A Plum Assignment

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Happenings in the insect world

Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey

Published on: March 11, 2011

When something is a "plum," it's something desirable, whether it be a "plum" position, a "plum" assignment or a "plum" reward.

With honey bees, a bee on a plum blossom is definitely a plum job.

The honey bees foraging today in the Häagen-Dazss Honey Bee Haven at Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility, University of California, Davis, were on a plum assignment.

A gorgeous springlike day with more to come, a colony building itself up, sister bees helping one another, and nectar and pollen all for the taking.

However, when I saw the bees packing huge loads of golden pollen, I figured: "They must be plum-tired."

Bee Heading Toward Plum Blossom

HONEY BEE from the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility, UC Davis, heads toward a plum blossom in the Haagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven, a half-acre bee friendly garden on Bee Biology Road. The garden is open dawn to dusk at no charge. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Sharing a Plum

A HONEY BEE and a hover fly, aka flower fly, share a plum blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Heavy Load

PACKING a heavy load of pollen, a honey bee buzzing toward a plum blossom appears to be "plum-tired." (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Tags: Haagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven (90), honey bees (422), plums (1)

Comments: 1

Comments:

by Kylie Barker

on June 19, 2018 at 1:40 AM

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