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Gardening smartly for bees and other pollinators Dr. Ashley Bennett Michigan State University
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Dr. Ashley Bennett Michigan State University Gardening smartly for bees and other pollinators
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Why is bee conservation important? Bees pollinate 80% of flowering plants o Native plants o Food crops Collected Pollen Pennsylvania Dept. of Agriculture
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U. S. grows 100 crops dependent on pollination Value in 2000 was $20 billion
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with beeswithout bees
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Why is bee conservation important? Supports native plant communities Food for wildlife
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Why is bee conservation important? Aesthetic beauty Recreational value Interest to our gardens! Photo by: Richard Orr Peponapis sp. : pollinates cucurbitsOsimia lingnaria: pollinates fruit crops Photo: British Columbia, Ministry of Agriculture
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Over 20,000 species of bees in the world, 4,000 in N. A., and nearly 400 species recorded in Michigan.
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Most important bee worldwide. First brought by European settlers in 1600s for honey and wax production. Feral colonies once abundant. Provides crop pollination worth $14.6 billion in US annually. Honey bees
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Native Bees - Apidae Pennsylvania Dept. of Agriculture Long-horn bee Photo by: Richard Orr Squash Bee Bumble Bee Carpenter Bee
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Common bumble bee species differentiated by the amount of yellow abdominal hair Bombus impatiens first segment yellow Bombus fervidus all but the last segment yellow Bombus bimaculatus 1 st segment all yellow, 2 nd segment partial yellow Bombus vagans 1 st & 2 nd segments all yellow Bombus griseocollis 1 st segment all yellow, 2 nd segment partial yellow Bombus citrinus abdomen all black
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Native Bees - Megachilidae Leaf cutter bee Photo by: John Ascher Anthidium USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center Leaf cutter bee USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
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Native Bees - Halictidae Green Bee Lynette Schimming Green Bee Sheryl Pollock Sweat Bee
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Native Bees – Colletidae & Andrenidae Photo by: Micheal Veit USDA Bee Biology Lab, Logan Utah Photo by: Lynette Schimming Photo by: John Ascher
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Other Pollinators 1.Flies – Syrphids 2.Beetles – Soldier Beetle 3.Wasps – Specids, Vespids 4.Butterflies 5.Birds
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How can you attract bees? Flowers 1.Diversity of flowers Color: purples, pinks, yellows Shapes: open and tubular Different nectar and pollen 2.Season long flowering Spring, summer, fall Food throughout seasons Spring Summer Fall
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Native Pollinators Types of bees 1. Short tongue Sweat bee Open flowers 2. Long tongue Bumble bee Tubular flowers Open Flower Tubular Flower
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Why use native plants? 1. Adapted to soils & climate 2. Evolved with native bees 3. Once established, require little water or fertilizer 4. Few pest & disease problems: limit chemical use Prairie Smoke Indian Paintbrush White fringed prairie orchid Queen of the Prairie Native plants
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Native plants - Spring Trout lily Spiderwort Prairie phlox Cream Baptisia Golden Alexander Foxglove Wild Strawberry
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Native plants - Summer Purple prairie clover Nodding Onion Pale Coneflower Slender Mt. mint Butterfly weed Monarda
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Native plants - Summer Compass Plant Gray headed coneflower Whorled Milkweed
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Native plants – Fall Rough blazing star Stiff Goldenrod Aromatic aster Closed Gentain Indian grass
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http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/ki ds/animals-pets-kids/bugs-kids/butterflies- kids/
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Resources 1.Bee Basics: An introduction to our native bees A USDA Forest Service and Pollinator Partnership Publication, 2011 2.Pollinator conservation handbook The Xerces Society, 2003 3.Nests for native bees, online http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/nests_for_native_bees_fact_sheet_xerces_society.pdf http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/nests_for_native_bees_fact_sheet_xerces_society.pdf 4.Native plants for the home landscape K. Nowakowski, 2004, University of Illinois extension 5.Native plants of Michigan, online http://nativeplants.msu.edu/ http://nativeplants.msu.edu/ 6.Pollinator Partnership, online http://www.pollinator.org/guides.htm http://www.pollinator.org/guides.htm 7.MSU demonstration gardens
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