NATIVE BEES


Hotels B


ees are under threat. Across the globe, there have        for pollination services that impact fruit and veg- etable production. Although the European hon-


eybee, Apis mellifera, has been in the media limelight, it is in fact the native bees that are in serious decline. Some are even at high risk of going extinct. Honey bees, by virtue of their adaptability and ease of


management, are the pollination workhorses of Big Ag. However the waning abundance and diversity of other bees limits fruit and vegetable production, and the seed set of 


Megachile monstrosa male - I have no fear of  stingers


Bee


Megachile speluncarum female - clear evidence she’s been collecting pollen to provision her nest


A Boon or a Botch for boosting native bees?


by Kit Prendergast


is just one of 20,000+ bee species in the world. And while colony losses remain high in some countries, the number of European honey bee colonies worldwide is in fact on the rise. Honey bees have a long relationship with humans, and we have essentially domesticated this bee species such that  continent except Antarctica. Despite the media hype, honey bees, being so widespread, adaptable, and abundant, are not under threat of becoming extinct. Yet the other species of bees are not faring so well and could use our help. “Save the bees” has often been misinter- preted by many well-meaning individuals to mean “become a beekeeper.” Many efforts focus on promoting just this one species, the honey bee, advocating individuals buy local   may even add pressure to these vulnerable bees, especially in landscapes already short on forage. Moreover, the needs of honey bees don’t always align well with the needs of native        and have strong preferences for nest sites, which differ from honey bees. About 30% of all bee species build their home in pre-made cavities created by wood-boring beetles. Bee hotels are a manmade alternative, mimicking these natural nesting habitats. Bee hotels can provide nesting sites for these cavi- ty-nesting bees like megachilids and hyaline bees.


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© Kit Prendergast


© Kit Prendergast


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