greedy boy

Took me a while to work out what it is!

Looks like he's covered in icing sugar. I wonder how he managed to take off.

https://bumblebeeconservation.org/about-bees/faqs/bumblebee-mites/

We have a local (60 kms away) apiarist, near White Lake, who lost millions of honeybees last year... The use of neonicotinoids in agriculture was blamed as it is extremely toxic to bees. It was also suggested that the die-off was due to a particular virus. Perhaps that's why there seems to be only bumblebees about. I've been encouraging the white clover in the meadow because the bees love it and it smells so sweet. Been looking for Monarch Butterflies too, but their numbers are diminished as well.
That lovely fellow looks like he won't need another meal all summer, and, Hibiscus pollen..such luxury! ;-)

Wow! That was a very good shot!!! Did you have your camera set & waiting for her to appear?

The link to the Bumble Bee Conservation page was very interesting! I knew that bees could become infected with mites but I never imagined they could become so numerous that they could impede flight! Nor did I know the majority are harmless to the bees themselves, in fact I thought all mites were bad for the bees!

Live & learn, as they say! :-))

I used to keep bees and it was the Varroa mite that was the bad one.