It's fun seeing little children sharing a cone...an ice cream cone.
But have you ever seen a bumble bee and honey bee sharing a cone (coneflower)?
Around 9:30, a yellow-faced bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii) and a honey bee (Apis mellifera) buzzed in to forage among the coneflowers.
The coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), also known as the Eastern purple coneflower or purple conflower, generates a lot of insect excitement. Metallic sweat bees, bumble bees, honey bees and butterflies all try to claim a spot atop this petals-down, cone-up flower, a carnival ride at rest.
Meanwhile, officials are gearing up for the grand opening celebration of the garden, set for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 11. The garden is a year-around food source for bees and other pollinators, and an educational experience for visitors.
And a meeting place for a bumble bee and a honey bee.
Attached Images:
![BUMBLE BEE and a honey bee share a coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) at the Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) BUMBLE BEE and a honey bee share a coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) at the Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/bugsquad/blogfiles/4403.jpg)
Coneflower
![YELLOW-FACED bumble bee and a honey bee circle a coneflower at the Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven at UC Davis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) YELLOW-FACED bumble bee and a honey bee circle a coneflower at the Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven at UC Davis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/bugsquad/blogfiles/4404.jpg)
Two Visitors
![TOUCHING--A bumble bee touches a honey bee on a coneflower at the Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) TOUCHING--A bumble bee touches a honey bee on a coneflower at the Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/bugsquad/blogfiles/4405.jpg)
Touching
![YELLOW-FACED bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii) emerges the victor on the coneflower. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) YELLOW-FACED bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii) emerges the victor on the coneflower. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/bugsquad/blogfiles/4406.jpg)
Victory