© Project SOUND
Buzzing of Bees
C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake
CSUDH & Madrona Marsh Preserve
Madrona Marsh Preserve
July 2 & 5, 2011
Colony Collapse Disorder – our wake-up call
© Project SOUND
http://bee-rapture.blogspot.com/2009/04/found-cause-of-colony-
collapse-disorder.html
© Project SOUND
Why worry about bee pollinators?
Bees are “keystone organisms” in most terrestrial ecosystems.
Bees are essential for maintaining the integrity, productivity and sustainability of many types of ecosystems: natural areas, pastures, fields, meadows, roadsides, many agricultural crops, fruit orchards, and backyard vegetable and flower gardens.
Without bees, many flowering plants would eventually become extinct.
Without the work of bees, many fruit- and seed-eating birds and some mammals, including people, would have a less varied and less healthy diet.
Even before colony collapse disorder,
some people were concerned…
Depending on a single source – for anything – should make us all nervous
Better to ‘diversify the portfolio’
© Project SOUND
http://therealnewsjournal.com/?tag=colony-collapse-disorder
http://urbangardencasual.com/2009/04/28/possible-cure-
for-honey-bee-colony-collapse-disorder-discovered/
European Honey Bee
Apis mellifera
© Project SOUND
Pollinators at risk:
Non-native pollinators are vulnerable to environmental factors - limited genetic variability
Native pollinators are at risk due to habitat loss, climate change and use of pesticides & herbicides
Decline in native bee species world-wide since 1980
Crop production world-wide is decreasing (since at least 1990) due to decreasing numbers of pollinators
So we all should be worried – and taking action
The third week of June is designated National Pollinators Week (The fifth annual National Pollinator Week was June 20-26, 2011 !
Honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder
What’s all the buzz about down on the farm?
© Project SOUND
California: leader in bee research & practice
Active bee research center at UC Davis – over 75 years of practical research
Laidlaw Honey Bee Research Facility
Initial research focused on the European Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
Increasing research into the biology, ecology and use of a variety of native bees
© Project SOUND
http://entomology.ucdavis.edu/dept/beebio.cfm
Increasing interest in the role of urban & suburban gardens in maintaining & using native bee populations – ‘Neighborhood Pollinator Preserves’
Lessons about pollination from ag research
1. Native bee pollinators and pollinator relationships are complex:
a. ~ 1500 native bee species in CA
b. Honey Bees are actually quite unique compared to most native bees
c. Bees differ greatly in food & nesting requirements; we need to understand & plan for these differences Food sources: generalists & specialists
Time of year food is needed
Nesting requirements: ground; wood; etc.
d. We need to better understand species-specific requirements in order to design conservation plans that maintain pollination function in natural and man-made habitats.
© Project SOUND
We don’t notice native bees
unless we’re looking for
them
Lessons about pollination from ag research
1. Native bee pollinator relationships are complex:
c. Wild bee populations fluctuate widely from year-to-year (4-fold variation for some species). To ensure reliable pollination from non-domesticated species, maintaining a community of bees, rather than just one species, is necessary
d. Despite year-to-year composition variability, pollination rates fairly constant in farms near natural areas – diversity acts as a buffer
e. More species = greater pollination success
f. Honey bees play a key role in pollinating native plants – and probably don’t influence the numbers & composition of native bees
© Project SOUND
http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/275/1648/2283.full
Number of seeds in
pumpkins vs. number of
bee species
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods) Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
Superfamily Apoidea (Bees) Social Bees - True social insects. Communal nests are
built in the soil (bumble bees) or in cavities (honey bees). Workers (sterile females) forage for nectar and pollen. Family Apidae -- bumble bees and honey bees
Solitary Bees - Adults construct individual nests and provision them with plant materials (usually nectar or pollen). Family Apidae (formerly Anthophoridae) -- carpenter bees
Family Halictidae -- sweat bees
Family Megachilidae -- leafcutting bees
Family Andrenidae: mining bees
© Project SOUND
Bees have been around for millions of
years, evolving with the flowering plants
Early insects, in their rummaging for food, inadvertently became the agents of pollination; pollen adhering to their bodies was transferred to the female organs of the plant.
