Although it’s raining today (which makes it a good day to blog), the weather lately has been really nice – not too hot and not too cold. This nice weather has attracted lots and lots of buzzing bees to the Baja Fairy Duster plant (Calliandra californica) in the backyard.
A bee visiting a Fairy Duster flower.
Another bee on another flower.
I love the sound of the buzzing bees flying to and from the Fairy Duster, and from flower to flower.
Listening to the buzzing bees.
I have also discovered that the bees are quite tasty, but – like many things here in Arizona – they are also SPICY.
I guess I’ve become a true Arizona Borzoi because I just LOVE those SPICY bees! However, hunting and catching these spicy treats takes a bit of practice and a whole lot of patience.
The trick is to plant yourself close to the Fairy Duster and keep careful track of all of the bees by watching for and listening to them.
Careful attention must to paid to the plant.
Is that one there? No…
Maybe there? No.
Ah-ha. There’s one!
Oh, yeah. Look at that yummy, spicy treat.
Once you’ve located the bee or bees, you have to keep careful track of them because you can’t just snap them off the flowers – where’s the sport in that? Besides, you’d get so much flower and leaves in your mouth you’d probably never even taste the yummy, spicy bee.
What you have to do instead is wait for one to fly past, chase it, and try to snap it up, or at least knock it out of the air.
There goes one!
I’m gonna get you!
Hey, where’d it go?
I hear it!
Darn, there it goes, flying away…
Back to watching and listening…
Ooh, there’s one!
And there it goes!
Starting over again. Third time’s a charm, right?
Listening carefully.
Is that one?
There it goes!
Hey, where is it?
Ah, there it is.
SNAP! Oh yeah! Knocked it right out of the air!
Oooooh – that’s one angry bee!
CHOMP! But sooooo yummy!
And (whoo!) SPICY! I think Jack is jealous.
And so, there you have it: How to hunt bees, and get yourself a spicy treat.
Oh, Mom wants me to remind you of one thing. Don’t hunt KILLER bees.
–Sergei
