BEEutiful!

I was out early this a.m. hoping to find some pollinators on my purple cone flowers. I found an astonishing variety of bees paying my garden a visit but the light was not very good...hence the high ISO.

This is a Green Sweat Bee (Agapostemon virescens) just one of 160 species of Sweat Bees. They are so named bacause they are attracted to human sweat....apparently, salt is the main attractant. They are a docile species and really don't mind having a camera poked at them while they to go to work. But they can deliver a sting if provoked...but really not dangerous unless you happen to have an allergy to bee venom. If you are, always have a Epipen handy.

I'm told that this variety of Irridescent Green bees does not make honey. I am unaware if they are solitary or live in hives. I believe the former to be true...makes no sense to live in a hive and not have honey to survive the cold season.