June 8, 2013 I feel like it ought to be stitched on my belt…”Seven bees on one blossom.”
This Hidcote hypericum, commonly called St. John’s Wort or Aaron’s Beard was given to us by my mother-in-law about 20 years ago. We never knew how much bees like it until recently, when we started keeping bees…but like it they do. I often stop to watch them in a frenzy hurriedly climbing over and through the anthers. Hidcote hypericum grows in a bush unlike the Hypericum Calycinum, Creeping St. John’s Wort, that grows along the ground.
Hypericum Calycinum on left…Hidcote Hypericum on right. I think the one on the left is much prettier, but I’ve never seen any honeybees on it. The Hidcote Hypericum grows in a big bush about 8+ feet wide by 8+ feet tall. (3 m x 3 m)
These two bees got into a disagreement over who gets to work the flower. I didn’t see it until I played the video on the laptop. The bee on the left was working the blossom first. I slowed down the action on the video so you could see it better.
I shot this short video to capture the action…
Another example of Bee-Havior and “Blossom Rights”
Bee sideswipes an innocent insect on side of crocus.
Adventures in Natural Beekeeping 