It is summer and my garden is full of life again. I see many bees and many bumble bees flying around. It always makes me happy to see them in my backyard. Insects are having a hard time in The Netherlands (and probably all over the world) because the use of pesticides and because many gardens nowadays often are fully paved leaving no place for the necessary flowering plants bees need.

I've been trying to help insects where I can. In the past years I planted many trees and plants that blossom. I also sow bee and butterfly flower seeds. These seeds give many wild flowers and they are perfect for insects. Every year my backyard has more flowers and this year I see more bees than ever before. The butterflies didn't show up until a few days back, but now that my butterfly bush is in bloom I've also seen more of them few flying around. It really gives me joy to see all these insects.

Snowberry

At this moment the snowberry bush is the star of the garden. It has small pink flowers and they give a soft sweet smell which the bees seem to like very much. When I sit in my backyard I can see and hear them buzzing around the plant. It's a lovely sight seeing them fly from flower to flower.

Today I went into the garden with my camera and macro lens. I took some close-ups of the bees and bumble bees. I hope you enjoy them. It is nice to capture these small moments and share them with others.
Which of these photographs do you like best?

Bees and bumble bees look similar but they are not the same. The ones above are bumblebees. Bumble bees are bigger, more round and look a bit furry.
Bees are smaller and more slim. They have smooth bodies and they move a bit faster than bumblebees.
In contrast to wasps, bees and bumblebees are not aggressive.

I've asked AI to give me some fun facts about bees and bumblebees:

• Bees can visit more than one hundred flowers in a single trip.
• Bumble bees can shake flowers with a special vibration to get more pollen.
• Both bees and bumble bees are very important for nature because they help plants make fruit and seeds.

It's good to see more insects in my garden. It shows that we can make a difference. If more people give space to flowers and flowering plants and trees, it would really help those little friends that are so needed.
Without these pollinators, there will be less flowers and they are also very important for the growth of fruits.
So help bees, bumblebees and butterflies where you can!

Friendlymoose