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The South End Daily Bee

@msjessegray.bsky.social

130 followers 150 following 290 posts

*Bees on hiatus; returning end Oct* Documenting the native bees in my small urban yarden Rewilding as anticapitalist resistance Snuneymuxw Territory South End, Nanaimo www.jessegray.ca

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The South End Daily Bee @msjessegray.bsky.social · Aug 11

Honeybees get way too much love- not only are they basically just free roaming livestock, but they’re objectively boring as hell to look at

Especially when native bees like this majestic specimen of a floof (male Megachile/leafcutter) are right fucking here in my backyard

#dailybee #bcnativebees

A grey male leafcutter bee with extremely floofy blonde fur is just about to land in a yellow flower. He has many remarkable features including huge jade green eyes, feathered white forelegs & a Mohawk of white fur across the front of his face

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The South End Daily Bee @msjessegray.bsky.social · 1d

Hey #Nanaimo! We need volunteers for this 1st phase of a larger project I’m developing “The South End Pollinator Patchway”- creating native plant gardens in my neighbours’ front yards for free.

Building community & strengthening the commons & creating habitat in our low-income urban neighbourhood.

Poster calling for volunteers on Oct 28 & Nov 1 to help build a pollinator pathway on Irwin street. Bordered by illustrations of purple asters & bleeding hearts, & 2 native bees flying around.

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The South End Daily Bee @msjessegray.bsky.social · 17d

Hoo boy I’m agreeing with Jeff Koons now this really is the wildest timeline 😂

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The South End Daily Bee @msjessegray.bsky.social · 27d

This is so amazing thanks for sharing!!

The South End Daily Bee @msjessegray.bsky.social · Sep 25

Adored this one when you first posted.

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The South End Daily Bee @msjessegray.bsky.social · Sep 25

We did a residency on Saltspring in June. There was a big area full of Andrena nests, & tons of Nomada.

I compiled my observations into these info sheets to share with the residency.

#dailybee #dailyisastateofmindwhenyoureaudhd #bcnativebees #saltspringisland #hemlockmicroresidency

A combination of photographs & handwritten text on a grey background. Photos are all of red & yellow Nomad bees, text describes my observations & gives basic info on this type of bee.

The South End Daily Bee @msjessegray.bsky.social · Sep 22

The petals gave up trying to hold this Chonky Queen’s weight

#dailybee #bcnativebees #bumblebees #queenbee #nativebees #nanaimo #vancouverisland

A large bumble bee queen is in mid-fall out of a yellow sunflower, her back towards the ground & her legs all over the place

The South End Daily Bee @msjessegray.bsky.social · Sep 22

Ugh so sorry to hear this you guys! Let us know if you need anything.

The South End Daily Bee @msjessegray.bsky.social · Sep 22

Looking forward to this!!

The South End Daily Bee @msjessegray.bsky.social · Sep 20

Berke Breathed also did quite a bit of trump dumping in the 80s I think.

The South End Daily Bee @msjessegray.bsky.social · Sep 20

From a few weeks ago

Melissodes female trying to balance those pollen thighs atop a wee aster flower

#dailybee #bcnativebees #nativebees #vancouverisland #nanaimo #nativeplants #pollinators

A long horned bee with back legs packed with pollen is perched precariously on the top of a purple aster flower. She has her wings up for balance and a leg in the air

The South End Daily Bee @msjessegray.bsky.social · Sep 19

Bee season is waning

Leafcutter lady/ Megachile fidelis on Grindelia doing the patented BBL (bee butt lift)

She’s putting that wasp waist to good use

#dailybee #bcnativebees #leafcutterbees #nativebees #nanaimo #vancouverisland #pollinators

A bee is in the centre of a bright yellow gumweed flower, collecting pollen. Her face is in shadow but her abdomen is pointed almost 90 degrees up from the rest of her body, with stripes of pale hair catching the sunlight

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The South End Daily Bee @msjessegray.bsky.social · Sep 18

Bombus butt (Bombutt? Bumblebum?)

Another queenie clambering awkwardly through the sunflowers, breaking petals & bending leaves as she goes

#dailybee #bcnativebees #bumblebee #nativebees

A large bumblebee seen from behind, climbing over several long leaves - her back end is striped in black, white, & rust red, & 3 of her legs are awkwardly splayed out to support her

The South End Daily Bee @msjessegray.bsky.social · Sep 16

Leap into the void

These huge queens have wings but you wouldn’t know it from watching them climb thru the sunflowers & fling themselves from plant to plant

#dailybee #bcnativebees #bombus #nativebees #vancouverisland #nanaimo

A black bumblebee with cream & deep orange stripes is sideways in midair between two flowers, her back legs starfished out behind her

The South End Daily Bee @msjessegray.bsky.social · Sep 15

2 different species of bumble queens out & about - they are so clumsy!

