Pollinators Supreme – Native Bees and How to Protect Them

By Larry Barnett

When most of us think of bees, what we envision is the European Honeybee. But these bees are not native to America, and although they have become a mainstay of agriculture, they are not nearly as effective pollinators as are most of the 1,400 species of native bees.

Yes, there are that many species of native bees, and they come in a variety of different sizes, shapes and colors. Many, if not all, are solitary, not hive bees like Honeybees, and unlike Honeybees, most don’t sting. Some look more like flies or are so small they flit around without notice. All in all, native bee pollinators go about their business without any fanfare, and are not part of the agricultural industry, yet their role in nature is crucial.

Unfortunately, the Honeybee and the agricultural interests they support have decimated native bee populations, as have the habits of urban gardeners. In some cases, native bees are many times more effective as pollinators than Honeybees, yet their role in gardens and the landscape is unappreciated.

In a presentation I attended by Tora Rocha, former Parks Supervisor for the City of Oakland and a Cofounder of Pollinator Posse, she explained ways to sustain the health and viability of native bees. Using eco-friendly landscaping, much of which goes against the typical garden care we use, native bee habitat can be improved and sustained.

For example, leaves on the ground provide a nesting spot for many species of native bees, which are solitary in habit. By raking and removing dead leaves, the opportunity for nesting of some species is eliminated. She recommends using leaves as mulch and not removing them entirely from around trees and bushes.

Other species of native bees either bore small holes in dead wood or utilize the hollow stems of woody plants for nesting and brooding young. Native bee “hotels” can be created using such hollow “tubes” providing a safe haven for successive generations of these super pollinators.

Removal of all “weeds” is another practice that is harmful to native bees, depriving some species of their primary source of nutrition. Rocha points out that what we call a weed is simply a flowering plant we don’t like, a cultural decision. Native weeds and native bees exist in a mutually beneficial relationship, and our gardening practices are breaking down a living system that is millions of years in the making.

Honeybees have become so dominant in agriculture that beekeeping is a massive industry of its own. Bee hives are shipped by truck from great distances and are far less effective as pollinators than native bees. Moreover, the bee industry comprises an aspect of monoculture, and like all monocultures, it is subject to collapse. Forms of viruses, mites, and funguses can and do infect Honeybee colonies.

What can we do as urban gardeners to encourage native bees and improve the sustainability of this natural system? Step one is to get better informed. There are seed sources for plants that are particularly suited to native bees and pollinators like butterflies. Among them are plants like California Poppy, (Eschscholzia californica), Western Redbud (Cercis occidentalis), and Blanket flower, (Gaillardia × grandiflora). Another is to create viable nesting habitats and to stop creating manicured lawns and gardens devoid of native plants, ie: weeds. In short, unless we break out of our cultural habits, an entire ecosystem of native pollinators is threatened. 

For more information, visit www.pollinatorposse.org