Wild Honey Bees

I was walking around a large patch of flowering goldenrod and started to notice large numbers of honey bees on the goldenrod and a content buzzing sound in the area.



Over the past few years beekeepers have been concerned with phenomenon known as Colony collapse disorder (CCD) when the majority of worker bees in a colony disappear and leave behind a queen. I soon found a tree next to the goldenrod that housed a colony of wild honey bees.



I had known of this "bee tree" in the past but the top of this tree had been broken off during the past winter's snow storm. When I checked the tree this spring there wasn't any bees in the area but this colony of bees looks healthy. The bees entrance to the hive is at the bottom of the photo.