The temperature on the UC Davis campus stood solidly at 56 degrees this afternoon.
The less-than-ideal weather didn't seem to deter several Italian honey bees from foraging in a flower bed behind the Laboratory Sciences Building on the central campus.
They took a liking to a yellow Senecio, from the Asteraceae (daisy family), and went right to work, despite it being the dead of winter.
In somewhat slow motion (it was cold!) they foraged among the long-legged flowers, adding a burst of sunshine and a muted buzz to the winter scene.
It was 56 degrees and they were flying. Foragers usually begin flying around 50 to 55 degrees.
It won't be long until the almonds bloom. Well, mid-February is not that long!
Attached Images:
An Italian honey bee on Senecio from the Asteraceae or daisy family. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Packing pollen, a honey bee forages in a Senecio. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)