Busy Bee!

I've read articles about the declining bee population and what that means for the world's vegetable growers. Since many veggies out there require a little help in pollinating and bees do a lot of it, a decline in their population could mean trouble.

Even in my own garden, the pumpkins and cucumbers both need a pollinator to get the pollen from the male flower to the female flower. I haven't seen a huge number of bees around over the last few months and I've resorted to hand pollinating pumpkins to help guarantee at least one good fruit. Of course, with my very productive cucumber crop I am inclined to believe there are some bees working covert missions in the garden.

Today, however, I caught the bees hard at work, buzzing from pumpkin flower to flower. It was nice to seem them. It seems with the return of cool, fall weather things are coming alive again. Pumpkin vines are growing new leaves and more flowers. Lettuce doesn't look wilted anymore. And that must be why the bees have returned to work. Even I like working outside more when its cool.

Enjoy some pictures of my little garden helpers, getting pollen grains all over themselves and the leaves......