Many people do not realize that before honeybees were brought from Europe, native bees have been pollinating this continent’s flowering plants from time immemorial.
As bees move from flower to flower collecting nectar, they also move pollen from flower to flower. Pollination occurs when pollen grains from a flower’s male parts (anthers) are moved to the female part (stigma), where fertilization occurs. Both honeybees and native bees play a crucial role in the production of fruits, nuts and berries for people and wildlife.
Although honeybees are used for pollination in agriculture crops, many plants still rely on native bees. Some common Thanksgiving dishes we relish might not be on the table without native bees. Here are just a few of foods that would be absent if it weren’t for native bees: apple pie, pumpkin pie, cranberries, and vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and green beans. Even the almonds for tasty casseroles and the onions for stuffing would be missing.
The honeybee does not know how to pollinate tomato or eggplant flowers. And it does very poorly compared to native bees when pollinating native plants such as pumpkins, cherries, blueberries and cranberries.
Some native bees, like bumblebees, are generalists and use a method called buzz pollination: The bee attaches itself to a flower and rapidly vibrates its flight muscles. This causes the entire flower to vibrate, and it loosens pollen so that it flows out the openings in the anthers. Plants that rely on buzz pollination include tomatoes, cranberries, blueberries and eggplants. Bumblebees are important pollinators of some clovers, a forage crop for cattle.
Other native bees are specialists, pollinating only certain species. Squash bees, for example, are very efficient pollinators of various squashes, including zucchini, pumpkins and melons. These bees often nest underground beneath the plants they pollinate. So, if you picked from a local pumpkin patch this fall, it’s likely that you were walking over nests full of developing young squash bees.
Miner bees also nest underground and are very good pollinators of apple trees. The southeastern blueberry bee, as the name suggests, specializes in pollinating native blueberry plants. It’s a ground nester that emerges when blueberries are in bloom in the spring — not unlike many other species that are active only for the few weeks that a particular flowering plant is in bloom.
Despite their importance to our economy and our lives, many pollinators are in trouble. Honeybees, raised specifically to pollinate crops, are declining. Causes include parasitic mites, disease, pesticide poisoning, encroachment of Africanized honeybees and a phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder, which occurs when bees leave the hive and do not return.
The causes of decline in wild bee populations vary by species. Bumblebees have been hurt by the introduction of nonnative parasitic mites from Europe. Many pesticides used on farms and backyard gardens are broad-spectrum types, meaning they can harm nontarget species too. Many insecticides that get rid of plant pests are toxic to bees and other beneficial insects. The loss of habitats and native plants affects native bees and other pollinators, including butterflies and other pollinating insects.
You can help conserve native bees and other pollinators by:
- Reducing or eliminating your use of pesticides. If you must use an insecticide, apply it in the evening when many pollinators are inactive.
- Planting gardens filled with native, nectar-producing flowers for your area. Visit pollinator.org/guides and type in your zip code. You’ll get information about pollinators in your area plus a list of pollinator plants.
- Leaving some tree stumps, dead tree branches and fallen leaves on your property, if possible. They provide nests for some native bees.
And if you find a bee nest too close to your home, don’t destroy it. Contact a local beekeeper or your state cooperative extension service for advice about removing the nest without harming the bees.
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