Aside from butterflies, bees are the insects most folks associated with pollination.  They perform the bulk of the worldwide work, but a slew of other insects are also major contributors.  For these efforts, we can thank wasps, flies, and even the hated mosquito (responsible for most plant pollination in the harsh, arctic circle).  I, as well as anyone, am all too familiar with the frustrations of wasp nests or perpetual mosquito attacks, but Mother Nature maintains a delicate, beautiful balance and things never pan out well when we meddle.  Back in the 60’s and 70’s, there was a worldwide initiative to eradicate malaria.  Our DDT-based chemical warfare on mosquitos resulted in killing many of their natural predators as well as untold numbers of other species (including almost every bald eagle on the continent).  What’s worse is that we created an insecticide-tolerant “super mosquito” that has now turned the malaria disease into an epidemic.  Please avoid the use of any product ending in “cide,” and allow wildflowers to encroach across your yard.  This will directly benefit both your health, as well as that of bees and other critical pollinators.  Feed pollinators and we feed ourselves!

Bee Take-Off

Having finished his/her thistle flower pit stop, this busy honeybee takes off for the next blossom. Bees can be kind of scary, but without them, we would have almost no food. We need to better protect our pollinators! The toxic outdoor chemicals we use (insecticides, roundup, etc) just cause instant death to our tiny friends, and slow, cancerous deaths to us. Please just stop using any type of outdoor chemical that ends in "cide." Photo taken near Hartleton, PA, USA.
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Buzzing Bees

You may or may not be aware, but the vast majority of all Arizona honey bees are Africanized (killer bees). They have a rightfully-deserved fearsome reputation, but there are a lot of great things about these bees. For starters, they are wonderful pollinators and have shown a stronger resistance to neonicotinoids (the stuff found in many insecticides that kills bees) than many other bee species. They also only attack when you're close to a hive and provide warnings before attacking. Several bees will actually fly into any creatures they deem as beeing too close, so if you ever have bees flying into you, best turn around. After a number of headbutts and the continued approach of a trespasser, the killer bee hive may then mobilize their troops and attack, earning their "killer" reputation.
Africanized bees can be kind of scary, but they rarely cause death and at least they warn us. The toxic outdoor chemicals we use (insecticides, roundup, etc) just cause instant death to our tiny friends, and slow, cancerous deaths to us. Please just stop using any type of outdoor chemical that ends in "cide"
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Honey Bee and the Coneflower

When closely inspecting a purple coneflower (echinacea), the plant has a very alien appearance. This wild honeybee no doubt had quite a plunder at this enormous flower! Bees can be kind of scary, but without them, we would have almost no food. We need to better protect our pollinators! The toxic outdoor chemicals we use (insecticides, roundup, etc) just cause instant death to our tiny friends, and slow, cancerous deaths to us. Please just stop using any type of outdoor chemical that ends in "cide." Photo taken near Hartleton, PA, USA. Prints of this image are currently unavailable for sale. Please check back for availability.

Peculiar Pollinators

Despite being notorious blood-suckers, mosquitoes are actually quite wonderful pollinators. Only females suck blood, leaving the boys to visit flower after flower. Some cold, notherly places rely exclusively on mosquitos for plant pollination! Winfield, PA.
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Metallic Sweat Bee

These tiny, beautiful sweat bees go by many names, “Green Metallic” being one. Extremely effective pollinators, these insects collect both pollen and nectar to feed their young. Like other bees, they are essential to the pollination of many plants, some of which we count on for food.
Please abandon the use of roundup, or any other outdoor chemical ending in "cide." Many of these toxic products kill bees, and give us cancer. Shown on mint flowers. Photo taken in Winfield, PA, USA.
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Pink Coneflower Pollinator

A green metallic sweat bee takes his/her time collecting pollen atop an expiring cone flower. other bees, they are essential to the pollination of many plants, some of which we count on for food.
Please abandon the use of roundup, or any other outdoor chemical ending in "cide." Many of these toxic products kill bees, and give us cancer. Winfield, PA. Prints of this image are currently unavailable for sale. Please check back for availability.

Fancy Fly

A simply stunning fly pollinates a wild mallow flower amidst the early-morning dew drops. Bees and butterflies are vastly better-known for their contributions to plant pollination, but many fly species also aid in that necessary role!
Catalina Mountains, AZ.
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Teeny Tiny Hover Fly

In the cool early-morning air a hover fly rests at the pinnacle of a wildflower leaf. Like bees and butterflies, hoverflies are wonderful pollinators that should be equally-appreciated.
Some closely resemble tiny bees, but all hover flies are harmless! Winfield, PA.
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A Fly’s Eyes

When zooming in extremely close to an insect’s face, one can see the kaleidoscope of panels that make up it’s compound eyes. This wonderful subject is gold-backed snipe fly. Photo taken near Danville, PA, USA.
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Paper Wasp

A pretty paper wasp productively pollinates some lovely wildflowers. Willcox, AZ.

Honeybee Horde

Honeybees travel in a swarm when in search of a new hive location. Until the hive commences construction, this swarm is almost completely harmless. Tucson, AZ.

Beautiful Bumble

The Sonoran Desert has, perhaps, the highest diversity of native bees anywhere on the planet. This particularly stunning bumble bee (species unknown) as not alone as he flitted about the wildflowers atop Mt Lemmon, AZ.