Everybody is aware of the honey bee, however do you know there are greater than 20,000 completely different bee species on the earth—and round 4,000 species that stay within the U.S. and Canada alone? In reality, honey bees (Apis species) are usually not native to North America. They originated in Europe, Asia and Africa.

Bees are extremely essential bugs. Their pollination companies assist crops produce a few of our favourite meals, like blueberries and squash, and so they play a key function in maintaining ecosystems wholesome and functioning. Sadly, many bee species are in severe decline attributable to pesticide use in agriculture, habitat loss and local weather change.

The excellent news? Every of us can take motion to assist bees thrive—proper in our personal backyards.

Plant Native Wildflowers

Like us, bees want a balanced weight loss program to remain wholesome. Probably the greatest issues you are able to do to your neighborhood pollinators is to plant wildflowers which might be native to your area. These flowers are particularly suited to help the bees which have co-evolved with them. Desert bees do finest on desert wildflowers. Mountain bees thrive on blooms that point their flowering to alpine circumstances. Even city bees profit most from native crops that when grew earlier than improvement.

You should definitely plant quite a lot of species that bloom at completely different instances all through the rising season. That approach, bees will at all times have a meals supply throughout their energetic months. There are numerous on-line sources for sustainably harvested native seeds. Enjoyable reality: bees don’t see the colour pink, so they have a tendency to favor flowers which might be blue, yellow, white or purple.

© WWF-US / Clay Bolt

Present Nesting Habitat

Of the roughly 20,000 bee species worldwide, most are solitary. Quite than residing in giant hives like honey bees, these bees are industrious single moms. Every one gathers nectar and pollen, kinds it right into a loaf to nourish a single egg, then seals off the chamber earlier than shifting on to the following.

The vast majority of solitary bees nest within the floor, which implies they want undisturbed soil to put their eggs. Leaving a nook of your yard a bit untidy—with dry leaves, tall grass or hard-packed naked floor—creates a useful nesting space.

It’s value noting that the majority solitary bees are too small to sting. And in contrast to honey bees, which defend a colony, solitary females threat every part in the event that they sting: if swatted and killed, their younger gained’t survive. Male bees don’t have stingers in any respect.

Male mining bees clinging to vegetation to sleep. © WWF-US / Clay Bolt

Supply a Pesticide-Free Surroundings

Pesticides, herbicides and fungicides are all dangerous to bees. Some, like neonicotinoids, are systemic, which means the toxin permeates your complete plant—together with its nectar and pollen.

To guard bees, keep away from spraying your backyard. If it’s good to management pest species, go for natural or organic strategies as a substitute. Offering pure habitat for bugs invitations helpful species and different invertebrates that assist hold pests in verify.

Additionally, guarantee any crops or seeds you buy had been grown organically and are freed from neonicotinoids. These chemical substances don’t wash away—they continue to be within the plant, and within the soil, generally for years.

Good luck in your journey to creating your backyard extra bee-friendly! It’s really a “construct it and they’re going to come” scenario. Need assist figuring out the bees you see? Attempt the free Search app for iPhone or Android. Snap a photograph, submit the situation and picture, and never solely will specialists use your sighting for citizen science, they’ll additionally offer you an identification.

© WWF-US / Clay Bolt

By Clay Bolt, Senior Communications Lead for World Wildlife Fund’s Northern Nice Plains (NGP) Program