A sunflower bee (Svastra obliqua) visiting an upright prairie coneflower (Rudbeckia spp.) Image: (c) Kathy Garvey
A squash bee (Xenoglossa strenua) visiting a squash blossom. Many garden vegetable plants like squash, pumpkins, tomatoes, and peppers need pollination by native bees to produce fruit. Image (c) Ron Hemberger
A ground-nesting bee emerging from it's nest. About 70% of bee species nest underground. Image (c) University of California
An example of possible wood-nesting bee habitat. About 30% of bee species nest above ground, utilizing dead wood, shrub stems, and even snail shells!
Urban Native Bee Conservation
It's as easy as 1-2-3 to help bees thrive in the city and beyond! Follow these steps to augment your garden or local green space and help conserve native bees.
​
1) Provide Native Flowers
Most bees get all of their food from the pollen and nectar that they obtain from flowers. Wild native bees especially benefit from foraging on local native wildflowers. Planting a variety of flowers in different colors and that bloom at different times throughout the season will keep a variety of bees buzzing in your garden. Native flowers tend to require little maintenance and attract other animals like butterflies and birds. Having more bees in your garden can also help your fruits and vegetables produce more! The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation has great information about what native plants grow best in your area.
​
​
2) Provide Nesting Habitat
Unlike the well-known social European honey bee which constructs large hives in tree cavities and rocky outcroppings, most bee species are solitary and make their nests underground. Providing areas of non-compacted bare soil will help attract below-ground nesting bees like bumblebees and metallic green sweat bees. Keeping some areas of your garden unmulched will help these and other below-ground nesting species thrive. Some solitary bees do nest above ground, mainly in wood cavities. Adding a "bee hotel" or just keeping some dead vegetation like logs and shrub stems in your garden can help above ground nesting species like carpenter bees and leaf-cutter bees.
​
3) Avoid Pesticides
If you can, it is best to avoid pesticides in your garden altogether. If you must use a pesticide, avoid spraying directly on flowers and don't spray during the day when bees are foraging. The group of pesticides containing neonicotonoids have been shown to be especially harmful to bees.
​
​