The early morning sun was glinting off this hive, which unfortunately was so high up I couldn’t get a sharper image.

I thought it was interesting with those lobes, and wondered if that was wax, or some sort of paper nest.

From the other side, if I had approached from the direction I probably wouldn’t have noticed it.

This last image is severely cropped, and not great detail, but notice how precise the cells are–an engineering marvel!

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
August 20, 2021
Wow. That is amazing!
And just so many questions about what they are up to. Probably a good thing I couldn’t get closer 😀
A sense of curiosity seems to motivate both of us, but when it comes to things like bees and snakes, a healthy sense of caution and a suitably long telephoto lens are good things. 🙂
😯
I’m curious as to why the bees are all on the outside of the hive and the combs look empty…
Me, too. And why did they make those lobes. It doesn’t look like a piece of the tree recently fee. And it was at least 40 feet in the air so it couldn’t be direct human interference. More questions than answers.