Sleeping bees

Sleeping bees

My friend Sarah told me that sometimes, after bees have had a good snack on some pollen, they take a little nap inside flowers. Their little butts stick out and they just snooze there for a bit, full and happy on a little petal. How cute is that? 

Here's a painting I did of a little flower I found on a walk in Pittsburgh, with a sleeping bee in it. You can see the pollen on his little feet, so I think it's safe to say that he's a happy little bee. This was a tough painting to let go of (I love it!) but it's found a great home. I hope you find some sleeping bees on your next walk, too! 

0 comments

Leave a comment

More Field Notes
Bittersweet (Nightshade)

Bittersweet (Nightshade)

|Liza Boffi
This little guy supports itself by tangling into nearby plants. It's a vine, and a relative of potato, tomato, eggplant, and tobacco. The name comes from the taste of the...
Sweetgum

Sweetgum

|Liza Boffi
American Sweetgum is a deciduous tree native to the eastern United States. It is best known for its fruit (pictured in the attached sketch) which is both a delightfully shaped...
They've got chemistry!

They've got chemistry!

|Liza Boffi
Hydrangeas are living pH indicators. The color of the blooms are determined by the composition of the soil that they sit within. You've probably seen them in blue, or white,...
Thermonasty: Great Rhododendron

Thermonasty: Great Rhododendron

|Liza Boffi
Rhododendron leaves are thermonastic, which means that they curl and droop in direct response to temperature. Above 40 degrees (F), they are flat and horizontal, but once the temperature dips...
How Beetles See

How Beetles See

|Liza Boffi
In my most recent series, Blossoms as seen by a Beetle, I speculate on how beetles experience the world, showing a blooming tree as seen through their eyes. Magnolia trees are...