On the way home, I decided to stop off in this field and see what kind of bee activity might be going on among these wildflowers. This large empty lot is not far from my home, so it is conceivable that my bees might be using this field for forage. Last year when I had looked at this field, there were a lot of bees, especially amongst the yellow clover.
Somewhat to my surprise, I could not see any bees foraging on these flowers. I did not see any yellow clover (maybe it is too early?). Why were there no bees? That question is pretty easy to answer. For the same price, bees will not eat at The Olive Garden over a nice restaurant. In other words, bees will always pursue the best nectar source available, for the least expenditure of resources. Somewhere very near this field is a far superior nectar source. This field is Applebees. Garbage flowers for suckers. But sometimes, in a pinch, we are reduced to desperate measures.
One day very soon, this field is likely to be a strip mall. This very spot may house a chain restaurant that foodies will sniff at. People will come and eat. Just as the bees go out every day they can, looking for a meal.
Aren’t we all in search of nectar? What kind of nectar do you prefer? The richest source? The easiest source? The bees have a built-in value system. We get to choose our own. There are so many flowers in the world, and the varieties of nectar are without number. Ninety days of life for a worker bee during the harvesting season may seem like a very short time to us. But describe 80 years to the hills and fields, and they will chuckle as they tell you it is like the blink of an eye.
So as I look at a field with no bees, I can only think that sometimes absence is as telling as presence.
Pretty profound thoughts for a young whipper-snapper like you. Time is relative and elusive.
This bee has a seen a flower or two.