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Question About Bees

Posted on 3/21/26 at 9:54 pm
Posted by Spankum
Miss-sippi
Member since Jan 2007
61758 posts
Posted on 3/21/26 at 9:54 pm
I notice my blooming azaleas here in central Mississippi are teeming with bumblebees and not a honey bee in sight. Why is this the case?

Is it simply a matter of preference? Are there just few honey bees left in my area? Are the larger bumblebees just crowding the honeybees out?

I have never seen this before with any flower variety.
This post was edited on 3/22/26 at 12:15 am
Posted by Turnblad85
Member since Sep 2022
5233 posts
Posted on 3/21/26 at 11:13 pm to
Seems like all I've ever seen on azaleas is bumble bees.
Posted by Tree_Fall
Member since Mar 2021
1209 posts
Posted on 3/23/26 at 2:09 pm to
Azaleas have a deep flower making nectar more available to long-tongued Bombas bees and less available to short-tongued Apis bees. There is also a toxin in the nectar that can impact Apis more than Bombas. Species pairing between flowers and pollinators is neat stuff.
Posted by cgrand
HAMMOND
Member since Oct 2009
48202 posts
Posted on 3/24/26 at 9:54 am to
another bumblebee oddity…all bumblebees die at the end of each season except the queens, which overwinter in hibernation. In the early spring the queens emerge, find a place to nest and start the colony over again.

The number of bumblebees at my house has exploded since we started planting wildflowers in earnest
Posted by Zappas Stache
Utility Muffin Research Kitchen
Member since Apr 2009
42939 posts
Posted on 3/24/26 at 11:27 am to
And Bumblebees are native, honeybees are not.
Posted by Columbia
Land of the Yuppies
Member since Mar 2016
3233 posts
Posted on 3/25/26 at 2:30 pm to
I’m not sure if honeybees work Azalea. They have certain blooms they find more desirable than others. You’ll see them hammering privet when it blooms…then on to Chinese Tallow.
This post was edited on 3/25/26 at 2:55 pm
Posted by armsdealer
Member since Feb 2016
12295 posts
Posted on 3/27/26 at 7:15 pm to
bumble bees are the superior pollinator, it is what you want to see. I don't see why you would want honey bees around unless they were going into your hive and providing you honey.
Posted by Turnblad85
Member since Sep 2022
5233 posts
Posted on 3/27/26 at 8:41 pm to
quote:

I don't see why you would want honey bees around unless



i like them around to pollenate my privet and chinese tallow so they bear lots of seeds.


just a good 'ol invasive frickfest
Posted by Dixie2023
Member since Mar 2023
4988 posts
Posted on 3/27/26 at 9:52 pm to
That’s what I’m planning to do. I’ve been thinking of a garden re-do and have decided to go with native wild flowers. Hope the pollinators show.
Posted by cgrand
HAMMOND
Member since Oct 2009
48202 posts
Posted on 3/28/26 at 6:43 am to
if you plant them they will come.
go to native seed and get a few pounds of seed mix once you prepare your beds and in no time you’ll have a spectacular show

no weeds, no watering, no maintenance
Posted by Dixie2023
Member since Mar 2023
4988 posts
Posted on 3/28/26 at 7:27 am to
Thank you! What a cool site. Did you go with the mixed seeds or choose specific seed packs?
Posted by cgrand
HAMMOND
Member since Oct 2009
48202 posts
Posted on 3/28/26 at 8:07 am to
I usually get the all perennial mix or the pollinator mix. I like a jumbled planting of all different types plus they’ll bloom at different times of year. I’ll usually get two or three years and then re-seed.

once you get a planting growing and blooming if you like one or two in particular then you can get more of those. In the first year or so the coreopsis and Indian blankets will dominate and then more different ones will start popping

this is going into the second spring, you can see what blooms first (all perennial mix)



do t be afraid to heavily seed at first planting
Posted by Dixie2023
Member since Mar 2023
4988 posts
Posted on 3/28/26 at 8:26 am to
Beautiful! Exactly what I’m looking for. Found the pollinator blend, thanks.
Posted by MemphisGuy
Germantown, TN
Member since Nov 2023
14330 posts
Posted on 3/28/26 at 12:11 pm to
quote:

privet


Speaking of... whatever happened to that idiot that was actually looking for Chinese Privet to plant as a hedge around his property? Wouldn't take ANY advice to the contrary.
Posted by cgrand
HAMMOND
Member since Oct 2009
48202 posts
Posted on 3/28/26 at 12:36 pm to
hopefully deported to china
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