Sweat Bees in the Weeds

There is nothing more enjoyable than watching sweat bees swarming in the afternoon. In the morning each bee flies apart; they come to blooming flowers to sip nectar, and in the afternoon they gather again to hang out on weeds or reeds.

This afternoon I sneaked behind the reeds, and look what I spotted! The group resembled workers who had just come from the factory, gathered in a bar, and chatted happily while drinking beer; everything appeared to be normal human activities.

Sweat bees (Pseudapis sp.) are social insects, but they are not as large as honeybee colonies. Almost all the meadows that I have explored in my town, I often see a scene like this in the afternoon. Sweat bees swarm in one place; some are alone or in pairs.