Publication Type:
BookSource:
FS-960, USDA, Forest Service, Washington, D.C., p.48 pp. (2010)Call Number:
B10USF01IDUSKeywords:
Agapostemon, Agapostemon texanus, alkali bee, anatomy, Andrena cornelli, Andrenidae, Apidae, Augochlora pura, Augochlorella pomoniella, bee, blue orchard bee, Bombus, Bombus affinis, Bombus impatiens, Bombus morrisoni, Bombus pensylvanicus, Bombus vosnesenskii, bumble bees, carpenter bees, Ceratina, Colletidae, Conservation, cuckoo bees, Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita., Habropoda laboriosa, Halictidae, honey bees, Hylaeus, leaf-cutter bees, mason bees, Megachilidae, Melissodes, miner bees, morphology, nesting, Nomia melanderi, Osmia, Osmia lignaria, Peponapis, Peponapis pruinosa, Pollinator, southeastern blueberry bees, squash bees, sweat bees, Triepeolus, wasp, Xenoglossa, Xylocopa, Xylocopa virginicaAbstract:
Native bees are a hidden treasure. From alpine meadows in the national forests of the Rocky Mountains to the Sonoran Desert in the Coronado National Forest in Arizona and from the boreal forests of the Tongass National Forest in Alaska to the Ocala National Forest in Florida, bees can be found anywhere in North America, where flowers bloom. From forests to farms, from cities to wildlands, there are 4,000 native bee species in the United States, from the tiny Perdita minima to large carpenter bees. Most people do not realize that there were no honey bees in America before European settlers brought hives from Europe. These resourceful animals promptly managed to escape from domestication. As they had done for millennia in Europe and Asia, honey bees formed swarms and set up nests in hollow trees. Native pollinators, especially bees other than honey bees, have been pollinating the continent’s flowering plants since long before the arrival of honey bees. Even in today’s vastly altered landscapes, they continue to do the yeomen’s share of pollination, especially when it comes to native plants. The honey bee, remarkable as it is, does not know how to pollinate tomato or eggplant flowers. It does very poorly compared to native bees when pollinating many native plants, such as pumpkins, cherries, blueberries, and cranberries. ….Take a closer look at this forgotten treasure of native bees.
Notes:
Reference Code: B10USF01IDUS <br>
Full Citation: Moissett, B., Buchmann, S. L., Buchanan. 2010. Bee Basics: An Introduction to Our Native Bees. [Washington, D.C.] : [San Francisco, Calif.]: USDA, Forest Service, 2010 Print. 2011 Reprint. 48 pp. <br>
Location: ELECTRONIC FILE - BOTANY: OTHER