Bees Belong to Summer

Our native bees belong to summer. Granted, they technically have ties to any other time of the year too. Some bee species fly as soon as flowering trees bloom in early spring. And through the cold of  autumn and winter, not all bees are even gone. Underfoot, the next season's reigning queen bumble bees overwinter as adults in small, underground cavities; solitary bees likewise hunker down within their cocoon, packed snugly inside a wooden tunnel. 

An array of native bee species benefit from the pollen and nectar
of beautiful fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium).

With this natural schedule in mind, I would never have expected to find a distressing note that a few mason bees had emerged from outdoor cabinets brought inside the Museum during sub-zero temperatures. But there they were, dead in the classroom.

Bee emergence is predominately triggered by temperature. As we soon ascend into warmer days of spring and summer, bees will begin leaving their nests to find much-needed nectar and pollen provided by their preferred flowering plant partners. However in the absence of these food sources, bees will starve. And as anyone can imagine, the Museum building has a distinct lack of flowering plants. 

Sadly, three mason bees prematurely emerged and then starved inside our building. After mourning their accidental loss, I did my best to carefully scoop their bodies into a Ziploc bag for safekeeping. I don't necessarily take pride in it, but I do specialize in the dead. And while these few bees didn't make it to summer, I'll take it upon myself to make sure that they will make it into our collection.