Gardening smartly for bees and other pollinators Dr

Gardening smartly for bees and other pollinators Dr. Ashley Bennett Michigan State University

Why is bee conservation important? Ø Bees pollinate 80% of flowering plants o Native plants o Food crops Collected Pollen Pennsylvania Dept. of Agriculture

U. S. grows 100 crops dependent on pollination Ø Value in 2000 was $20 billion

with bees without bees

Why is bee conservation important? Ø Supports native plant communities Ø Food for wildlife

Why is bee conservation important? Ø Aesthetic beauty Ø Recreational value Ø Interest to our gardens! Photo: British Columbia, Ministry of Agriculture Osimia lingnaria: pollinates fruit crops Photo by: Richard Orr Peponapis sp. : pollinates cucurbits

Over 20, 000 species of bees in the world, 4, 000 in N. A. , and nearly 400 species recorded in Michigan.

Honey bees • Most important bee worldwide. • First brought by European settlers in 1600 s for honey and wax production. • Feral colonies once abundant. • Provides crop pollination worth $14. 6 billion in US annually.

Carpenter Bee Bumble Bee Photo by: Richard Orr Squash Bee Pennsylvania Dept. of Agriculture Long-horn bee Native Bees - Apidae

Common bumble bee species differentiated by the amount of yellow abdominal hair Bombus citrinus abdomen all black Bombus griseocollis 1 st segment all yellow, 2 nd segment partial yellow Bombus impatiens first segment yellow Bombus bimaculatus 1 st segment all yellow, 2 nd segment partial yellow Bombus vagans 1 st & 2 nd segments all yellow Bombus fervidus all but the last segment yellow

USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center Leaf cutter bee USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center Anthidium Photo by: John Ascher Leaf cutter bee Native Bees - Megachilidae

Sheryl Pollock Sweat Bee Lynette Schimming Sweat Bee Green Bee Native Bees - Halictidae

Photo by: Lynette Schimming Photo by: John Ascher USDA Bee Biology Lab, Logan Utah Photo by: Micheal Veit Native Bees – Colletidae & Andrenidae

Other Pollinators 1. Flies – Syrphids 2. Beetles – Soldier Beetle 3. Wasps – Specids, Vespids 4. Butterflies 5. Birds

How can you attract bees? Flowers 1. Diversity of flowers Ø Color: purples, pinks, yellows Ø Shapes: open and tubular Ø Different nectar and pollen 2. Season long flowering Ø Spring, summer, fall Ø Food throughout seasons Spring Summer Fall

Types of bees 1. Short tongue Ø Sweat bee Ø Open flowers 2. Long tongue Ø Bumble bee Ø Tubular flowers Native Pollinators Open Flower Tubular Flower

Why use native plants? 1. Adapted to soils & climate 2. Evolved with native bees 3. Once established, require little water or fertilizer 4. Few pest & disease problems: limit chemical use White fringed prairie orchid Queen of the Prairie Indian Paintbrush Prairie Smoke Native plants

Native plants - Spring Foxglove Spiderwort Wild Strawberry Trout lily Golden Alexander Cream Baptisia Prairie phlox

Native plants - Summer Nodding Onion Pale Coneflower Monarda Slender Mt. mint Purple prairie clover Butterfly weed

Native plants - Summer Gray headed coneflower Whorled Milkweed Compass Plant

Native plants – Fall Stiff Goldenrod Closed Gentain Aromatic aster Indian grass Rough blazing star

http: //video. nationalgeographic. com/video/ki ds/animals-pets-kids/bugs-kids/butterflieskids/

Resources 1. Bee Basics: An introduction to our native bees Ø A USDA Forest Service and Pollinator Partnership Publication, 2011 2. Pollinator conservation handbook Ø The Xerces Society, 2003 3. Nests for native bees, online Ø http: //www. xerces. org/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/nests_for_native_bees_fact_sheet_xerces_society. pdf 4. Native plants for the home landscape Ø K. Nowakowski, 2004, University of Illinois extension 5. Native plants of Michigan, online Ø http: //nativeplants. msu. edu/ 6. Pollinator Partnership, online Ø http: //www. pollinator. org/guides. htm 7. MSU demonstration gardens