Where are the bees?

Has anyone taken time from their busy schedule to note the dearth of bees in the air?

The silence of the bees is so stunning that it hurts my ears. I’m not just talking honey bees here — honey bees are a European import — but native bees, too. My wild lawn with big grinning dandelions, forget-me-nots and waterleaf is traditionally a feast for the hungry critters. My heather rows, once home to a teeming cacophony of bumbles, sits mute.

My mason bee population has plummeted. The apple, plum and blueberry blossoms sit virginal in loneliness. Will the squash and leafcutter bees make their annual summer appearance?

Only time will tell.

If you are a person that likes to eat, I would be concerned.

Julia Benson

Snoqualmie