How Can We Help the Bee Lecture Featuring Dr. Kate Lecroy of Cornell University
Did you know that there are more than 20,000 bee species in the world? Of those, 450 species are native to New York State, and they come in all shapes, sizes and colors. There is still so much that we don’t know about bees. Many are smaller than a grain of rice and almost 10% of bees in America are yet to be described. Despite the diversity, every bee has the same job – pollination!
Native bees play a huge role in our ecosystem, pollinating almost 80% of flowering plants around the world. Based on a study by the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, many important, high-value crops are dependent on bees for successful production. Some of these crops include apples ($250M/year), squash and pumpkin ($74M/year), tomatoes ($47M/year), strawberries ($7M/year), cherries ($3M/year) and pears ($2.5M/year).
Unfortunately, many of our native bees are in decline. In a recent Land Alliance guest lecture by bee expert Dr. Kathryn Lecroy, we learned that more than 50% of 34 North American native bee species are in decline and nearly one in four are at an increasing risk of extinction. Why are these bees in decline? According to Dr. Lecroy, most bees are threatened by agricultural intensification, habitat destruction, overuse of pesticides, climate change, urbanization and predation by nonnative bees. Dr. Lecroy has also found that non-native bees outcompete native bees in developed areas, while native bees thrive in open spaces.
There are so many things we can do to help native bees thrive in our own back yards. Most importantly, we can support bee communities by providing habitat.
Some of the best practices suggested by the Empire State Native Pollinator Survey include:
- Reduce pesticide and herbicide use.
- Control invasive plants and maintain native species. Aim to plant species that bloom year round to provide a long-term food source.
- Mow your yard less and cut at the tallest setting. Preserve bee habitat by letting native flowering grasses bloom longer.
- Minimize outdoor lighting as it can disrupt foraging behaviors of bees.
- Leave coarse woody materials on your property for nesting habitat.
Bees are in serious trouble. Native bees are indispensable to the health of the natural world and are perilously under protected. Let’s start helping bees by making small changes in our yard because, without these tiny, tireless creatures our world would be a dreary and impoverished place.
