MOTHER NATURE AT HER BEST: BEE POLLINATION

Photo Courtesy of Rose Hunter Photography

BZZZZZZ.  Bees are one of Mother Earth’s best pollinators.  Without bees and other pollinators we would all be in trouble.  Our ecosystem would not be sustainable without pollination.

In this post I would like to focus on bees and the important role they play in our ecosystem with pollination. 

FACTS ABOUT BEES

Bees have existed for more than 100 million years.  Worker bees in a hive have to know where the queen bee is at all times as she is the sole source of eggs that keep the hive populated.

They are currently considered a clade with over 20,000 known species.  Honey bees, bumblebees, and stingless bees live socially in colonies while most species while mason bees, carpenter bees, leafcutter bees, and sweat bees are solitary.

Bees are specialized as pollination agents, with behavioral and physical modifications that specifically enhance pollination, and are the most efficient pollinating insects.

Bees are found on every continent except Antarctica, in every habitat on the planet that contains insect-pollinated flowering plants.

The first record of honey harvesting is a cave painting from 6,000-8,000 year-old caves in Spain. 

Fermented honey, known as mead, was first produced in ancient China around 7,000 BCE, making it the world’s oldest alcoholic beverage.

BEE POLLINATION

Pollination is an essential ecological survival function.  Almost 80% of all the food consumed comes from pollination of bees and other animals with bees as the primary pollinator.

One honey bee can potentially visit thousands of flowers daily, while a colony of honey bees can pollinate millions.  They transfer pollen from one flower to another which enables fertilization.  This fertilization is essential in producing the fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains that we eat.

Honey Bees are used for agricultural purposes across the US.  Honey Bee production companies rent out their honey bee colonies to farmers to help produce healthier, more tasteful fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains while increasing the farmer’s yields as well.

Native bees also play an important role in our ecosystem.  They help pollinate wild flowers and plants in specific areas.  They’re specialized pollinators for specific plant species which enable these special species to survive.

BEE LOSSES IN 2024-2025

Just this last month Beekeepers sounded an alarm over historic bee losses.  Hundreds of millions of bees have died in the past eight months, according to experts.  There is currently no consensus on what is causing the die-offs. Dr. Jeff Pettis, an entomologist in Salisbury and President of Apimondia, the International Federation of Beekeepers’ Associations said it could be a complex array of factors, (according to an interview with WBOC Radio).  “The symptoms are very similar this year,” Pettis said, referencing a similar die-off 20 years ago, “But it's poor nutrition, pesticide exposure, pathogens and pests. We have a parasitic mite that affects bees very severely. And so as a beekeeper, we try to manage that pest. But even with that, if the bees don't have good forage, good nutrition, good flowers, they're not going to do well."

Pollinator Partnership has a list of things all of us can do to help with pollination – please see below:

PLANT FOR POLLINATORS

• Habitat opportunities abound on every landscape – from window boxes to acres of farms to corporate campuses to utility and roadside corridors – every site can be a habitat.

• Utilize plants native to your area (or at the least, non-invasive for your area).

• Utilize the Ecoregional Planting Guides and the Garden Recipe Cards to create or enhance your pollinator garden. Decide among the plant material options - seeds, plugs, plants or a combination.

• Know your soil type and select appropriate plant material.

• Plant in clusters to create a "target' for pollinators to find.

• Plant for continuous bloom throughout the growing season from spring to fall.

• Select a site that is removed from wind, has at least partial sun, and can provide water.

• Allow material from dead branches and logs remain as nesting sites; reduce mulch to allow patches of bare ground for ground-nesting bees to utilize; consider installing wood nesting blocks for wood-nesting natives.

  
  

REDUCE OR ELIMINATE THE IMPACT OF PESTICIDES

• Check out the Pesticides Learning Center on the Pollinator Partnership website to learn more about the interactions between pollinators and pesticides!

• Where possible, avoid pest problems in the first place by burying infested plant residues, removing pest habitat, and planting native plants that encourage natural enemies of pests.

• Practice Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

• If you are a farmer or pesticide applicator, check out our Pesticide Education Module.

• If you must use pesticides, read and follow ALL label directions carefully.

  
  

BECOME A BEE FRIENDLY GARDEN MEMBER

• Join Bee Friendly Gardening to showcase your commitment to pollinator health! Connect with a network of gardeners all across North America and beyond.

• If you are a farmer or rancher there are other options for you. Check out the Bee Friendly Farming page to learn more.

  
  

REACH OUT TO OTHERS – INFORM AND INSPIRE

• Utilize all the materials available to help you tell the story of pollinators.

• Especially during National Pollinator Week (June 16-22, 2025).

• Tell local and state government officials that you care about pollinator health.

  
  

SUPPORT LOCAL BEES AND BEEKEEPERS

• Buying local honey supports the beekeepers in your area.

• If you're concerned about the number of chemicals use in agriculture, buy organic.

• If you're concerned about contributions to global carbon emissions, buy local.

  
  

CONSERVE ALL OF OUR RESOURCES; USE LESS AND REDUCE YOUR IMPACT

• Pollinators are dramatically affected by extremes in weather.

• Climate change puts pressure on native ranges and overwintering sites.

SUPPORT THE WORK OF GROUPS PROMOTING SCIENCE BASED, PRACTICAL EFFORTS FOR POLLINATORS

Pollinator Partnership Is a non-profit 501(C)3 organization, the largest in the world dedicated exclusively to the protection and promotion of pollinators and their ecosystems.  You can reach them at https://www.pollinator.org.  They are a great resource to utilize and support.

The United States Department of Agriculture US Forest Service is another great site for information on Pollination.  It has multiple sections of information on wildflowers, invasive, native, rare plants and Ethnobotany.  It even has a section just for kids, teacher tools and how to build a bee box!  Here is their site: https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/pollinators/pollinator-of-the-month/index.shtml

I hope you found this blog helpful and informative. 

A quote by Elizabeth Lawrence “The hum of bees is the voice of the garden.”