randy_byers]

So we're probably all familiar with the idea of micro-climates, where my east-facing hillside near the lake may have an appreciably different climate from your your south-facing slope a half mile inland from the lake. Well, what about micro-ecologies? As I've written before, I haven't seen more than a stray pair of honeybees around my house in a number of years. We used to get them in the raspberries every year, but no longer. It's mostly just bumblebees now. I've attributed their disappearance to the two big die-offs of honeybees in the past decade. However, I just now spotted a flowering hedge at 42nd and 11th here in the U District that was full of honeybees. Now I'm wondering whether there was a hive in the old cherry tree across the alley from us, and whether the honeybees disappeared when the cherry tree was cut down to make way for townhouses.

So now I'm curious whether any Seattlites reading this have seen honeybees in their neighborhoods. (I know that akirlu and libertango see them at their place in Kent.)

Comments

[bluewoad.livejournal.com]

Some, but mostly bumblebees in LFP.

[kate-schaefer.livejournal.com]

The bees I've noticed so far this year have been bumble, mason, sweat (where sweat bee = any smallish bee that I can't be troubled to sort out from the other smallish bees), and a few honey. I think. I haven't spent as much time gardening this spring as I usually do, so I haven't seen as many bugs as usual. Haven't seen any ladybugs copulating, for instance, and I usually see a fair amount of that.

Most of the bees I've seen have been the big guys, more bumblebees than mason bees. I haven't seen any of the flies that look like honeybees yet this year.