Sawfly in clover

Just uploaded this to the sawfly page. Another reminder on this freezing cold day that we once had warm weather. For a couple of weeks the clover in the fields were full of these adult sawflies. They moved around very lazily, and did not seem to care when I moved grass blades out of the way. It was warm so the lazy movement wasn't because they were cold.

Bombus hortorum photographs

The photograph above shows a hortorum worker in the typicla pose they take up when they are feeling threatened. In this case it was probably my camera strap waving around as I tried to get this photograph. She went back to feeding as soon as I backed off. The close up of the madibles below are of the same hortorum worker. It shows their sculpturing.
The photograph below is another of the same worker. I like this one because the light has managed to catch and show all 3 ocelli clearly.

It seems strange to be writing about these photographs taken on a sunny summer day when I am now sitting in front of a log stove and contemplating putting on my thermal gear to take my dog out for a walk in the snow which must be at least 50 cm deep in places. But today is also a beautiful sunny day, although it will start to get dark around 3 pm, and it is just above freezing. Never mind a brisk walk around the woods for an hour will give me an appetite for warm spiced bread in front of the fire when I come back.

Bombus lucorum mating

The photograph below was sent in by Nurturing Nature, and shows a male and queen Bombus lucorum mating.

Bumblebee nest box plans

I've succumbed and made a page of very simple plans for nest boxes using flowerpots and other stuff. It is so sad that people spend a fortune on commercial nest boxes, that often have unsuitable or no nesting materials, then site them in the wrong place and get so disappointed. Even if they do everything right their chances of success are only 25% at best. And this is why I've tried to keep away from this subject. There is no house hunter more picky than a nest searching queen. Her des. res. is dingy tunnel leading to an abandoned mouse/vole nest complete with nesting materials as well as poo and smell of urine. Not a beautifully crafted pine box stinking of glue and pine resin stuck on the end of a pole.

Bombus hortorum photgraphs

These three photographs were taken in July, and I have just now got round to processing them. The one above was taken in the woods by a path. The path is near the edge of the woods, and this patch of scabious is nearly always full of bumblebees, hoverflies moths and butterflies.
The photographs above and below were taken in the garden. I planted a lot of lavender in the garden as I love the smell and it is so good for bumblebees, moths and other insects. In the past week I've been trimming the lavender, and even then it is a pleasure as when you cut it you are rewarded by the lovely smell. A couple of days ago I was turning the compost bins - not a job I enjoy - but the recently cut lavender stems still smelled so nice. I have one more bin to do. We have 3 bins in all, and it is amazing how quickly they fill up.

In the photograph below the worker is foraging on Viper's bugloss. I didn't plant this flower. It just grew, and I let it grow to see what it was. Well, it was wonderful. I cannot recall a time when it did not have a bumblebee on it. Hortorum and pascuorum used it most, but little pratorum workers managed to squeeze into the flower too. So it is perfect for the longer tongued bumblebees. I am hoping it will self-seed for next year.