BUILDING BEE HOTELS ACROSS CANADA,BECAUSE BEES-IN-NEED DESERVE REST INDEED.

WWW.WILDFORBEES.CA

WHAT IS POLLINATION? Simply put, pollination is the movement of a pollen grain from the anther (the male part of a flower) to the stigma (the female part of the flower) - this is how plants fertilize their eggs that develop into seeds that will germinate into the next generation of plants.

Some plants can self-pollinate, but most need something to move their pollen. This can happen by wind, water or animals! Pollinators are animals that move pollen. They visit flowers to drink nectar or collect pollen, and while they are there they get covered with pollen. Bees are the best pollinators because they collect pollen to feed their babies – and inevitably drop some! As bees, move from flower to flower they drop some pollen, and pick-up some more – and the flowers get pollinated.

HOW POLLINATION HELPS PLANTS GROW:

COMMON BEE-FRIENDLY FLOWERS, FRUITS AND VEGETABLES TO PLANT IN YOUR GARDEN:

When a bee visits a flower to get nectar or pollen, she lands on the petals and works her way down to the nectaries (which are usually at the base of the flower), or she crawls all over the anthers to collect pollen. Bees take pollen and pack it on their pollen baskets, which are either on their legs or on the underside of their abdomen.

Bees visit many flowers in a day to get enough pollen and nectar. As they move from flower to flower, they drop some pollen, and pick up some new pollen.

Pollen that gets left behind fertilizes the egg. A grain of pollen that lands on the stigma starts to germinate and grows a pollen tube that reaches the egg. Once the pollen tube reaches the egg it can be fertilized.

After the egg is fertilized it grows into a seed. A seed contains an embryo (the young plant), a food source for the embryo, and a seed coat to protect the embryo. The fruit that we eat grows around the seeds to protect them further. Pollination results in seeds and fruits.

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TOMATO ASTERS CUCUMBERS PHACELIA MINT LAVENDER

BUILDING BEE HOTELS ACROSS CANADA,BECAUSE BEES-IN-NEED DESERVE REST INDEED.

WWW.WILDFORBEES.CA

DID YOU KNOW...

Pollinators are responsible for the reproduction of over 80% of our flowering plants. In the absence of bees, many plants – and the animals that eat them – would simply die off. One-third of the food humans eat is the result of animal pollination!

Bees keep our ecosystem in check and provide well over $217 billion worth of crop pollinating services across the world! Our plants (and pocketbooks) depend on a healthy bee population.

HAVE YOU THANKED A BEE TODAY?Look around you: nearly every tree, plant, fruit and vegetable in your sight is the product of animal pollination. Bees are the most effective animal pollinators of all; they travel from plantto plant, flower to flower, to help buds bloom and keep the ecosystem in sync.

WHY ARE CANADIAN BEES UNDER THREAT?

UNHEALTHY ENVIRONMENTSPollinators have to contend with toxins, pests and diseases in their surroundings, which impact their health and their ability to forage.

LOSS & FRAGMENTATION OF HABITATThe greatest threat to bee populations is loss and fragmentation of habitat. Without a place to find food, water and nesting sites, bee populations could suffer to the point of extinction.

BUMBLEBEE SWEAT BEE MINING BEE LEAF CUTTING BEE CARPENTER BEE

COMMON POLLINATOR BEES

BUILDING BEE HOTELS ACROSS CANADA,BECAUSE BEES-IN-NEED DESERVE REST INDEED.

WWW.WILDFORBEES.CA

WHAT IS A BEE HOTEL?A bee hotel is a sustainable resting space for solitary bees, which make up over 90% of the bee population and work independently to spread pollen from plant to plant, flower to flower. While other types of bees, like honeybees and bumblebees, typically work and nest in groups, solitary bees visit flowers and nest individually.

All across the world, populations of solitary bees are declining. Habitat loss and fragmentation are a leading cause, and we’re working harder than ever to support Canadian solitary bees, in all their buzzing glory. The WILD FOR BEESTM bee hotels will provide solitary bees with a place to rest their weary wings.

HOW DO YOU MAKE A BEE HOTEL?

NATURAL MATERIALSGather natural materials from your area: hollow or pithy plant stems work great, as well as old untreated wood scraps. Solitary bees make their nests in tunnels in the ground or in these materials.

DEPTH & DIAMETERBees are rather finicky; almost every species prefers a different sized opening. Try to find stems or drill holes 20 cm in length, with an opening of a maximum of 1 cm in diameter. Bundle these together in a wood box or another container - even a milk carton works!

SHELTER & MAINTENANCEPlace your bee hotel a few feet off the ground to ward off animals (and young children!). Keep your bee hotel exposed to the sun, but protected from rain. Finally, don’t forget to replace the stems every couple of years; it’s best to make the switch in early spring or very late fall, when baby bees have grown enough to survive a shift in their surroundings.