In the United States, there are over 4,000 species of native bees. Familiar bees visiting garden flowers are the colorful, fuzzy, yellow-and-black striped bumblebees, metallic-green sweat bees, squash bees, the squash bee is a native to North America, unlike the honeybee, to the casual observer, they are difficult to tell apart from honeybees. These flower-seeking pollen magnets purposefully visit flowers to collect pollen and nectar for food for themselves and their young.
All bees have very high-energy needs that must be met for their survival. Bees need key resources such as pollen and nectar from a variety of flowers. Bees need these resources for themselves and their progeny. Many bees need water in addition to nectar.
Most bees excavate their nest tunnels in sunny patches of bare ground, while others seek out abandoned beetle burrows in dead tree trunks or branches. The majority of bees are solitary, but a few, like sweat bees, bumblebees, and honeybees, are social, living in colonies that consist of a queen, her worker bee daughters and a few males, the drones.
Many of the flowers pollinated by bees have a region of low ultraviolet reflectance near the center of each petal. This region appears invisible to humans because our visual spectrum does not extend into the ultraviolet. However, bees can detect ultraviolet light. The contrasting ultraviolet pattern called a nectar guide. This guide helps a bee quickly locate the flower’s center.
This adaptation benefits both the flower and the bee. The bee can more rapidly collect nectar and the flower is more effectively pollinated.
Why are bees pollinators disappearing?
To be frank, bees are disappearing because of humans. The biggest causes of bee population decline include everything from habitat loss to climate changes. We destroy natural habitats, forests, wildflower meadows, and many other areas that once held flower species necessary for bee survival. The climate is warming, cooling, and all-around shifting in ways that many insect populations cannot cope with. Seasonal changes disrupt the delicate nesting behavior of bees and can prevent or confuse normal pollination and breeding patterns. Diseases, parasites, invasive species make up the rest of the culprits.
For more information on bees or any other insect contact us at Universal Pest Services (610)449-0740 or info@universal-pest.com