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msjessegray.bsky.social
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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msjessegray.bsky.social
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.
October 25, 2025 at 4:49 PM
msjessegray.bsky.social
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.
September 25, 2025 at 7:59 PM
msjessegray.bsky.social
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
September 22, 2025 at 4:14 AM
msjessegray.bsky.social
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
September 20, 2025 at 5:17 AM
msjessegray.bsky.social
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
September 19, 2025 at 6:08 AM
msjessegray.bsky.social
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
September 18, 2025 at 2:06 PM
msjessegray.bsky.social
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
September 16, 2025 at 2:33 PM
msjessegray.bsky.social
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
September 15, 2025 at 5:42 AM
msjessegray.bsky.social
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
September 15, 2025 at 5:40 AM
msjessegray.bsky.social
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.
September 10, 2025 at 5:21 AM
msjessegray.bsky.social
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.
September 9, 2025 at 4:30 AM
msjessegray.bsky.social
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
September 8, 2025 at 5:40 AM
msjessegray.bsky.social
A black, yellow & red bumblebee asleep face down on a daisy
September 8, 2025 at 5:31 AM
msjessegray.bsky.social
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
September 7, 2025 at 4:37 AM
msjessegray.bsky.social
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
September 6, 2025 at 6:05 AM
msjessegray.bsky.social
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
September 5, 2025 at 5:55 AM
msjessegray.bsky.social
One leaf cutter bee, & one set of sneaky crab spider claws

On Maximillian sunflower

#dailybee #bcnativebees #nativebees #pollinators #pollinatorgarden #crabspider #megachile
In the bottom of a golden yellow sunflower, a female leaf cutter bee is foraging, her wings out to either side, & her abdomen covered with orange pollen. To her left, a pair of red & white crab spider legs are juuuuust peeking out from between the petals
September 4, 2025 at 5:55 AM
msjessegray.bsky.social
Some of these leaf cutter ladies are real honkin chonkers

Giant Megachile on average sized Douglas aster

#dailybee #bcnativebees #nativebees #nativeplants #pnwnativeplants
A large black bee trimmed with blonde fur is perched on a light purple aster flower. She is extremely round, and is covering up most of the blossom with her body. She’s also carrying a load of orange pollen in the hairs under her abdomen.
September 3, 2025 at 6:23 AM
msjessegray.bsky.social
2025 Melissodes on Douglas aster

#dailybee #bcnativebees #nativebees #vancouverisland #nanaimo #nativeplants #pollinators #urbangardening
A shaggy bee seen in profile while perched on the yellow centre of a purple aster blossom. She has shaggy pants full of orange pollen on her back legs & her segmented antennae are pointing down into the flower.
September 2, 2025 at 4:17 AM
msjessegray.bsky.social
Sometimes finding new bee pics to post is beyond my abilities for the day, so how about this blue-eyed gem again

Melissodes/long-horned lady, summer 2024

#dailybee #bcnativebees #nativebees #nanaimo
We are right up inside a bright golden flower, and in the middle is a bee looking straight at us with one big spotted blue eye. She is peeking at us from over the edge of a flower petal, and has her front foot propped up on the edge.
September 1, 2025 at 3:46 AM
msjessegray.bsky.social
Megachile female from 2023 before I had a camera - iPhone macro lens is pretty good actually

Only downside is having to stick my phone a cm from their face, only practical on cold mornings before they’re able to escape me

Leaf cutter in Maximillian sunflower

#dailybee #bcnativebees #nativebees
Super close up of a leaf cutter bee inside a sunflower blossom. She has a dark body with silvery-blonde hairs, a striped abdomen with orange pollen-carrying hairs on its underside, and a large glossy black eye.
August 31, 2025 at 4:51 AM
msjessegray.bsky.social
Bees are just so flipping cute it’s hard for me to deal sometimes

Leafcutter male on Aster/Megachile on Symphyotrichum subspicatum, 2024

#dailybee #bcnativebees #nativebees #nativeplants #megachile #vancouverisland #nanaimo
An extremely cute grey & black bee with huge spotted grey-green eyes is perched in the centre on top of a purple and orange aster flower.
August 29, 2025 at 3:01 PM
msjessegray.bsky.social
Melissodes w/ their pollen pantaloons all big always remind me of Art from Monsters University.
Art from the Pixar movie Monster's University. He is purple and shaggy and shaped like an upside-down letter U with a mouth and hands in the middle.
August 28, 2025 at 3:36 AM
msjessegray.bsky.social
I think about what it might be like to operate at this speed & live for only a couple weeks

Their world is queererer than we can suppose, etc

Melissodes/long-horned bee lady on Grindelia

#dailybee #bcnativebees #nativebees #nativepollinators #nativeplants #grindelia #melissodes #vancouverisland
August 28, 2025 at 3:34 AM
msjessegray.bsky.social
I’m mesmerized by how this starfish has overlapped her wings across her back; venation creating sharp, clear linear patterns that then fade into raggedness at the ends

Yellow-faced bumblebee/Bombus vosnesenskii on perennial/Maximillian sunflower

#dailybee #bcnativebees #nativebees #pollinators
A black & white/pale yellow bumblebee is hanging off the inside of a bright yellow flower while it drinks nectar. Its 4 back legs are spread out in all directions & bracing against the petals. Her wings have come together into an oval in the middle of her back, highlighting the linework patterns of veins. The back end of the oval is ragged & torn & barely visible, indicating that the bee is getting on in bee years.
August 27, 2025 at 5:23 AM