A mutualistic relationship resulted: the plants benefitted by
increased pollination;
and the insects were helping to ensure a better supply of their food source.
© Project SOUND
Trigona prisca, A stingless
meliponine bee-- a fossil of which
was preserved in Cretaceous
amber 74-96 million years ago.
http://www3.telus.net/conrad/beevolve.htm
Plants and insect pollinators became
intimately linked
Eventually, both plants and insects became more and more specialized as a result of the pollinator relationship (co-evolution)
Many pollinator insects evolved behavior and physiology completely dependent upon the cycles of flowering plants.
Similarly, certain plants developed flower structures which benefitted – or excluded - particular types of insects.
© Project SOUND
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/issues/wildlife-habitat/science/critical-species/pollinators/
http://idoradesign.blogspot.com/2010_04_01_archive.html
The pollination duet
continues
Even the structure of pollen, itself, changed. Pollen transferred by insects or other animals usually has spines, ridges or an adhesive surface which aids in attaching to the animal vector.
To attract pollinators, some plants developed specialized organs, nectaries, that secreted a sugary nectar, at the base of the flower. This proved an adaptive advantage since the nectar, as a food source, was a further attraction to many insect species.
Ultimately, the lifestyles of flowering plants and of pollinating insects became forever intertwined.
© Project SOUND
http://hanesexterminating.com/insect_information
http://www.earthzine.org/2008/02/14/buzzing-about-climate-change/
And this explains why native bees
are often the best pollinators for
native plants
Bees have four wings (two pair; difficult to see when folded over the body).
Bees have long, elbowed antennae.
Bees have large, well separated eyes with three small eyes (or “ocelli”) on top of the head.
Bees are more robust (i.e. rounder bodies) than wasps and flies; abdomen usually broad near thorax (vs. most wasps).
© Project SOUND
Is it a bee? The anatomy of a bee
Is it a bee? Most bees are hairy-bodied, with multi-branched hairs (resemble pipe-cleaners or brushes) for carrying pollen.
Female bees can carry large loads of pollen, either on their legs or on their abdomen in a “scopa”.
If you see an insect toting a load of pollen either on its hind legs or beneath its abdomen, it is a female bee. The pollen may be carried as a dry powder in a brush of hairs, or moistened with nectar to form a clump or pellet.
© Project SOUND http://gardenbees.com/garden/gardpol.htm
What makes a bee a good pollinator?
Anatomic adaptations
Size
Fuzzy body
Leg adaptations for pollen capture/transport
Behavioral adaptations
Generalist feeding patterns
? Eusocial behavior
Long foraging range
© Project SOUND
http://www.rochester.edu/college/bio/labs/Minckley/Bee_Photos/Anthophora_californica.jpg
Digger (Miner) Bee – a good pollinator
2. Native bees are important pollinators –when available in suitable numbers
a. Native, unmanaged bee populations provide important pollination services in nature & on the farm
b. Native bees provide up to 30-40% of pollination on some CA organic farms
c. Native bee species are an undervalued asset worth up to $2.4 billion to California farmers
d. Honeybees are not always the most effective pollinators of a given crop; native bees pollinate some crops not pollinated by honey bees (cherry tomatoes)
© Project SOUND
http://www.howdididoit.com/home-garden/how-to-
grow-hanging-tomato-plants/
Lessons about pollination from ag research
Native bees can be more efficient pollinators (on a
bee-for-bee basis)
Example: 250 female blue orchard bees (Osmia lignaria) can effectively pollinate an acre of apples; this would require one to two honey bees hives, each containing 15,000 to 20,000 workers.
Reasons for this increased efficiency:
Greater tolerance for cold and wet weather.
Native bees usually must collect both pollen and nectar, ensuring that they contact the anthers (pollen-producing structures); some honey bees just collect nectar.
© Project SOUND
http://www.osmia.com/bluebee.htm
Reasons for increased efficiency of some
native bees: specialization
High degree of specialization (some bee species). Example: Squash bees (genus Peponapis), for
example, primarily visit flowers of the squash family
Better fit between flower structure & bee anatomy/behavior. Example: The stamen (the structure holding the
anthers) of alfalfa flowers is held under tension - springs forward with force when released by a visiting bee. The alkali bee (Nomia melanderi), a native ground-nesting bee, is not discouraged by this unusual flower structure and is a major pollinator of alfalfa seed in some western states.
Example: buzz pollination (sonication) - very important for some plants such as blueberries, cranberries, tomatoes and peppers
© Project SOUND
Sex & the single tomato plant
Tomato flowers do not produce nectar
Some newer tomatoes are self-pollinating (through breeding); old varieties require cross-pollination
Tomato pollen is released from pores within the anthers (similar to salt being shaken from a salt shaker)
Pollen is generally accessible only to bees that use ‘buzz pollination’ – the ability to grasp a flower and vigorously vibrate their flight muscles, releasing pollen from the anthers [sonication].
© Project SOUND
Most visitors to tomato are
non-Apis bees, particularly
bumble bees; greenhouse
tomato growers use bumble
bees extensively now
http://www.ericwallnursery.co.uk/glasshouse.html
3. Agricultural and native ecosystems are intimately linked:
a. Crop-pollinating bee species are often generalists that pollinate many native plants; restoring pollination services for agriculture could also benefit wild plants and thereby promote conservation of biodiversity across the agro-natural landscape.
b. To maintain agricultural pollination services for the future, attention must be given to a variety of strategies including both native ecosystem conservation and on-farm management
© Project SOUND
http://groups.ucanr.org/jacksonlab/Project_1/Biodiversity_and_Ecosystem_
Function_in_an_Organic_Farmscape_in_Y.htm
Lessons about pollination from ag research
4. Proximity matters
a. The presence native pollinators strongly correlates with the amount of native habitat nearby
b. Native bees venture farther into agricultural fields than honey bees
c. The flight distance varies with the size of the bee. Small sweat bees and mining bees may not fly more than 200 or 300 yards from nest to forage area. Large bees (bumble bees, for example) can cross a mile or more of inhospitable, flowerless landscape to forage.
© Project SOUND
http://www.bucknell.edu/x37317.xml
Lessons about pollination from ag research
Applications to the home garden
© Project SOUND
Attracting native bees has the potential to increase
yields for home vegetable & fruit crops
Urban pollinator habitat takes a neighborhood –
radius of about 6-10 houses
© Project SOUND
The plant choices you make can benefit your entire
neighborhood
What does it take to bee a good neighbor?
Bee response to urban habitat fragmentation was best predicted by ecological traits associated with nesting and dietary breadth
Provide the right habitat – even in a small area – and you can make a difference in your neighborhood
© Project SOUND
Schools and other public lands provide the perfect venue to provide
both habitat and education to the neighborhood
5. Some plants are better nectar/ pollen sources than others for native bees
a. Some crop species [Ex: squash] are important nectar sources for selected native bees [squash bees]
b. Native plants provide nectar for both wild and honey bees
c. The more intensive the planting of non-native farm crops, the less the bee species diversity – less intensive organic farms had more diversity & more open space
© Project SOUND
Lessons about pollination from ag research
Characteristics of good native bee plants
Long bloom season
Many flowers (often individually small – but many per plant)
Produce both high quality nectar & pollen
Designed specifically to attract bees:
Scent cues
Color/patterning
Shape: good place to land while nectaring
© Project SOUND
© Project SOUND
Plant families & genera that provide nectar & pollen
for a wide range of native pollinators
Arctostaphylos - Manzanitas
Ceanothus species
Phacelia – Fiddlenecks
Lamiaceae – Mint family
Asclepias - Milkweeds
Polygonaceae – Buckwheat Family
Asteraceae – Sunflower family
Clematis – Virgin’s Bowers
Eriogonum - Buckwheat
Grindelia - Gumplant
© Project SOUND
The Sunflower family
(Asteraceae) provides
important food in fall
Bloom in summer/ fall
Long bloom season
Nectar and pollen available to many types of pollinators (even ants, beetles)
Lots of small flowers
Flower shape allows many bees to land & feed/collect
Goldenbushes – Hazardia & Isocoma
Baccharis species
Sonoran Bumblebee -
Bombus sonorus
All black head; thorax yellow, with broad black band between the wings; abdomen yellow except for the hind three segments, which are black.
Early spring through summer
Generalist pollinator – visits many species to nectar
© Project SOUND http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/pollinator-of-the-month/SonoranBumblebee.shtml
Generalist & specialist pollinators
Most native bees aren't too choosy (native; some non-native garden plants; alien weeds); if they can reach the nectar or gather pollen, they can supply their nest.
Some bees, however, are very choosy and will only gather pollen from a small number of plant species. In extreme cases, the bee may be restricted to just a single plant species.
“Generalist” bee species visit a large variety of plants and crops, in contrast to “specialist” bee species which forage on a restricted group of plants.
‘Generalist’ pollinators can be extremely useful in both the farm & garden setting
© Project SOUND
Floral timing is also important when
considering native pollinators
Social bees with a long-lived colony, such as bumble bees and honey bees, need flowers blooming throughout the season. You will see these bees most of the year except when it is very cold
Solitary bees usually have a much shorter active period, often no more than five or six weeks, and have life cycles synchronized with the blooming of preferred flower species.
If you want to attract most native bees (the solitary types) you need to plant the appropriate species
© Project SOUND
Digger (Miner) Bee – summer
Black-tailed Bumblebee -
Bombus melanopygus
edwardsii
More yellow on body
most of California and Southern Oregon
Very early season
Works furiously polluting Arctostaphylos species, Ribes species, (Native Gooseberries and Currants) and some Cultivated Plum Varieties (early blooming).
© Project SOUND
Bombus – the
Bumblebees
> 250 known species; 45 in the U.S.
Large and hairy; black and yellow body hairs, often in bands.
They are best distinguished from similarly large, fuzzy bees by the form of the female hind leg, which is modified to form a corbicula: a shiny concave surface that is bare, but surrounded by a fringe of hairs used to transport pollen (‘pollen bag’)
Like their relatives the honey bees, bumble bees feed on nectar and gather pollen to feed their young. Believed to be responsible for the pollination of approximately 25% of crops in northern California.
High metabolic rate (75% higher than a humming bird's!) allows them to forage in early spring
© Project SOUND
Bumblebee life cycle
Bumble bees live in a colony with a caste system of workers, males and a single egg-laying queen.
Similar to honey bees, bumble bees construct a wax comb
Bumble bees nest in cavities such as abandoned rodent burrows, brush piles and dried grass tussocks
© Project SOUND
The colony grows through 3-4 generations and may have several hundred workers at the peak in mid-summer.
Unlike honey bees, bumble bee colonies do not survive over the winter. However, the fertilized queens ‘hibernate’ until spring
© Project SOUND
A typical front yard….
What can we use to give the look of the
old crepe myrtle, and provide ‘bee food’?
The following all provide many flowers loved by bees:
Early: Manzanitas (Arctostaphylos)
Early/Mid-season California Lilac (Ceanothus)
Late spring/summer Desert Willow (Chilopsis)
Toyon
Summer Holly (Comarostaphylis)
© Project SOUND
© Project SOUND
Big Berry Manzanita – Arctostaphylos glauca
© Project SOUND
Big Berry Manzanita – Arctostaphylos glauca
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?3449,3454,3477
http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/syllabu
s2/factsheet.cfm?ID=479
CA foothills from central CA to Baja; includes foothills of Mojave Desert mtns.
Locally in Santa Monica and San Gabriel Mtns.
Rocky slopes, chaparral, woodland < 4500 ft
Soils range from sandy loam with considerable coarse fragments to loam.
