Alternative Pollinators & How You Can Help Conserve Them Emily K. Dobbs Jonathan Larson Blake Newton University of Kentucky, Department of Entomology
Pollinator Problems: Overview
Bumble Bee: a native pollinator (photo: David Cappaert, Michigan State University)
1. honey bees are in danger 2. can other bees and pollintors fill the void? 3. how to help pollinators in your yard or garden
Why Are Pollinators Important? -flowering plants, as we know them, can’t exist without pollinators -most of the world’s pollination is accomplished by insects, especially bees -flowering plants and insects co-evolved ~100 million years ago -edible fruits come from flowers: most fruits would not exist without insect pollinators
Bees are One-Trick Pollinator Ponies! The entomological definition of a bee: a special type of wasp that has evolved to move pollen from one place to another All bees (not just honey bees) have special branched hairs on their bodies that are designed to hold pollen. NO OTHER insects or animals have these special hairs Bees don’t do much except pollinate and eat pollen and nectar. They are the world’s most efficient pollintors.
Pollen Basket on a bee: bees have these, and no other insects do! Jeffrey W. Lotz, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Honey Bee
Photo: Joseph Berger, UGA
Apis mellifera Most important Ag and Garden pollinator Pollination value: $9 billion per year in U.S. Mobile colonies: the key to mass success
Honey Bee Photo: Robert W. Matthews, University of Georgia
Photo: Joseph Berger, UGA
Currently threatened by diseases, pesticides, and other factors: CCD, colony collapse disorder Honey bee is NOT native to the U.S. Came to North America around 1600
Other Bees Honey Bees aren’t the only kind of bees! There are thousands of bee species in the world Most of them do not live in hives or make honey, but all of them pollinate!
Native Pollinators
+4000 Native Bee Species -many butterflies, flies, beetles, ants and more
Native Bees
$3 Billion Annually
Bees Besides Honey Bees Solitary Bees: most native bee species in the U.S. are “solitary.” This means that they do not make hives, don’t make honey, and don’t work together. They gather nectar and pollen and feed it to their own young only.
Sweat Bee Photo: David Cappaert, Michigan State University
Leafcutter Bee Photo: Jack Dykinga, USDA Agricultural Research Service
Bees Besides Honey Bees Solitary Bees: another example of solitary bees include carpenter bees. Many of these look like bumblebees, but they don’t live in a hive like bumblebees. Some of these are very large.
Carpenter Bee Photo: David Cappaert, Michigan State University
Carpenter Bee Photo: Johnny N. Dell, Bugwood.org
Bees Besides Honey Bees Hive Bees: bumblebees are the only other bees in the U.S. that are truly social. Like honey bees, they live in hives and work together. Social bees are probably the very best pollinators.
Red-Tailed Bumblebee Photo: Rob Routledge, Sault College
Wandering Bumblebee Photo: David Cappaert, Michigan State University
Other Native Pollinators Other important native U.S. pollinators include all butterflies, plus many ants, beetles, moths, spiders, flies, and any other insect that regularly visits flowers
Flower Fly Susan Ellis, Bugwood.org
Monarch Photo: Jennifer E. Dacey, University of Rhode Island
Hawk Moth Photo: David Cappaert, Michigan State University
Can Native Pollinators Help Us? -As honey bee colonies decline, it is possible that native bumblebees and other bees will INCREASE in number -can native bees and other pollinators help to “take up the slack� if honeybees decline in number? How can we help them?
Can Native Pollinators Help Us? Mobile Bumblebee Colonies In the same way that honey bees colonies are moved from one place to another for pollination, people are experimenting with mobile bumblebee colonies. There is some promise here, but bumblebees don’t overwinter as a whole colony like honeybees do. Bumblebees are actually used quite a bit for greenhouse pollination.
Native Pollinator Plight
Unfortunately, some of our native pollinators are having problems as well!
Native Pollinator Plight
Native Pollinator Plight
• Social bumblebees and solitary bees are declining – Habitat Loss – Pesticide Use – Disease
UK Research: Project Pollinator -we looked at planting beds of native flowers to help native pollinators
-in general, if you plant flowers that are native to Kentucky, you can help pollinators -what follows are a few recommended flowers that will attract (and help!) lots of native pollinators
Butterfly
Bee
Bee, cont.
Agastache foeniculum, Lavender Hyssop Allium cernuum, Nodding Pink Onion Asclepias tuberosa, Butterfly Milkweed Cassia hebecarpa, Wild Senna Coreopsis lanceolata, Lance-Leaved Coreopsis Dalea purpurea, Purple Prairie Clover Desmanthus illinoensis, Illinois Bundleflower Echinacea purpurea, Purple Coneflower Eryngium yuccifolium, Rattlesnake Master Liatris spicata, Gayfeather Rudbeckia hirta, Black-Eyed Susan Solidago rigida, Rigid Goldenrod Verbena bonariensis, Purpletop Verbena Verbena stricta, Hoary Vervain Veronicastrum virginicum, Culver’s Root Zizia aurea, Golden Alexander
Aquilegia canadensis, Eastern Columbine Coreopsis lanceolata, Lance-Leaved Coreopsis Echinacea purpurea, Purple Coneflower Monarda fistulosa, Bergamot Ratibida columnifera, Prairie Coneflower Rudbeckia subtomentosa, Sweet BlackEyed Susan Symphyotrichum novae-angliae, New England Aster Tradescantia ohiensis, Ohio Spiderwort
Agastache foeniculum, Lavender Hyssop Aquilegia canadensis, Eastern Columbine Asclepias tuberosa, Butterfly Milkweed Coreopsis lanceolata, Lance-Leaved Coreopsis Coreopsis tinctoria, Plains Coreopsis (annual) Echinacea purpurea, Purple Coneflower Echinacea tennesseensis, Tennessee Purple Coneflower Eryngium yuccifolium, Rattlesnake Master Gaillardia pulchella, Annual Gaillardia (annual) Helianthus annuus, Wild Sunflower (annual) Monarda fistulosa, Bergamot Penstemon digitalis, Smooth Penstemon Ratibida columnifera, Prairie Coneflower Rudbeckia subtomentosa, Sweet BlackEyed Susan Symphyotrichum novae-angliae, New England Aster Tradescantia ohiensis, Ohio Spiderwort Zizia aurea, Golden Alexander
New England aster
Prairie Coneflower
Lavender Hyssop
Purpletop verbena
Purple coneflower
Hoary vervain
Lance-leaf coreopsis
Black-eyed Susan
Wild sunflower
Bergamot
Plains coreopsis
BUT: you don’t have to plant a garden to help pollinators. By managing your yard a little differently, you can give native pollinators lots to chew on!
Leafcutter Bee Photo: David Cappaert, Michigan State University
Lawn weeds, like clover & dandelion, are common
Recommendations Plant native flowers Delay mowing or herbicide treatmen on lawns until after peak blooming of lawn weeds
Resources Monarch Watch: http://www.monarchwatch.org/
Pollinator Partnership: http://www.pollinator.org/
Bumblebees of the Eastern U.S. http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/documents/BumbleBeeGuideEast2011.pdf