There are Bumble Bees all over Tasmania.
Sure, they might have been introduced, given they’re not native to the island, but who wouldn’t want them bumbling around their garden? They’re delightful, and rarely aggressive.
These are the round, fat, fluffy ones that fill the balmy summer air with an industrious zzzz as they rattle around the blushing flowers, humming across acres of gardens, and getting drunk on all the nectar. Did you know they have four wings?
My friends’ garden in Launceston has a stunning array of blossoms, fruit trees and water features, attracting a chattering array of birds, and of course our little pollen collectors.
On my first morning I came across this dusty insect, its entire face buried in the nectar rich stamen. It could have just fallen asleep. Clearly it didn’t want to move on from such a feast, and as I watched, it finally just wrapped itself around the anther in a protracted hug. Mine, it seemed to be saying. The other bees tried, but they couldn’t even get close.
Bee paradise?
Angela J Dawson 