Security Leek

e6filmusere6filmuser Registered Users Posts: 3,379 Major grins
edited July 8, 2016 in Holy Macro
I was photographing various insects on an umbellifer on our vegetable plot when I noticed some strange behaviour. A bumble bee seemed to be breaking into the opening bud of a leek inflorescence. It was surrounded by wide open inflorescences of the same sort but seemed determined to get its flowers very fresh. I don't know if it was trying to bite away the papery cover but it was certainly reaching beneath it.

EM-1, Kiron 105, f16, twin flash, hand-held.

Harold

1323032.jpg?ts=1467956380

Comments

  • Lord VetinariLord Vetinari Registered Users Posts: 15,901 Major grins
    edited July 8, 2016
    Lovely capture- interesting behaviour. Bumble bees are known to take short cuts to nectar. My rhododendrons and aquilegia flowers suffer from holes made by bumble bees in a hurry to get at the nectar.
    Brian v.
    Brian V.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/lordv/
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  • e6filmusere6filmuser Registered Users Posts: 3,379 Major grins
    edited July 8, 2016
    Lord Vetinari wrote: »
    Lovely capture- interesting behaviour. Bumble bees are known to take short cuts to nectar. My rhododendrons and aquilegia flowers suffer from holes made by bumble bees in a hurry to get at the nectar.
    Brian v.

    Thanks, Brian.

    Our foxgloves are probably the classic case. I must observe our aguilegias.

    Our bumble bee numbers are way down on recent years, with some signs of a slow recovery. This was the worst year for pollination I can remember, with apple trees with either few or no fruit and no pears. Hoverflies seem to currently be doing well but are too late for the early top fruit.

    Harold
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