spring flowers

Flowers for the Queen (Bee)

Queen bumblebee on purple hyssop by Kimberly Stoner, Ph.D.

Don’t mistake their small size for lack of importance in our quality of life. Queen bumblebees are among the earliest insects to emerge in our area, and their pollinating activity is critical to both them and us.

And if you imagine that early emergence gives them a leg up on the rest of the bees, think again. It actually poses a problem. The queens are their species’ sole support in April, but very few plants blossom at the same time they emerge.

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