Native Bees
When we think of bees, a lot of us immediately think of honey and hives, and maybe getting stung. In that case our mind is going to the European honeybee, which is a non-native domestic animal that was brought across the ocean by settlers to pollinate their crops and provide them with sweetening.
Photo credit: Tim Stanley
But did you know there are over 4,000 species of bees native to this continent? Most of them do not live communally, do not make honey, and rarely sting. Some are generalists and can be very efficient crop pollinators – better than honey bees . Other are specialists and feed preferentially on specific native plants.
These bees come in different sizes, shapes and colors. Some of them live in the ground, and others in hollow stems. They are beautiful and fascinating. Where you find native plants, you will find native bees. Luckily, these important members of our local ecosystems are getting greater recognition as public awareness grows of the importance and value of native insects of all kinds.
For more information about the bees in your yard, visit Tim Stanley’s website “Native Bee-ology” and download his garden guide to native bees: