Photo: Diane Edwardson, February 11, 2010. Bees loving the Jade plants blooming on Corralitas Drive. (Click on photo to enlarge.)About ten years ago, I noticed there were almost no bees in the neighborhood. It coincided with the stories of mysterious bee die-offs hitting the national media. There had been a rather sharp decline in the neighborhood too. I took notice because my dog was always fascinated by bees on our daily walks.
A few years ago, bees returned to the neighborhood. By then my dog couldn't walk very far, so we watched a lot of bees on the neighborhood flowers.
This year, it seems there are even more bees everywhere in the neighborhood. I don't remember ever seeing so many bees this early in the year. They are not aggressive bees, just bees doing their thing; collecting pollen and making honey. This is a good thing.
Perhaps the bee resurgence is due in part to neighbors taking up beekeeping. Learn more about it on Backwards Beekeeping.