They’re freaking huge & flowers just collapse under them, but they also just can’t seem to travel or land without a lot of scrabbling & clambering & clinging to petals

#dailybee #bcnativebees
#bumblebees

A black, blonde & rust red bumble bee is crawling through a sunflower, using the petals like a climbing structure

The South End Daily Bee @msjessegray.bsky.social · Sep 15

Bombus vancouverensis vancouverensis aka Vancouver Island Bumblebee

Another massive, clumsy bumble queen, w/ a stunning colour palette & patterns

#dailybee #bcnativebees #bumblebees #vancouverisland #nanaimo #pollinators

A round ball of a bumble bee sits upside down at the centre of a many-petaled yellow calendula. The bee is a striking combination of white, black, & rust red

The South End Daily Bee @msjessegray.bsky.social · Sep 14

@jesseebirch.bsky.social cue ‘whyyy am i so maassive’

The South End Daily Bee @msjessegray.bsky.social · Sep 10

Have ‘Isn’t She Lovely’ in my head all the time when going through bee pics

It’s always true tho, just look at her

& she might be one minute old, I wouldn’t know

#dailybee #bcnativebees #nativebees #pollinators #nanaimo #vancouverisland #sweatbee

Most of the image is taken up by a golden yellow calendula blossom lit up by the midday sun, and in the centre of the flower is a shimmery metallic emerald green bee.

The South End Daily Bee @msjessegray.bsky.social · Sep 9

The compelling geometry of legs & petals & shadows & wings & antennae

Green metallic sweat bee female on Douglas aster/Agapostemon on Symphyotrichum subspicatum

#dailybee #bcnativebees #nativebees #pnwnativeplants #nativeplants #pollinators #pollinatorgarden

A shimmering metallic emerald green bee is seen from above as she perches in the orange centre of a light purple aster blossom. She has her legs splayed out to the sides for balance, her wings are up & her body is bent at the waist & the neck, & her shadow is being cast on the petals beside her. These elements together make a pleasing composition.

The South End Daily Bee @msjessegray.bsky.social · Sep 8

Emphasizing the size dif btwn leaf cutter female & green sweat bee male

In last post the little guy just flies straight into the huge lady, full speed bonk

Those dudes are fearless & relentless patrolling ‘their’ flowers

#bcnativebees #dailybee #nativebees #pollinators #nanaimo #beesbehavingbadly

A large dark bee is looking unconcerned while foraging in an orange calendula blossom, meanwhile a striped bee a third her size is just about to pounce on her from above

The South End Daily Bee @msjessegray.bsky.social · Sep 8

A black, yellow & red bumblebee asleep face down on a daisy

The South End Daily Bee @msjessegray.bsky.social · Sep 8

Ooh yeah! It’s usually the boys who sleep outside on flowers & they’re like frat boys passed out after a party, awkwardly draped over the furniture.

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The South End Daily Bee @msjessegray.bsky.social · Sep 7

Green metallic sweat bee males’ main job seems to be annoying other bees into leaving ‘their’ territory

Poor leafcutter lady never gets a moment’s peace

#beesbehavingbadly #dailybee #bcnativebees #nativebees #pollinatorgarden #urbangardening #vancouverisland

The South End Daily Bee @msjessegray.bsky.social · Sep 6

These ladies never seem to catch a break

Female Leafcutter ambushed by male Leafcutter hoping to create some
baby Leafcutters

Megachile on Helianthus maximilliani

#dailybee #bcnativebees #pollinators #nativebees #leafcutterbees #nanaimo #urbangardening

The South End Daily Bee @msjessegray.bsky.social · Sep 6

Yeah Bembix americana

The South End Daily Bee @msjessegray.bsky.social · Sep 5

Bee & my shadow

Agapostemon/metallic green sweat bee lady on Maximillian sunflower preening in the midday sun

#dailybee #bcnativebees #pollinatorgarden #urbangarden #beegarden #nativebees #nativeplants

At the bottom of a golden yellow composite flower, an emerald green metallic bee is lit from behind, & casting a distinct shadow of herself on the petals