27 Beautiful Bee Pictures We Can’t Stop Buzzing About

Backyard Bee Pictures

“During the pandemic I developed a passion for backyard photography and realized how important it is to cultivate a garden that’s beneficial to all creatures. I took this photo of a cosmos being pollinated by an urbane digger bee in my backyard in the Los Carneros region of Napa Valley in the fall. It demonstrates the essential role backyards can play in cultivating and sustaining healthy pollinator populations,” says Birds & Blooms reader Andrew Lincoln.

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Stunning Shadow

“While taking photos of roadside poppies, I caught a bee and her shadow inside one! I have taken many photos of poppy before, but I have never been lucky enough to catch a shot like this. I used a Sony A7 III and a vintage Helios lens,” says Shannon Douglas.

Wild Bees and Wildflowers

“The wildflowers in Texas are amazing—fields of them spring up everywhere! While on a morning walk, I came across a field of these yellow flowers and noticed bees flying around them. It took several tries, but I finally got this shot that I was happy with,” says Sheila Laabs.

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Pollinator Party

“I am a daily sunrise birdwatcher, and I captured this shot one early morning during a summer trip to Sedona, Arizona. After observing the hummingbird for a while, I was about to photograph it when a honeybee joined it! It was a magical moment, like two old friends meeting for a morning sip of nectar on the yucca plant,” says Lisa Renee Ludlum.

Sweet Bee on a Sunflower

“I captured this close-up of a bee in pollen “legwarmers” in the summer of 2022, which was my first year of gardening. It brings me so much joy knowing I grew this sunflower, and there is no greater feeling than watching a garden that you’ve planted begin to bloom,” says Gemini Little.

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Facing Off

“This little zinnia made an excellent stage for a duel between a bee and a praying mantis. I know you’re all wondering who won. The praying mantis quickly ran underneath the flower and hung upside down until the bee flew away,” says Mary Hauser.

Bumblebee on Aster

“I captured this image of a purple aster with a bumblebee at the Garden of Colonial Flowers at the historic Munroe Tavern in Lexington, Massachusetts. When revisiting my pictures, this one told a story of the bee’s habitat that resonated with me. Having the aster as the primary focus and some nearby out-of-focus asters gives it a sense of background context, showing the environment where the bee thrives,” says Michael Rossacci.

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Fuzzy Bumblebees

“Bumblebees were busy at work on these dahlia flowers, making the bee pictures even more beautiful. I took this in summer with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II and a Canon EF 400 mm super telephoto lens,” says Richard A. Schultz.

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Delicate Bee on a Rose

“This photo is special to me because roses are my absolute favorite flower. This little sweat bee has delicate looking wings, just like the flower. I used my Nikon D5100 camera with Tamron 16-300mm lens to take this photo at the Green Bay Botanical Garden,” says Laurie Painter.

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Sunflower Lovers

“I appreciate a family in Paris, Tennessee, who plants about 10 acres every year and allows us photographers to come and share in the beauty. My love for them never seems to diminish. It is hard to get tired of something when each one is so different,” says Jean Owens.

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Bee on Clover

“I was always excited to find clovers as a child, so capturing this moment is very meaningful. These bee pictures were taken in Summerside, Prince Edward Island,” says Phyllis Gay.

Fall Fun on the Farm

“I took this picture on a pumpkin farm in Las Cruces, New Mexico, while playing with my goddaughter and her brother. We spent the day in the sun picking pumpkins and taking tractor rides!” says Amanda Mccully.

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Zinnia Pollinator

“This is a zinnia that I planted in my backyard garden from seed. The color really pops and makes me feel happy. I particularly love this photo because the bumblebee is feeding on the flower and you can see the dots of pollen. It highlights the importance of all pollinators,” says Andrea Garvin.

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Pretty Purple and Yellow

“This photo was taken in the summertime in Berryville, Virginia, and I just love all of the vibrant purple colors of the wildflowers,” says Shannon Spahn.

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Bees and Butterflies

“This was a beautiful day at the nature center. I had my Nikon d7100 with my Nikon 300 mm lens. It’s not a macro lens, but I was able to get a nice shot of this monarch butterfly and bee on these pretty wildflowers,” says Francis Hoefer.

Worth the Wait

“I tried several times without success to get a matilija poppy plant to grow, even though they are native to my area of San Diego. You can imagine how excited I was when this plant took off on the hillside behind my fence and bloomed this spring. I love the delicate, crepe-like petals of the flower, it’s unusual fried egg appearance and that it is attractive to pollinators. The honeybee, with its legs full of yellow pollen, makes the photo,” says Candice Lenney.

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What an Adorable Bumblebee

“While walking one summer morning, I captured these sweet peas along side the road in Mecosta County, Michigan. I love to see the bright pink blooms each summer,” says Karen Retter.

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Close Up Bee Pictures

“I love to see the bees busy pollinating all blooms. This photo was taken during a nature walk in Minnesota,” says Lori Sheirer.

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Flowering Trees and Bees

“This picture was taken in my parents backyard in spring. We have always had these flowering trees that the bees love, as you can see,” says Steven Anderton.

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Flying Flower Friend

“I live in southern New Mexico and decided to try and grow poppies this year, and they did so well in our dry heat! The bees especially loved them,” says Monica Guidi.

Summer Visitor

“Summer is short where we live in Walden, Colorado, only a 35 day growing season. So these little bees have to work so hard to gather pollen before the frost ruins the flowers in our garden. I really like the way the pollen on the bees legs matches the color of the flower. He was so busy, he didn’t even notice me!” says Marcy Gruber.

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Busy Little Bee

“I am always happy to see our pollinators at work. This little bee is visiting my Stokes asters that faithfully bloom every spring,” says Brenda Austin.

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Bee Pictures on Milkweed

“On my daily photo adventure I came upon a large group of milkweed plants. Without milkweed, our monarchs are in great danger. Thus, this bee, as a milkweed pollinator, helps monarchs survive,” says Karen Kowals.

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Coneflower Companion

“I was browsing my local nursery and came across this lovely sight. I couldn’t help taking out my phone and snapping bee pictures. Pollinators are so important and I’m thrilled to have been able to see this one in action,” says Melissa Beller.

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Bee On a Hummingbird Feeder

“We just moved to North Carolina last fall, so this summer was my first chance to attract hummingbirds. I have four feeders, two in front of the house and two by my office window in back. This young male is telling the bee ‘You are in my spot.’ It has been such a pleasure to watch their aerial acrobatic show this summer,” says Bruce Siegel.

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Dazzling Dahlia Surprise

“A flower farm in Massachusetts has the most gorgeous variety of dahlias, as well as many other flowers. I love the contrast of the pink and yellow colors and the bumblebee enjoying a snack in the center,” says Judith Cushman.

Nothing to Fear

“I reluctantly went over to my many black-eyed Susans, knowing that there would be bees pollinating the blooms. Although I’m afraid of bees, I began to think of this one as my little friend. He gave me a fine photo shoot,” says Christine L. Morrissey.