Robberflies Everywhere this year!

I have at least 4 Robberflies Promachus bastardii hanging out near the bee hive. I'm betting a single robberfly captures and eats 5-6 honey bees each a day. When I did the Durham Butterfly Count last week I saw over 100 of these robberflies in the fields and gardens.

Thinking if one honey bees makes a teaspoon of honey in its life time then these robberflies are taking away honey from the bees with every kill they make, it has to be pounds of honey.

Giant Robberfly, Promachus bastardii

mating in the garden.

Eating one of my worker bees!

Several of you asked in comments on my last post which lens do I use. All the photos taken in the last post were taken with my Canon G11 point and shoot camera as in the photo below of a robberfly eating an honey bee.

These bees with tongues sticking out were taken with my 180mm macro lens on my Canon 20D. All the other robberfly photos here were taken with the 180mm macro lens with fill flash.

Been wanting to share this photo.

Trying to get inspired to work in the garden. We lost 2 more big camellias and my first 3 camellia babies were not watered and died too. I still have 5 babies that did get watered and are ok. Rain perhaps a little tonight, Sunday and Monday are more hopeful.

The plan in the garden is to make a 6 ft x 8 ft wood frame to turn later into a cold frame. I want to plant carrots, kale and salad greens. 6 x 8 because of the open space I have available, I have left over lumber scraps to make it with.