© Project SOUND
Big Berry is a large manzanita
Size: usually 8-12 ft tall; may reach 20
8-15 ft wide
Growth form: Large woody shrub to small, multi-
branched tree; mounded shape
Lovely branch structure – one of the ‘sculptural’ manzanitas
Peeling red bark – showy
Can live 100+ years
Foliage: Evergreen; leaves pale blue-green
Vertical orientation on branch – looks very precise
Roots: relatively shallow
http://www.researchlearningcenter.com/bloom/species/Arctostaphylos_glauca.htm
© Project SOUND
Flowers: Manzanita type
Blooms: One of the earliest
usually Dec-Mar in our area
Flowers: typical Manzanita
Small pink flowers
Urn-shaped; in terminal clusters
Key early nectar source for bees and other early-season pollinators
Fruits: Red ‘little apples’ of manzanita
Relatively large (1/2”); edible
Ripen in late spring/summer
Vegetative reproduction: cannot re-sprout
http://www.answers.com/topic/dudleya
© Project SOUND
Manzanita for sandy soils Soils:
Texture: well-drained, sandy or rocky soils are best
pH: 6.0-7.5 is best
Light: full sun to light shade – typical chaparral shrub
Water: Winter: needs good winter
rains; supplement w/ deep waterings as needed
Summer: treat as Zone 2 first year; then Zone 1-2 or 1 for mature plant. Don’t over-water mature plants (fungal diseases)
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
Other: use an organic mulch
Note: leaves and litter contain toxic
amounts of arbutin and phenolic acids.
These compounds allelopathically inhibit
germination and growth of annuals for a
distance of 3.3 to 6.6 feet (1-2 m) from
the edge of the canopy drip line
© Project SOUND
Bigberry Manzanita: shrub or tree
Easy-care shrub for slopes; good for erosion control
Specimen shrub; needs little pruning
As a small shade tree; open shade
As a key shrub/tree for the habitat garden: bees, butterflies, birds, humans
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/arctostaphylos-glauca
Converting your yard to bee habitat: one
step at a time
© Project SOUND
http://www.movoto.com/real-estate/homes-for-sale/CA/Los-Angeles/960-Manzanita-St-204_11-512831.htm
Each time you add a food source or create
a nesting site you improve the
Neighborhood Pollinator Preserve
6. Size matters:
a. More native plants = more native bees; around 30-40% optimal for watermelons, but even less provides some pollination service
b. Amount of native vegetation nearby is best predictor of pollinator services; even 10% by area increases pollination rates
c. You can achieve native flower density with a few big plants or lots of small ones
© Project SOUND
Lessons about pollination from ag research
http://entomology.ucdavis.edu/news/nealwilliams.html
© Project SOUND
* White Coast Ceanothus – Ceanothus verrucosus
© 2010 Andrew Borcher
© Project SOUND
* White Coast Ceanothus – Ceanothus verrucosus
J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?6586,6589,6653
http://the-chaparral-sage.blogspot.com/2009/03/ceanothus-verrucosus.html
Strictly coastal (western San Diego County and adjacent Baja California)
Possibly collected by Theodore Payne from Seven Oaks (LA Co.) in 1919
Dry hills, mesas, chaparral; elevation < 900‘
AKA ‘Wart-stemmed Ceanothus’
© Project SOUND
White Coast Ceanothus: large shrub
Size: 6-12 ft tall
6-8 ft wide
Growth form: Evergreen shrub or small
tree; rounded shape
Fast growth – at first
Dense, stiff branches with gray bark & small ‘wart-like’ bumps (leaf attachment)
Foliage: Shiny dark green above;
hairy & white beneath
Simple, rounded leaves
© 2009 Michelle Cloud-Hughes © 2003 Charles E. Jones
© Project SOUND
One of the best white-
flowered Ceanothus
Blooms: very early – usually Jan-April
Flowers: Usually white; occ. light blue
Many tiny ceanothus flowers in tight ball-like clusters at ends of branches
Really showy – looks like covered in snow or white Crepe Myrtle
Sweet scent attracts bees & other pollinators
Fruit: Dark sticky fruit in summer –
birds love it
© 2006 Steve Matson
J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
© Project SOUND
Chaparral shrub Soils: Texture: well-drained a must;
sandy or rocky best
pH: any local; 6.0-7.0 optimal
Light:
In nature on N-facing slopes
Full sun along coast; part-shade in hotter inland
Water: Winter: needs adequate water
Summer: low needs once established – Zone 1-2 probably best (1-2 times per summer) in most soils; to Zone 2 in sandy
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
Other: organic mulch recommended
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Slope_effect.JPG
© Project SOUND
Shrub or tree: your choice Low-care plant for slopes
Background evergreen shrub in dry gardens
Trained as a small tree
As an informal or clipped (semi-formal) hedge or screen
© 2006 Steve Matson
http://www.soenyun.com/Blog/tag/ceanothus-verrucosus/
Yellow-faced Bumble Bee
Bombus vosnesenskii
Most common bumblebee of California ; San Diego throughout most of California (except the desert areas) to British Columbia
Largely a summer bee - most of the hive living from April to September
Wide generalist feeder
Slow and easy to photograph
Nests in the ground, commonly in old gopher holes.
