Earlier today I heard a loud buzzing noise in my lab here at the Turkana Basin Institute in northern Kenya. There are a number of wasps who make their home in the lab. These wasps construct nests from mud, which they then stock with paralyzed caterpillars or spiders as food for their larvae. Today however, … Read more
In keeping with the theme of where bees nest… A few weeks ago walking back in the evening from a day of looking at bees on farms, I noticed something sparkle on the path. Peering closer I discovered that it was a beautiful Seladonia bee and I wondered what she was doing out so … Read more
On a recent visit to Kakamega Forest in Western Kenya I noticed one of my favourite bees (a bee called Pseudoanthidium, also known as Carder Bees for their nesting habits) buzzing about near the windows. It was flying back and forth from the edge of the forest. This pretty bee is marked in black and … Read more
Dear All On a recent hike in southern Tanzania at the edge of the Uluguru Mountains I came across one of East Africa’s largest bee: the Giant Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa nigrita). This is a striking bee where the males and females are sexually dimorphic: meaning that they look very different. The females are boldly marked … Read more
Hello – greetings from Turkana in Northern Kenya… Up here checking in on my lab at the Turkana Basin Institute and spent half a day looking at bees pollinating the cucumbers being cultivated at the institute. Cucumbers are one of my favourite salad items and make a refreshing snack up here in the desert at … Read more
Did you know that pollinators are responsible for about ONE IN THREE bites of food that we consume. Some two-thirds of all flowering plants on the planet are dependent on pollinators, most of them are wild insects and many of those are bees. Here’s the contribution of pollinators to my breakfast yesterday: I had a … Read more
Hello – just spent a lovely day looking at bees in the Kerio Valley (one of my favourite parts of the world!). An extension of the Great Rift Valley in northwestern Kenya, the Kerio Valley is a beautiful and diverse landscape that is especially rich in bees. The Kerio Valley is also home to a … Read more
Hello – Pollinators are responsible for about ONE IN THREE bites of food that we consume. Some two-thirds of all flowering plants on the planet are dependent on pollinators, most of them are wild insects and many of those are bees. Here’s the contribution of pollinators to my breakfast yesterday: I had a bowl of … Read more
Dear All I recently went hiking in the Pugu Hills which are near the port city of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. These hills contain some precious fragments of forests that once covered most of the East African coastal areas. However, today only tiny patches of forest remain. These forests are home to a lot … Read more
Dear All Many greetings, the rains over the last couple of months have brought forth some wonderful flowers out on the plains. Now with the mix of sunshine and abundant flowers, it is a fantastic time for the bees who are out and about in large numbers. Many other insects are also making hay while … Read more