Busy Bees

October 18, 2025 / Rebecca / 21 Comments

Earlier this summer, as I was out walking, I heard a persistent buzzing sound I hadn’t noticed before. Curious, I looked around and discovered a hive of busy bees tucked behind vines inside a hollowed-out tree trunk beside the road, each one diligently working away.

“The hum of bees is the voice of the garden.” ~Elizabeth Lawrence

—————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Throughout the summer, it was encouraging to see various types of bees diligently transferring pollen from flower to flower.

“For so work the honey bees, creatures that by a rule in nature teach the act of order to a peopled kingdom.” ~William Shakespeare

—————————————————————————————————————————————————–

I believe this was my favorite—the American Bumble Bee (Bombus pensylvanicus). Such a beauty! It plays an important role in pollinating many different plants.

The careful insect ‘midst his works I view,
Now from the flowers exhaust the fragrant dew,
With golden treasures load his little thighs,
And steer his distant journey through the skies.
~John Gay, Rural Sports (canto I, I. 82)

—————————————————————————————————————————————————–

This year, morning glories blossomed along my fence, and it was fascinating to observe the bees as they slept—with their heads tucked inside the flower blossoms and their tiny bottoms sticking out. When the flowers opened in the morning, the bees busily buzzed about, gathering nectar and pollen.

… Why are you so busy, pray?
Never still a minute,
hovering now above a flower.
Now half-buried in it!
by Julia Dorr

—————————————————————————————————————————————————–

“It is not how busy you are, but why you are busy – the bee is praised, the mosquito is swatted. ~Author Unknown

Amazing Moths

October 12, 2025October 12, 2025 / Rebecca / 21 Comments

Although less conspicuous than butterflies, these frequently overlooked insects display a remarkable diversity in size, patterns, and colors. Some serve essential roles as nighttime pollinators and are a crucial food source for larger creatures.

“I would rather live in a world where my life is surrounded by mystery than live in a world so small that my mind could comprehend it.” ~Harry Emerson Fosdick

Note: Credit goes to my husband for the Luna moth photo.

Gulf Fritillary

August 28, 2025 / Rebecca / 27 Comments

The Gulf Fritillary, also known as the longwing or passion butterfly, is a stunning and delicate insect. Its vibrant orange wings are accented with black streaks on top, while the undersides display white and brown spots. Their lives are brief, lasting only a few weeks. During this period, they spend their days feasting on nectar as one of their major sources of energy.

A butterfly just fluttered by
as little wings just kissed the sky.
And when it flew just out of view,
God whispered,
“I made that for you.”
~Anne Peterson

Praying Mantis

August 14, 2025 / Rebecca / 21 Comments

It’s impossible not to be fascinated by this alien-looking insect. I spotted it crawling along the handrail of the lake’s boardwalk. Busy on its prowl for prey, it paused long enough to give the human observer a curious glance.

From whence arrived the praying mantis?
From outer space, or lost Atlantis?
glimpse the grin, green metal mug
at masks the pseudo-saintly bug,
Orthropterous, also carnivorous,
And faintly whisper, Lord deliver us.
~Ogden Nash

Queen Anne’s Lace

June 12, 2025 / Rebecca / 18 Comments

Each year I look forward to the season of the stately and charming Queen Anne’s Lace. The delicate lace-like flowers, which grow wild along our country road, beautify the landscape, attract pollinators and provide habitat for a variety of insects. Ants, attracted by the flower’s nectar, are beneficial since they help protect them from aphids.

“Not a weed but a seed that has blossomed into a flower indeed.” ~Deborah Parise

Dancing Among the Asters

October 10, 2024 / Rebecca / 14 Comments

Each day, during my walk along the country road, I come across a small cluster of white asters. This area has clearly become a “happening spot”, serving as a source of sustenance for a number of pollinating insects. It is fascinating to watch as they perform their graceful dance among the blooms.

The careful insect ‘midst his works I view,
Now from the flowers exhaust the fragrant dew,
With golden treasures load his little thighs,
And steer his distant journey through the skies.
~John Gay

Nature’s Background Sounds

November 3, 2023 / Rebecca / 15 Comments

With the arrival of cooler autumn weather, the familiar chirps, rattles, ticks, clicks and buzzes of the insects have grown quiet. For some, the sound lacked harmony, but for others, it struck a peaceful chord.

“Music is in all growing things;
And underneath the silky wings
Of smallest insects there is stirred
A pulse of air that must be heard;
Earth’s silence lives, and throbs, and sings.”
~George Parsons Lathrop

Dragonfly Perches

August 17, 2022 / Rebecca / 9 Comments

Dragonflies use a variety of perches on which to land, and then utilize their large eyes to keep a lookout for both prey and predators. By choosing a good perch, they have the advantage of resting while being on the hunt. They are also able to use several techniques to regulate their body temperature from this resting position.

“There is virtue in work and there is virtue in rest. Use both and overlook neither.” ~Alan Cohen

Variety of Insects

November 10, 2021 / Rebecca / 15 Comments

I enjoy watching insects. I find them intriguing, both those that I commonly see and new ones that I come upon unexpectedly. Here are some of my summer and autumn finds.