Diggin' the Bees in Bodega

Jul 16, 2012

Diggin' the Bees in Bodega

Jul 16, 2012

They can fool you.

Just like replica designer bags, shoes and sunglasses meant to look like the real thing  (think Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Choo and Prada), those digger bees on Bodega Head, overlooking Bodega Bay,  look like bumble bees.

Especially the females.

Native pollinator specialist Robbin Thorp, emeritus professor of entomology at the University of California, calls them "faux bumble bees."

They're Anthophora bomboides stanfordiana.  "The females are the ones that build the neat turrets in front of their nests on the cliff faces," Thorp says.  "The females are even better mimics of bumble bees and they do not sting!"

So, if you're visiting Bodega Head to watch the whales, the waves, the birds or the boats, be sure to check out the sand cliffs for the bee villages. 

If you want to capture their images, you'll want to lie flat and motionless on the ground, position your trigger finger, and frame them flying in and out of their turrets. 

Soon you'll be visiting Bodega Head to see the whales, the waves, the birds, the boats AND the bees.