The culprit - Eastern Carpenter bee (Xylocopa virginica)
Carpenter bees will drill a hole into the top of the Foxglove flower and rob the flower of its nectar. Scientists call this "Nectar robbing" because the carpenter bee circumvents the flower's design. When a bee enters a flower correctly, it is covered in pollen and will move the pollen to the next flower for pollination. The carpenter bee is cheating the system and accessing the pollen.
Here we can see the flowers Anther - The part that produces pollen
This photo shows a bee properly pollinating the flower. You can see the pollen on the bee's back if you look closely. The arrow is pointing to the flowers Anther.
This photo shows the slit made by the carpenter bee robbing the flower of its nectar.
Close up of the culprit in action!
Come out to Hope Meadow and watch the action on the Foxglove flowers. Don't worry; we have many law-abiding pollinators that will ensure the future of our Foxglove seeds.