Bees: The most important pollinators · 2020. 8. 14. · Bees: The most important pollinators Bees...

Bees: The most important pollinators Bees are complete vegans: All food comes from plants Nectar and pollen from flowers

What makes bees effective pollinators:

One of the very few insect groups that purposefully collects pollen (larval food)

Floral constancy: Tend to focus on limited numbers of target plant species when foraging

Why pollination matters…

~80% flowering plants worldwide depend on animals for cross-pollination 87 of the 100+ most commonly cultivated crops are pollinated by animals Up to 30% of the U.S. diet is derived from animal-pollinated plants

Pollination: Agricultural value

$18-20 billion/year to U.S. agriculture

Pollination: Ecosystem maintenance

Pollination: Ecosystem value U.S. hunting and nature-watching

valued in the billions of dollars

Bees: Native vs. non-native

Most familiar bee in U.S. is non-native:

European honeybee (Apis mellifera)

Native to Africa, Europe, and Asia

In domestication for over 4,000 years

First brought to U.S. in 1621

Social (queen and daughter workers)

Up to 50,000 workers in single colony

Bees: European honeybee

Managed and feral colonies in decline since mid-1950s in U.S.

Introduced parasites and diseases

Small farms to intensive agriculture

Colony collapse disorder

Fluctuating honey prices

Bees: European honeybees

“Africanized” European honeybees

Hybrids of African and European subspecies

Much harder to manage, public health threat

Now occur across Texas; many feral colonies are likely Africanized

Bees: European honeybees

Bees: European honeybees European honeybee decline a major concern for agriculture…

Primary U.S. agricultural pollinator $15 billion of $18-20 billion annual production

but not for natural ecosystems…

Can monopolize nectar and pollen resources

Reduce native bee diversity and abundance

Increases seed set of non-native, invasive plants

Natives bees 4,000 bees native to North America

~700 native bee species in Texas

Primary pollinators of native plants

Maintain integrity of terrestrial ecosystems

More efficient and effective agricultural pollinators than honeybees for several crops $3 billion/year to U.S. agriculture

Natives bees: Solitary bees

90%+ of native bees are solitary species:

Single female establishes and provisions nest all by herself

Solitary bees do not defend their nests;

Solitary bees nest in the ground or in dead woody material

Solitary bees: Ground-nesters ~70% of native solitary bees nest in the ground

Prefer open, sparsely vegetated sites providing access to bare ground

Females will often aggregate in good nesting habitat; look for small mounds of soil and/or multiple small burrows

Do not defend nest sites

Solitary bees: Ground-nesters

Yellow Jackets: Not ground-nesting bees

Digger Bees (Anthophora species)

Long-horned Bees (Melissodes species)

Mining Bees (Centris species)

Polyester Bees (Colletes species)

Sunflower Bees (Svastra species)

Sweat Bees (Agapostemon species)

~30% of native bees nest in existing cavities or create their own in:

Standing dead trees Stumps Downed logs Pithy stems (agave, elderberry, sumac, yucca,…)

Do not defend nest sites

Solitary bees: Dead wood-nesters

Leafcutter Bees (Megachile species)

Large Carpenter Bees (Xylocopa species)

Mason Bees (Osmia species)

Bumblebees

One of the few truly social groups of native bees in Texas (queen and daughter workers)

Nest in pre-existing cavities (abandoned rodent burrows) or in deep thatch/grass tussocks

Colonies contain 100-300 workers

Native bees: Bumblebees

Bumblebees

Among the largest bees in North America

Bodies covered in black and yellow pile

~50 species in North America

Bumblebees

Generalist pollinators, visit hundreds of plant species

Better pollinators than honeybees for several agricultural crops (blueberries, cranberries, peppers, tomatoes)

Bumblebees

Bumblebee anatomy

Bumblebee anatomy: Female vs. male

Bumblebee anatomy: Pollen basket

Bumblebee anatomy: Sting or lack thereof

Mistaken identity: Bumble or not Eastern carpenter bee (Xylocopa virginica)

