www.sare.org publications managing-alternative-pollinators chapter-six-mason-bees lifecycle Lifecycle Osmia are tunnel-nesting insects (Figure 6.5). In the wild they nest beneath rock or bark crevices, in the hollow stems of pithy twigs, or in tunnels formed by wood-boring insects. A lack of nesting sites of this type limits the size of wild populations. Management systems exploit this nesting behavior by providing artificial nests constructed […]
www.sare.org publications managing-alternative-pollinators chapter-six-mason-bees natural-history Natural History Like the alfalfa leafcutter bee, mason bees belong to the family Megachilidae. As with other members of the Megachilidae family, mason bees use their large, scissor-like jaws to gather mud, pieces of leaf, or flower petals for the construction of their nests. All species of mason bee currently managed in the US belong to the […]
www.sare.org publications managing-alternative-pollinators chapter-six-mason-bees Chapter Six: Mason Bees Eric Mader, Pollinator Outreach Coordinator, the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation Many current mason bee management practices are the result of previous research with the alfalfa leafcutter bee, Megachile rotundata (see chapter 7). The two groups of bees have similar life cycles, nesting requirements, and management techniques. However, while the alfalfa leafcutter bee has been managed […]
www.sare.org publications managing-alternative-pollinators chapter-five-bumble-bees protecting-your-colonies-health Protecting Your Colonies' Health Keep an eye on the health of your colonies. There are pests, parasites, and diseases that can have deleterious effects on your colonies (see Table 5.1). There are also scavengers and others that do no harm or can actually benefit your colonies. It is important to properly identify other creatures you find residing in bumble […]
www.sare.org publications managing-alternative-pollinators chapter-five-bumble-bees raising-bumble-bees Raising Bumble Bees Bumble bee domestication is in relatively early stages of development as an industry. Currently, it is dominated by a few international companies. Methods have been industry secrets or have been buried in the scientific literature, not easily available to the public. Recent publication of a bumble bee rearing manual has made it possible for more […]
www.sare.org publications managing-alternative-pollinators chapter-five-bumble-bees history-of-bumble-bee-domestication History of Bumble Bee Domestication People began to explore the use of bumble bees for crop pollination in the late 19th century. Bumble bees were intentionally introduced from the UK to New Zealand, which had no native bumble bee species, in order to pollinate red clover plants used for livestock forage. Anyone using bumble bees for pollination at this time […]
www.sare.org publications managing-alternative-pollinators chapter-five-bumble-bees using-bumble-bees-as-crop-pollinators Using Bumble Bees as Crop Pollinators Bumble bees commonly pollinate over 25 crops worldwide, including cranberries, blueberries, strawberries, plums, zucchinis, melons, sweet peppers, tomatoes, as well as seed crops like alfalfa, red clover, cotton, and sunflower (see sidebar). While some crops may achieve sufficient pollination with only bumble bees present, others may achieve greatest pollination with a combination of bumble bees […]
www.sare.org publications managing-alternative-pollinators chapter-five-bumble-bees bumble-bee-as-managed-pollinators Bumble Bee as Managed Pollinators When farms were smaller and set within a more diverse landscape, wild native bees provided pollination services for many crops. With strong pollinator populations and smaller field sizes, some farmers relied on the pollination services provided by native bees. As agriculture has moved towards larger fields with less surrounding wild area, farmers have become more […]
www.sare.org publications managing-alternative-pollinators chapter-five-bumble-bees bumble-bee-life-cycle Bumble Bee Life Cycle Each spring, the fate of the summer’s bumble bee population hangs tenuously on the ability of independent queen bumble bees to survive pests, predators, and inclement spring weather. Nests are begun anew each spring by queens who survived the winter, burrowed in the soil, protected from freezing by an antifreeze in their blood. Their first […]
www.sare.org publications managing-alternative-pollinators chapter-five-bumble-bees natural-history-of-bumble-bees Natural History of Bumble Bees Worldwide, there are approximately 250 species of bumble bees. Over 40 bumble bee species are native to North America. Of these, only one species, Bombus impatiens, is currently reared by commercial producers in North America. Bumble bees vary greatly in size, with bees weighing from 40 to 830 milligrams (0.0014 to 0.029 ounces). There is […]