After an absence of 34 years, foraging honey bees have been more evident this summer especially on garden flowers and clover on lawns. A mild winter and early spring resulted in a number of bee swarms this spring and the establishment of increased numbers of non-managed or feral colonies. Overwinter survival of managed colonies was very good this past season as beekeepers have learned to better medicate their colonies and control bee mites, which also resulted in foragers being more evident this summer.
Bumble bees are the other major foraging bee evident on flowering shrubs and lawn clovers.
Our spring and dry summer have apparently been very favorable for bumble bees as they are abundant foragers. Carpenter bees, closely resembling sohtarv bees that make holes in wood, have also had a good year and they too have been abundant this season. By the time you read this hopefully it will have rained. The drought conditions are worsening throughout the area. The older leaves of tulip poplar are beginning to yellow and drop in response to the drought.