I have re-blogged this post. It is perhaps a bit too hard-core bee for A French Garden but some people may be interested in an update on the bee hotels I have in the garden.
On the fourth of September last year I noticed a hole in my bee hotel had been beautifully sealed by carefully arranged sections of rose petals. (See Some Megachile).
On the 24 of May this year I noticed a hole had been chewed in the centre of it.
I could not resist removing the remains of the rose petals to get a better look. A new little bee was making her way into the world. However, it was 19.20 and domestic duties called and the light was fading for photographs.
It was 11.04 the next morning before I was able to get back to my bee and she seemed just to be waking up.
Seven minutes later and she was not making an enormous progress.
Then two minutes later there is movement from the hole above her.
Now which one should I focus on? The other one is larger…
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a french garden 
Interesting. I’m all for bees thriving, no matter where they are.
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I have purposefully chosen flowers that support the different kinds of bees throughout the year to put in the garden and it is remarkable how many more I see in the garden year on year. Amelia
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A delightful update.
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Not too hardcore at all Amelia! That’s a really lovely post actually – the whole emergence thing made all the more beautiful by the rose petal decor! 😉
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When I commented on the original post….
I hadn’t noticed that rather marvelous HUMAN face on the upper bee….
[in the penultimate picture on this version…]
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It took me a little while but now I see what you mean. 🙂
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Not too hard core, marvellous! Almost like a time-lapse emergence, amazing! Thanks for reposting 🙂
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Thank you. So many people don’t know or care about the wild bees. I was talking to some French people yesterday who were very concerned about the pesticides being used here and their effect on bees, I added that the herbicides that are used in the vineyards must have an effect on the wild bees that nest in the soil (they love the bare earth to nest in) and they were quite surprised, they did not know about any other bees but honey bees. i.e. there are honey bees (good) and also wasps, hornets and flies (bad). Amelia
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So many people I know mistake honeybees for wasps or think we keep bumbles. Much bee education to be had! But a beginner saw a honeybee start to emerge from her cell this week and was awed. That’s the lovely bit of showing people bees!
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