Emily K. Dobbs

Jonathan Larson

Blake Newton

University of Kentucky, Department of Entomology

Alternative Pollinators & How

You Can Help Conserve Them

Pollinator Problems: Overview

1. honey bees are in danger2. can other bees and pollintors fill the void?3. how to help pollinators in your yard or garden

Bumble Bee: a native pollinator (photo: David Cappaert, Michigan State University)

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

Pollen Basket on a bee: bees have these,

and no other insects do!Jeffrey W. Lotz, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

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.

Honey Bee

Photo: Joseph Berger, UGA

Apis mellifera

Most important Ag and Garden pollinatorPollination value: $9 billion per year in U.S.Mobile colonies: the key to mass success

Honey Bee

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

Photo: Robert W. Matthews, University of Georgia

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

Sweat BeePhoto: David Cappaert, Michigan State University

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.

Leafcutter BeePhoto: Jack Dykinga, USDA Agricultural Research Service

Bees Besides Honey Bees

Carpenter BeePhoto: David Cappaert, Michigan State University

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 BeePhoto: Johnny N. Dell, Bugwood.org

Bees Besides Honey Bees

Red-Tailed BumblebeePhoto: Rob Routledge, Sault College

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.

Wandering BumblebeePhoto: 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 FlySusan Ellis, Bugwood.org

MonarchPhoto: Jennifer E. Dacey, University of Rhode Island

Hawk MothPhoto: 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

ButterflyAgastache 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

BeeAquilegia canadensis, Eastern

Columbine

Coreopsis lanceolata, Lance-Leaved

Coreopsis

Echinacea purpurea, Purple Coneflower

Monarda fistulosa, Bergamot

Ratibida columnifera, Prairie

Coneflower

Rudbeckia subtomentosa, Sweet Black-

Eyed Susan

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae, New

England Aster

Tradescantia ohiensis, Ohio Spiderwort

Bee, cont.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 Black-

Eyed Susan

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae, New

England Aster

Tradescantia ohiensis, Ohio Spiderwort

Zizia aurea, Golden Alexander

New England aster

Prairie Coneflower

Lavender Hyssop

Hoary vervainPurple coneflower

Purpletop verbena

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 BeePhoto: David Cappaert, Michigan State University

Lawn weeds, like clover & dandelion, are common

RecommendationsRecommendationsRecommendationsRecommendations

� 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