When people think of bees they think of honeybees living together in a hive, producing honey with many workers and a queen. But there are so many different kinds of bees out there! In fact, honeybees are not actually native to North America where we live. But there are so many native bee species in North America and specifically here in Maine. However, with decreasing habitat and flowers to forage on, populations are in decline. Recent studies have also shown that high concentrations of honeybees due to the popularity of beekeeping in certain areas may actually be depleting resources for native bees. While honeybees are wildly interesting and fun to care for, we should be considering the health of the entire ecosystem and providing support for all pollinators, not just the popular ones!
What do native bees do for us?
One of the first questions I get when teaching folks about raising solitary bees is “what do I get out of it?”. Sure, solitary bees don’t produce honey but they can be enriching in so many ways! Setting up nesting habitat for solitary bees is easy and much lower maintenance than caring for honeybees. Solitary bees are also extremely docile so can be safe to observe and work/play around. Solitary bees are also really interesting and fun to care for and learn about. They require a bit of management every year to keep things interesting without being overwhelming. Lastly, native bees are incredibly efficient pollinators, especially for native plants like blueberries. While honeybees are generalists and will forage on almost anything, solitary bees are often more efficient and effective pollinators, requiring fewer bees to get the job done. Adding nesting habitat to your garden or farm can greatly increase the quality and yield of flowers and crops.