March 3, 2023 – bushboys world

It started like any normal morning. After unfurling from their nighttime rest, the Leopard Lily flowers petals opened to greet the day.

Already the bees started to arrive to seek vital nectar and pollens to take back to their hives. A European Bee was quite engrossed when a Stingless Native Bee saw what was going on.

“Hey you! You big bag of yellow. Get off my flower!”

The European Bee, whose name was Tom, just kept gathering.
“Oy, didn’t you hear me? Do I have to hover here for ages?” said Steveo, the Stingless Native Bee

Not used to being ignored, Steveo flew right up into the flower
“Look at me,” he said right in Toms face, “It’s time we knew who owned what around this garden.”

“Now look around here,” said Steveo, “From up here all the orange flowers you can see are mine.”

“Are you even looking?” “Come up here and see what I’m talking about.” “Don’t make me come down there!” an exasperated Steveo said.

“Go on, off you go…..and don’t come back!”

“Now for a bit to gather and enjoy”
“Don’t these stamen look a treat?”

“Mfheese rr tho gosth….nom nom nom”

“Hey Steveo, looks like you found a good supply there.”
“Yeth,” said Steveo swallowing hard, “these are so good, want to come and share?”
“No thanks, I’m off to Trevs place. I hear he has some coffee bushes flowering,” said Billy with a wry smile.

Nom nom nom. Steveo made sure that all bits of what the flower had to offer, going over the top and shuffling pollen into his pollen baskets below.

Going along the stamen like this gives……well I’ll let Steveo tell you.
“As I move down, I scrape my rear legs where the pollen baskets are and pollen fills the baskets.”
If you look really hard that little orange ball at the Native Bees rear is the pollen basket. It looks quite full to me.