So many bees. Lots and lots of big and little bees have been visiting the garden this summer, and they’re getting busier and busier as August rolls along. It’s been fun to watch their antics.

I had a video of several types of bees all ready to go – even uploaded to YouTube – and then realized there are many other pollinators I could include. I have photos but not video of any wasps, like the great black wasps that have been spotted on several occasions. And the turtlehead is blooming now, enticing bumblebees to climb into its blossoms. Soldier beetles are all over the black-eyed susan. Several kinds of butterflies have visited the common milkweed. And how could I forget joe-pye weed, which attracts pretty much every insect in the yard? I need to get back into the garden and add more.

Of course, I could think of more flowers and insects to film until it snows, so I need to start somewhere. Here’s a short compilation of six flowers and their bees.

Someday I may be able to identify more than just bumblebees and honeybees. My guesses:

• Honeybees on butterfly weed
• Small bees (resin bees?) on culver’s root
• Bumblebee and other bees on cup plant
• Bees (resin bees again?) on blue vervain
• Tiny bees (sweat bees?) and soldier beetles on goldenrod
• Bumblebees on bee balm