These photos of bees sleeping in flowers will melt your heart

If someone had ever told me that I would go “awww” at photos of insects, I would never have believed them. But what about photos of fluffy, pollen-covered bees sleeping in flowers? Well, I gotta admit that’s something else. And yes, it’s as cute as it sounds. Photographer Joe Neely recently captured two bees sleeping in a flower, and it’s definitely not something you see every day. He was kind enough to share his images with DIYP, as well as some backstory. Take a look and prepare to get all mushy.

How did Joe find the bees sleeping in flowers, anyway?

In an interview with Bored Panda, Joe explained that he and his fiancée Niccole went out to find some poppy flowers. A patch of pink flowers just off the highway captured their attention. So, naturally, they stopped to take some photos of those as well. Among the pink flowers, there was a hidden orange globe mallow plant. Joe explains that Niccole heard the bees buzzing, but then she noticed that some flowers had bees inside. To her surprise, they weren’t moving.

I would have probably thought that they were dead or something like that, and I would have worried and grown panicky. But Joe came closer and studied the bees’ behavior. This is when he revealed something interesting:

“I came over and study it for a while and more bees showed up. Soon, all the vacant flowers were occupied and this one bee was left out.  She crawled over to this open flower and got inside with the other one. I was watching as he stumbled around almost drunk-like and then got settled in.”

Here’s a cropped version:

The bees Joe photographed belong to the species Diadasia diminuta and they sleep inside globe mallow flowers. You can learn more about them on United States Department of Agriculture’s website.

Honestly, I had no idea how bees sleep, or if they sleep at all. I especially had no idea that bees sleep in flowers… And look this cute and even cuddly! Although I still wouldn’t dare cuddle one. :) An article on the University Communications Network explains that bees don’t have eyelids, so you won’t figure out that they’re sleeping because their eyes are closed. Instead, honey bees stop moving their antennae and, in some cases, fall over sideways, according to the article.

Joe was lucky to be on the spot, study their behavior, and capture it in these wonderful images. They are adorable, aren’t they? Check out more of Joe’s splendid work on his website and follow him on Instagram and Facebook.

[via Bored Panda]

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