North America is home to some 4,000 dissimilar species of aboriginal bee . Like Honey bees , they too are firm becoming victims of pesticide exposure , diseases and habitat loss , but because most aboriginal bees live lonely lives , they are n’t succumbing to colony crash disorder . We Fannie Farmer play a huge part in supporting the many mintage of aboriginal bees that endure right outside our front doors . If you are n’t sure why you should help protect them , tick off out the reasons below .
1 . aboriginal bees give us food . These little creatures cross-pollinate upward of $ 3 billion in harvest each year , a number that could rise if we all startle promoting and preserving these awesome insects .
“ Native bees are especially significant for small farmers because they are in all likelihood playing a more meaning function on smaller farm , ” says Mace Vaughan , pollenation program director for The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation . “ At Rutgers University , they found that on prominent farm , native bees are providing at least 25 percent of all pollination service . Small Fannie Merritt Farmer often have more habitats for these insects and so they are probably getting even better rate of pollination than that . ”
2 . And they ’re fantastic at their job!Native bees are more effective pollinator than Honey bees : 250 distaff orchard mason bees ( Osmia lignaria ) can pollinate 1 acre of apple trees , a task that require 15,000 to 20,000 European Honey bee . And unlike Honey bees , most species of aboriginal bee are dynamic in moth-eaten and wet conditions with broader forage habits .
3 . They wo n’t break your ticker — or prick you . “It ’s important for people to realize that these aboriginal bees are all over the place , ” Vaughan read . “ Most are very gentle and patrician and do n’t sting . ”
4 . They ’re nature ’s celebrities . Did we mention how fabulous aboriginal bee are ? “ [ aboriginal bees ] are a very divers work party — with names like mining , digger , sunflower , mason , leafcutter , carpenter and squash bees — and many are very characterless , but some are just gorgeous , ” Vaughan says . “ They shine like iridescent green jewel or have brilliant stripes . It is stunning to find out how many bees are out there . ”
He describes a cranberry - land friend who take his beer outside at nighttime and sits on a lawn chair to ascertain the native bee when the cranberries are in full bloom .
“ Before he started work with us , he never noticed them before . Now , when he watches the many native bee buzz around his cranberry fields , he say , ‘ You go , miss ! Go make me some money ! ’ Native bees provide a very decisive religious service ; you just have to determine to recognize and nurture it . ”
We ’re sure you’re able to bestow many more reason why you screw aboriginal bees . say us in a comment below !
This article originally appear as part of “ Pollinator Central ” in the July / August 2013 way out ofHobby Farms .
