Wild Bees Can Be Effective Pollinators—Three-year study finds possible alternatives to honey bees

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.entsoc.org/resources/press_releases/2009_wildbees.htm

Wild Bees Can Be Effective Pollinators

Three-year study finds possible alternatives to honey bees

http://esa.publisher.ingentaconnect.com/content/esa/aesa/2009/00000102/00000002/art00010">Full text of the article (HTML or PDF).

Lanham, MD; March 24, 2009 – Over the past few years, honey bee keepers have experienced problems due to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), which has hurt honey bee populations, causing some growers of fruits, nuts and vegetables to wonder how their crops will be pollinated in the future. A http://esa.publisher.ingentaconnect.com/content/esa/aesa/2009/00000102/00000002/art00010">new study published in the Annals of the Entomological Society of America shows that wild bees, which are not affected by CCD, may serve as a pollination alternative.

In the article “Wild Bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila) of the Michigan Highbush Blueberry Agroecosystem,” authors Julianna K. Tuell (Michigan State University), John S. Ascher (American Museum of Natural History), and Rufus Isaacs (Michigan State University) report the results of a three-year study which took place on 15 southwestern Michigan blueberry farms. Using traps and direct observation, the authors identified 166 bee species, 112 of which were active during the blueberry blooming period. Many of these species visit more flowers per minute and deposit more pollen per visit than honey bees (Apis mellifera L.), and most of them are potential blueberry pollinators.

“This should help growers know what kinds of bees are in the fields so that they can make informed decisions about whether they should modify crop management practices in order to help conserve natural populations of bees,” said Dr. Julianna Tuell.

Unlike honey bees, which live together in hives, most of the bees found by the authors were solitary bees that nest in the soil or in wood cavities. While soil–nesting bees may be difficult to manage, the authors see potential for cavity–nesting bees, such as several species of mason bees, to be managed by growers who can support their populations by providing nesting materials.

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[kestrel91316]

1. Growers need to plant borders or strips of wildflowers and other

plants that offer a haven for pollinators rather than plowing up and planting every frickin' square INCH of their land.

Small-scale organic producers have understood this for decades.

[depakid]

3. And "bee houses" are cheap and easy to make

http://www.nwf.org/gardenforwildlife/beehouse.cfm?CFID=10175668&CFTOKEN=445e755fca92b48c-3A4560B6-5056-A868-A0134E72304F0B2B

[demwing]

2. But we want honey

What will Ray Liotta do?