Bee Issue Tracking Made Native 2 4 8

18 Janvier 2021

Tracking By Queen. One of the early decisions you should make when setting out as a new beekeeper is at what level you wish to track your bees. If you have more than one hive, which is highly recommended, you will be tempted to track by hive. Many beekeepers do this by assigning an identifier to each hive.

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A leafcutter bee on a native mallow flower

Canada has no standardized method for tracking native bee species 'until it's too late,' researchers say Bobby Hristova (bhristova@postmedia.com) Published: Jul 31, 2019 at 8 a.m.
Agapostemon texanus.US sweat bee. Peponapis pruinosa.Squash and gourd bees. Bombus impatiens.The Impatient Bumble Bee.
2 Native Bees: Varied and Valuable Native bees come in a wide array of sizes, shapes, and colors. They are also varied in their life styles, the places they frequent, the nests they build, the flowers they visit, and their season of activity. They remain ignored or unknown by most of us. Yet, they provide an invaluable ecosystem service.

We are in the midst of National Pollinator Week (did you know?) and it seems most appropriate as every day I'm seeing many species of native bees on the native flowers in the nursery. I often listen to podcasts as I water plants, a daily task in a nursery, and a recent favorite is 'PolliNation' (thank you, Lisa R.!), produced at Oregon State University. On a recent podcast the bee taxonomist with the Oregon Bee Project, Lincoln Best, listed his top native plant species to benefit native bees, most of which I share below.

A longhorned bee exiting a flower of Lyall's mariposa lily (Calochortus lyalli)

Native bees are either generalists, visiting many flower species of varied flower types (most bumble bees), or specialists, requiring just one or a few species to complete their life cycle. Unlike the imported honeybee, with which all of us are familiar, native bees (which number close to 700 species in Washington state), are mostly solitary and have an adult stage which may last for only a few weeks. They need pollen and they need it now! Photomatix pro 6 2. Our native bees co-evolved with our native flora and many are dependent on select plant species.

A honeybee loaded with abundant pollen from Scouler's willow (Salix scouleriana)

This list of recommended natives was chosen to benefit both the generalists and specialists, and to provide an extended bloom time. They are not listed in order of absolute importance, although for some bee species they are absolutely important. A basic rule applies: a greater diversity of native plants (height, bloom time, floral type, etc.) leads to greater diversity of fauna, including bees and much more (butterflies, birds, predatory insects, etc). Plants grown at Derby Canyon Natives are in bold.

Phacelia, aka scorpionweed, for the shape of the inflorescence. One of the best, for both generalists and specialists. We grow Phacelia hastata.
Astragulus, aka locoweed or milkvetch
Ericameria – rabbitbrush, two species. A great late season source of pollen and nectar, blooming in September and October
Cirsium, the thistles
Helianthus, the sunflowers, and relatives like balsamroot (Balsamorhiza), mule's ears (Wyethia) and blanketflower (Gaillardia)
Solidago, or goldenrod
Grindelia, the gumweeds
Penstemon, penstemons or beardtoungues – spring and even summer bloomers, so many to choose from!
Cryptantha and Hackelia, from the Borage family
Oenothera,the evening primroses – we grow five species
Vaccinium (huckleberries) and relatives in the Ericaceae family like kinnikinnick (Arctostapylos uva-ursi)
Lysimachia, including starflower and native yellow loosestrife
Potentilla, the cinquefoils and relatives, like shrubby cinquefoil (Dasiphora fruticosa)
Malvaceae – the mallow family, including orange globemallow (Sphaeralcea munroana) and streambank globemallow (Iliamna rivularis)
Salicaceae – the willows. Lots of pollen, objective #1 for native bees
Calochortus – mariposa or sego lily
Peritoma serrulata – the Rocky Mountain beeplant. A spectacular summer blooming annual, 4′ tall and wide, the only annual we grow
Stephanomeria – wirelettuce, a summer bloomer from very dry places

A bumblebee busy with the flowers of Phacelia hastata; this is one of many bumblebees that seek out this plant within the many other plants growing in this hoophouse

A bumblebee squeezing into a spring blooming penstemon

The Rocky Mountain beeplant (Peritoma serrulata) a summer blooming bee magnet

Another bumblebee species on the long blooming blanketflower, Gaillardia aristata

BEESPONSIBLE TIP

Bumblebees need areas of bare, undisturbed dirt to make their homes. Availability of early-season food sources is critical to support colony growth, but queens in particular also need late-blooming flowers (like aster and goldenrod) so they can gather food in the fall for stored energy.

BUMBLEBEES

Big, fuzzy and buzzy — bumblebees are the most well-known native bees to visit our gardens. They're also the only bees native to North America that are truly social, living in a colony of 50-200 that consists of a queen and workers. Bumblebees' insulating coat of hair helps them tolerate cooler weather, which also explains why they're often the first bees we see foraging in spring and the last bees we see in fall.

Sadly, more than one quarter of North American bumblebees are facing some degree of extinction risk.^[1] In 2017, the rusty patched bumblebee was the first bee species in the continental U.S. to be listed as endangered. In 2018, conservation groups petitioned for endangered status of four bumblebee species native to California.^[2] A recent study also revealed the striking decline of bumblebees in Vermont which may warrant an endangered listing for three species.^[3]

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BEE BIO

Identifying Features

Hefty bodies with yellow on the head, thorax and abdomen; females collect pollen on their hind legs as well as their hairy bodies.

Nesting Habit

Ground-nesting, often in abandoned rodent holes or other existing cavities.

Lifestyle

Social

Floral Diet

Generalist — they'll forage a variety of plants for pollen and nectar.

Pollination Specialty

Tomatoes, blueberries, cranberries, watermelons, potatoes and many wildflowers.

Unique Skill

https://zfxw.over-blog.com/2021/01/xbox-app-beta-windows-10.html. Buzz pollination — bumblebees can unhinge their wings from their flight muscles and vibrate their bodies. For certain plants, this powerful vibrating action is the most effective way to release tightly-packed pollen.

Buzzworthy Fact

Only the new queens born at the end of the season hibernate underground through winter, after mating. In spring, they emerge to search for a new nest site and start a new colony.

BEESPONSIBLE TIP

Bumblebees need areas of bare, undisturbed dirt to make their homes. Availability of early-season food sources is critical to support colony growth, but queens in particular also need late-blooming flowers (like aster and goldenrod) so they can gather food in the fall for stored energy.