The Bees In Your Backyard

Interest in protecting bees is growing worldwide, but people's knowledge about bees is quite limited. Before we can #SaveTheBees we need to #KnowTheBees.

[The Bees In Your Backyard @BeesBackyard]

When I first saw this Xylocopa I thought it had orange pollen on its body. After a closer look, it’s not pollen, but parasitic triungulin larvae. These beetle larvae don’t directly harm the adult bee, they hitch a ride back to the nest and feed on the pollen and eggs.

creepy

[Utah State University College of Arts & Sciences @UStateScience]

USU Tooele ecologist Joe Wilson, USU alum Kevin Williams of @CDFAnews, Aaron Pan of @TexasTech
publish first-of-its-kind field guide on #velvetants
@PrincetonUPress @EntsocAmerica #wasps
@BeesBackyard #Mutillidae
Read more: https://t.co/LRoMPnTqcX

[Science Unwrapped at USU @SciUnwrappedUSU]

USU Tooele ecologist Joe Wilson, USU alum Kevin Williams of @CDFAnews, Aaron Pan of @TexasTech publish first-of-its-kind field guide on #velvetants @PrincetonUPress @EntsocAmerica #wasps @BeesBackyard Read more: https://t.co/MfMT5aqkVk

[The Bees In Your Backyard @BeesBackyard]

Colletes bees remind me of Valentine’s Day. Why do they make me think of Valentine’s Day? It’s because one of the identifying characteristics of this genus is that they have a heart shaped face. ❤️🐝

[The Bees In Your Backyard @BeesBackyard]

Did you know there are over 400 species of velvet ants in the US? Despite their name they are actually not ants they are wingless wasps and the new field guide to velvet ants of North America is available starting tomorrow at your favorite bookstore.

[The Bees In Your Backyard @BeesBackyard]

There are hundreds of species of native bee that are known as cuckoo bees. A cuckoo bee sneaks into the nests of a host bee and lays an egg. When the cuckoo bee egg hatches, its larva kills the host bee larva, and eats the pollen that was left for it. 😔

[The Bees In Your Backyard @BeesBackyard]

@Rindo77 That should have said “based on my data…”

[The Bees In Your Backyard @BeesBackyard]

I’m giving a talk this morning at 9 am at #EntSoc23
If you are here come check it out
How many bees are killed by cars? Answer: a lot

[The Bees In Your Backyard @BeesBackyard]

@Rindo77 FaceTime my data, I estimate that over 4 billion bees might be hit by cars each summer in Utah

[The Bees In Your Backyard @BeesBackyard]

@habitecture No publication yet, hope to submit by the end of the year

What differences are you seeing with speed?

[The Bees In Your Backyard @BeesBackyard]

https://t.co/FyYTBj1HB9

[The Bees In Your Backyard @BeesBackyard]

@reuocandum Yes those are Mason bees in the genus osmia and yes they are mating. Love the colors!

[The Bees In Your Backyard @BeesBackyard]

Winter is in full sing across much of North America. Spring is coming soon. I have seen small sweat bees (Lasioglossum subgenus Dialictus) as early as February in the Mojave Desert. I photographed this little bee several years ago visiting desert mistletoe in mid February.

[The Bees In Your Backyard @BeesBackyard]

Had to pull this one out of the archives.
Merry Christmas!

[Princeton Nature @PrincetonNature]

We're thrilled to announce that Common Bees of Eastern North America by Olivia Messinger Carril and Joseph S. Wilson is the winner of the Nature Guidebook Award awarded by @NOBA_Books! @BeesBackyard https://t.co/L3YtO303Cc

[The Bees In Your Backyard @BeesBackyard]

Onions might not be the first crop that comes to mind when you think of pollination, but studies show that various bees flies and wasps are beneficial for onion pollination in order to produce onion seeds. #beethankful

[The Bees In Your Backyard @BeesBackyard]

@OttawaSeed I think some of that statistic comes from suggestions in here: https://t.co/xpUIL3uUfF

[The Bees In Your Backyard @BeesBackyard]

#beeThankful for native bees, many of them are excellent pollinators of some of our favorite fruits and vegetables.

[The Bees In Your Backyard @BeesBackyard]

#beethankful

[The Bees In Your Backyard @BeesBackyard]

What would thanksgiving be without cranberry sauce? #beethankful