Digger Bees Thriving

Those busy little digger bees always find something good in the garden, even now as plants start to go dormant.

The Verbena De La Mina shrub isn't looking so great now, but there are still some blossoms to provide nectar for the bees. The female digger bee Anthophora urbana above is approaching one of the few flower heads that is still blooming on the shrub.

Another female Anthophora urbana is approaching flower heads on a red valerian plant.

These plants are not California natives and are actually quite invasive, once they get established. Somehow they popped up in our garden and are trying to spread.

Although I pull out a lot of red valerian seedlings, I'm okay with the plants to grow in specific areas of the garden. They are a great back up nectar source for the pollinators when the California natives aren't providing enough.