Bee Aware: What We Can Do To Preserve Native Bees

Did you know that in recent years, honey bee (Apis melifera) populations are declining due to a phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder?

Did you know that despite this decline, there is still hope for our buzzing plant pollinators? 

Are you aware of the thousands of bee species that are native to our country? And that these species are just as good, if not better in some cases, at plant pollination than the non-native honey bee imported from Europe?

If you didn’t, that is entirely okay as many people tend not to spend their free time studying bees (bonus points if you do). But, now that you do know, you may be asking “why does this matter?” or “yeah, that’s cool and all but what can I actually do?” ‍

Well, aside from bees that reside in hives, there are hundreds of species of native bees that burrow and make their nest in soil, tree bark and even snail shells. The majority of the bee species native to Massachusets are ‘ground nesters’ which simply means they do just that, make their nest in the ground. I’m certain you already know at least one of these, the most famous example of this nesting type are bumble bees (Bombus spp.)!

There are many genera (plural for genus) of bees that you have come across but were maybe not aware it was even considered a bee. Some of these unique insects belong to the genus Agapostemon (family: Halictidae), which are little metallic-green, sometimes blue bees also known as ‘sweat bees’ due to their attraction to human sweat. Others include the genus Osmia (family: Megachilidae), which are extremely effective at pollinating orchids such as apple, cherry and plum trees. If every genus native to MA were to be listed, this post would continue on forever but if you are interested in the many different types of bees in southeastern Massachusetts, feel free to visit the STEM research interns located at Massasoit Community College in Brockton, room S534. All of the processing, pinning and identifying goes down here!

At any rate, now that a few bees native to this region have been mentioned, I’ll move onto the good stuff and go a little into what you can do to promote stable populations of the insects we rely so heavily upon.

Preserving Sites for Bees to Nest
1) Allow exposed patches of soil to develop. It may sound ugly but undisturbed patches of soft soil allow easy access to shallow earth for bees that nest in the ground. 
2) Let dead trees, logs, and leaves that have fallen in your backyard be. It’s possible this debris has already been turned into a nest for cavity and wood-nesting bees, so this only ensures they survive and their offspring have somewhere to grow and lay their brood (larvae).
3) Do not mow or plow if you do not need to. This may destroy any nests that have already been burrowed into the ground and built some bees.
4) Leave rocks with small openings and gaps to settle in your backyard or beyond. Don’t have any? Check the woods for free existing ones that can be moved onto your property.

Providing Resources for Nutrition and Building
1) Bees forage for nectar and pollen, which they use for nutrition and building. Since this post is about encouraging native bee populations to thrive, planting a few flowers that are native to MA in your backyard is major. This way, the bees that visit them have already adapted to foraging this type of plant.
2) Plant native flowers that are bright in color and close to each other, this way bees have an easier time finding them.
3) Make sure the flowers and other vegetation you intend to plant are diverse, this way if one type dies for any reason, the bees have other options. Diversity typically improves the resilience of an ecosystem. If possible, purchase from local florists as supporting local businesses never hurts either!

 Reducing Chemical Use 
1) Reduce pesticide use! This is a minor yet extremely effective way to mitigate harm against most insects, not just native bees. Purchasing plants whose seeds have not been treated with pesticides and mature flowers that are pesticide free is ideal to promoting healthy bees.

There is certainly a lot more to know when it comes to the study of bees and how to best help them but these methods are just little tips to #savethebees on a budget. As always, please do not hesitate to ask for resources, references, articles or books. Or, visiting the lab to learn more about the internship and melittology is always an option! :)

Holm, Heather. Bees: An Identification and Native Plant Forage Guide. First ed., Pollination Press LLC, 2017.