Bees are first-rate pollinators! Though we might think of honey bees when it comes to pollination, our native bees are the pollinator superheroes. Honey bees are certainly vital pollinators for many important agricultural food crops. But along with crops like blueberries, cherries, cranberries, pumpkins, and squash, most of the flowering plants in the wild and in gardens need pollen carried by native bees.
We depend on native bees for healthy ecosystems – and native bees need our help to provide the diverse habitat they need to survive.
Can you tell fact from fiction about these incredible insects?
Take our Bee Pop Quiz and see!
1. Are All bees black and yellow?
No. There are lots of fuzzy black and yellow bees. But native bees come in lots of colors, like metallic green or blue, black with red or orange, or all black.
Green orchid bee by Christopher Harrington
2. Do all bees live in hives or colonies?
No. Honey bees live in colonies, usually in hives tended by humans. Most native bees are solitary and live in the ground, holes in wood, or in hollow stems of plants.
Sandhills cellophane bee by Rob Diaz de Villegas
3. Will all bees sting?
No! Male bees, along with females of some species, don’t have stingers. Honey bees can be aggressive when defending their hives and the female workers will sting.
Native bees are not aggressive if not bothered. They usually don’t protect nests or flowers. If several insects fly out of a hole in the ground in a swarm, those are wasps, not bees, and they can sting.
Southern carpenter bee by Federico Acevedo
4. Are honey bees the best pollinators?
No. Honey bees are the primary pollinators for certain food crops. But most native bees are more efficient and often supplement the work of honey bees. Some natives, like bumble bees, work faster and longer than honey bees, often in cloudy or colder weather.
Southern plains bumble bee by Johnny N. Dell
5. Are all bees found in Florida native?
No. Early European settlers brought honey bees to produce honey and beeswax. There are about 4,000 species of native bees in the US, with approximately 300 species in Florida.
Honey bee by Federico Acevedo
6. Do parks and preserves provide plenty of natural habitat for bees and other wildlife?
No. These natural spaces are essential for wildlife. But wildlife needs more connected spaces to thrive. 85% of land east of the Mississippi is private property – much of this is our yards, gardens, schools, businesses, and places of worship.
Photo by Brian Kamprath
7. Do native bees need our help?
Yes! Native bee populations have declined significantly and continue to face serious threats, even extinction for some species. We can provide habitat for native bees and increase wildlife diversity by growing flowers, shrubs, and trees that are native to our region.
Photo by Keri Maynad
Take Action to Help Bees Thrive!
- Plant native wildflowers, like goldenrods and asters, that support large numbers of native bee species
- Plant native grasses that provide nesting places and shelter for bumble bees.
- Reduce lawn
- Leave patches of soil not planted or mulched
- Leave hollow stems of plants in winter
- Leave fallen branches or logs, use them to line your garden or make a brush pile
- Don’t use pesticides
