close encounter with the BEES

We had the car parked beneath a mango tree with low branches. It's my habit to look around for something interesting. Nothing was interesting then, mango with leaves, low branches but no fruits. There were flowering plants around the central figure, mango tree.  We then went in Kakak's house, my eldest sister.

The next morning as we were about to leave, something at the branch caught my attention. It's a beehive. Like a brave man, I approached the low branch for a close shot.......... I never get close to a beehive before and that was the closest encounter ever. And that was a day old beehive.

beehive hanging low at mango branch - pic1

beehive, too low and close to be true. - pic2

___________bangchik and kakdah___________

my little vegetable garden

Blue-banded Bee loves tomato flowers

1. Blue banded bee

2. blue banded bee
probably eying the naked tomato flower, ready for a dive.

3. Blue banded bee

4. Blue banded bee
plunging horizontally

5. Blue banded bee

6. Blue banded bee

7. Blue banded bee

8. Blue banded bee
showing its very long tongue ready to dip into nectar

This blue banded bee is so special. It darts quickly all over the place, with a fixed mission to suck as much nectar as possible. As it darts, it rest and stays stationary for a second extra, before going into a nectar dip.  Just look at the length of its tongue in the last photo.., almost the length of its own body. The normal bees do not show such peculiarity.

The blue banded bee comes around solo, and it will always do so, and will always look for the blooms of tomato.

~bangchik
Putrajaya Malaysia.