Mistaken identity: Bumble or not

Southern carpenter bee (Xylocopa micans)

Bumblebee-mimic robberflies (Laphria and Mallophora)

Snowberry clearwing (Hemaris affinis)

Bumblebee Life-cycle

Bumblebee Life-cycle: One year only

Spring Winter

Bumblebee Life-cycle: Queens emerge

February-March

Bumblebee Life-cycle: Queens emerge

Bumblebee Life-cycle: Colony founding

March-May

Bumblebee Life-cycle: Colony founding

Bumblebee Life-cycle: First offspring

March-May

Bumblebee Life-cycle: First offspring

Bumblebee Life-cycle: Workers take over

May-July

Bumblebee Life-cycle: Workers take over

Bumblebee Life-cycle: New queens/males

July-October

Bumblebee Life-cycle: Bachelor life

Bumblebee Life-cycle: Storing reserves

Bumblebee Life-cycle: Mating

Bumblebee Life-cycle: Only queens survive

October-November

Bumblebee life-cycle: 6-8 months of food

Bumblebee conservation concerns

Bumblebee declines first noted in the United Kingdom 18 European species threatened

Evidence of decline in North America documented only a few years ago 11 species experienced decline

Bumblebees of Texas

? How are bumbles in Texas faring…

www.texasbumblebees.com

Native bee conservation concerns Pervasive and widespread habitat loss primary threat Dependent upon flower-rich sites

The New Normal

The Exception

Native bee conservation concerns Urban/suburban gardeners and rural landowners can support native bee populations – Identify, Protect, and Augment

The New Normal

The Exception

Bees have two basic needs

Nectar and pollen from flowers Suitable Nest Sites

Meeting native bee needs #1. Identify and protect what you already have

#2. Adapt management practices to support native bee needs

#3. Augment floral resources and nest sites

#1. Identify and protect what you already have

Identify nectar and pollen resources

Which plants are most heavily used by flower visitors?

Identify nectar and pollen resources

Identify nest sites: Ground-nesters

Identify nest sites: Dead wood-nesters

Avoid disturbances to bare ground

Maintain standing dead trees and other dead woody material where feasible

Allow grassy sites to grow unchecked for a few years

Identify and protect nest sites

Adapt management

#2. Adapt management practices to support native bee needs

Management has the potential to eliminate and reduce vital resources

Must implement practices to minimize impact on floral resources and nest sites

Burn from fall to early spring Avoid growing season burns

Only treat 30%-50% of a site (leave untreated refugia)

Allow sufficient time between burns for thatch to accumulate

Adapt management: Prescribed Fire

Only treat 30%-50% of a site (leave untreated refugia)

Low intensity, short duration grazing during the dormant season will have the least impact on bee resources

Adapt management: Cattle grazing

Restricted to fall and winter (don’t cut when flowers in bloom)

Avoid cutting to low (6-8” min.)

Avoid cutting more than once per year Cut/mow in patches

Cuts during growing season should be limited to 30-50% of site (leave uncut areas to supply flowers and nest sites)

Adapt management: Haying and mowing

Augment resources

#3. Augment floral resources and nest sites May lack sufficient nectar/pollen sources and/or nest sites

Increase diversity of native flowering plants

Enlarge or create flower beds Clumps of single species

Light reseed or complete restoration with native forbs and grasses

Augment resources: Nectar and pollen

Need a sequence of flowers from spring, summer, into fall

Three to five plant species flowering in each season

Diversity of colors and shapes

Promote native bunch grasses

Increase nest sites Leave portions of flower beds unmulched

Erect artificial solitary bee nests

Augment resources: Nest sites

Solitary bee nest blocks NOT USED BY HONEYBEES Solitary bees do not defend nests

Cardboard tube systems

Resources

www.xerces.org

Bumblebees of Travis County, Texas

Bees: The most important pollinators · 2020. 8. 14. · Bees: The most important pollinators Bees...

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