Hopefully all of you understand the need for a diversity of pollinators, beyond European honeybees, in our gardens. While looking at several plants in our garden, I was struck by the variety and number of various pollinators that I saw. As you may have heard, I am oftentimes called the bug lady for my interest in insects in general. So, I started photographing some of the insects that I saw just that one time. It was amazing!
For some background information, I took the following from the USDA: Bees provide an important pollination service for most terrestrial ecosystems worldwide. In the United States, honeybees and thousands of species of native bees are responsible for pollinating crops, as well as garden, meadow, and forest plants. There are about 4,000 species of bees native to the United States, the great majority of which are solitary nesting bees. Bumblebees are the exception, as they live in social colonies. Most bees visit flowers to get pollen and/or nectar, which they use to feed themselves and their offspring.
Many species of native bees do exist in North America, and horticulturists, conservationists, ecologists, and home gardeners are becoming more aware that they are important for pollination. Not only do native bees pollinate agricultural crops, they also play an integral role in the functioning of natural ecosystems. Among the most common native pollinators are solitary bees, aptly named because most do not assemble in hives or colonies, and those that do aggregate live solitary lives among the others. Solitary bees pollinate valuable commercial crops such as apples, alfalfa, watermelon, sunflowers, strawberries, and blueberries. Solitary bees nest in a variety of interesting places including sticks, dirt mounds, and termite holes. A few species construct domed nests out of mud, plant resins, saps, or gums on the surface of rocks or trees.
Many bees use abandoned beetle burrows or other tunnels in dead standing trees, or excavate their nests within the soft central pith of stems and twigs. Most species of solitary bees, however, nest in the ground, digging a tunnel in bare or partially vegetated, well-drained soil. Depending on the species, solitary bees can be generalist feeders or specialist feeders. Generalists are bees that gather nectar and pollen from a wide range of flower types and species. Often these are the more resilient species, able to survive in degraded environments with weedy or non-native plants. Specialists, like the Pruinose squash bee, on the other hand, rely on a single plant species or a closely related group of plants for nectar and pollen, and are more susceptible to the negative effects of landscape or habitat changes
Bumblebees are social bees, meaning they live in colonies, share work, and have multiple, overlapping generations throughout the spring, summer, and fall. Bumblebees need a suitably sized cavity in which to nest. Sometimes this cavity is above ground, such as in hollow trees or walls, or under a clump of grass, but more often bumblebees nest underground, sometimes in abandoned rodent holes. Bumblebees are generalist feeders and forage on a wide range of plants. There are many solitary types that resemble bumble bees, but in fact may be mason or orchard bees, among others. They usually have ‘shiny butts’ compared to bumble bees who have ‘fuzzy butts’.
Many native flies are also important pollinators. Some flies resemble bees because they mimic bee coloration and patterns, allowing them to evade predation. Bees and flies both have transparent, membranous wings, but can be distinguished from one another because flies have two wings, while bees have four.
As I was observing the activity on the plants, I noticed a variety of bees, wasps and flies that were foraging on the Celosia argentea and Verbesina virginica, or frostweed, native aster, Symphyotrichum oblongifolium, Swamp sunflower, Helianthus angustifolius, and Blue mist flower, Conoclinium coelestinum. They have been deliberately planted on the edge of our creek-side garden to encourage and feed native pollinators. Many species of butterflies are always observed on these flowers, as well. These are native plants with which native pollinators have evolved. However, some non-native species like the salvias, pentas, justicias, rudbeckias and others, attract many of these same pollinators in my garden. Tubular flowers were often subject of nectar robbing by various bees. Robbing is the act of piercing the flower tube near the nectaries and sucking up nectar without the bee providing pollination services to the flower.
Of course, providing flowering plants is only half of the equation to attract the pollinators, as mentioned, their habitat needs have to be met as well. Put up various ‘bee hotels’, leave some bare sandy soil, don’t always tidy up little leaf or brush piles and provide shallow containers of water during hot dry spells.
I am always fascinated by the varieties of insects that I see in our own little habitat garden. I thought I’d share some photographs that I took very recently of some of them. Humor me. Enjoy them! Then, look around your own little piece of earth and do some positive things to encourage more of these very valuable insects to it!
PS I was able to get very close to these insects without fear of being stung (a very common fear) because they were busy feeding and had no interest in me.