Has a wicked sting, and they can sting repeatedly - but only when provoked
© Project SOUND
© Project SOUND
*Desert-willow – Chilopsis linearis
Toyon/California Christmas Berry – Heteromeles arbutifolia
Not all situations are suitable for native pollinator
plants: good, productive alternatives
© Project SOUND
7. Lack of suitable nest sites can be a serious limitation to native pollinator conservation
a. Species differ in their nesting needs
b. In many California locations, habitat alteration or destruction, not lack of food, eliminated native pollinators.
c. Bare ground needed for ground-dwelling native bees; this is becoming rare in both rural & urban areas
d. Certain practices destroy nest sites: tilling, early cutting, grazing – even mulching – decrease nest sites for some species
© Project SOUND
Lessons about pollination from ag research
http://www.pollinatorparadise.com/solitary_bees/Diversfy.htm
Most native bees are not hive-builders
~ 70 percent of native bees excavate underground nests. Solitary bees dig narrow tunnels leading to a series of brood chambers, each one provisioned with a mixture of pollen and nectar and each holding a single egg.
~30 percent of bees nest in wood
tunnels, usually pre-existing holes such as those made by wood-boring beetles, but some will chew out the center of pithy twigs. Females create a line of brood cells, often using materials such as leaf pieces or mud as partitions between cells.
© Project SOUND
http://www.askthebuilder.com/695_Woodpecker_Damage.shtml
© Project SOUND
Providing homes for native pollinators
Learn more about the nesting requirements of local bees – they may be quite specific
Provide natural sites if possible: bare ground; old tree stumps
Learn about how you can construct pollinator ‘homes’ in your garden: many good resources on-line
http://beechronicle.posterous.com/?tag=beehouses
Large Carpenter Bees - Genus Xylocopa
~ 500 species worldwide
Large – sometimes mistaken for bumble bees, but they have a shiny (not hairy) abdomen
Their name comes from the fact that nearly all species build their nests in burrows in dead wood, bamboo, or structural timbers
Female carpenter bees are capable of stinging, but they are docile and rarely sting unless caught in the hand or otherwise directly provoked
© Project SOUND http://entomology.ucdavis.edu/news/valleycarpenterbees.html
http://www.insectaculture.com/xcalifornica.htm
A widespread western US species
Generalists - may be found foraging on a number of different species : Asclepias, Salvia, Trichostema, and Wislizenia for nectar; Eschscholzia and Lupinus for pollen.
They, like bumblebees are early morning foragers.
Quite active – but can be photographed with patience
Carpenter bees can “buzz pollinate” - excellent pollinators of eggplant, tomato and other vegetables and flowers.
Can be nectar robbers in plants with tubular flowers. Using their mouthparts they cut a slit at the base of corolla and steal away with the nectar without having pollinated the flower.
© Project SOUND
Valley carpenter bee (Xylocopa varipuncta): fun to watch
http://insectsgalore.blogspot.com/2010/05/valley-carpenter-bee-xylocopa.html
Also utilize culinary herbs
such as basil, mint,
rosemary, oregano,
lavender, and thyme.
Sex life of the Valley Carpenter Bee: it
just gets better the more we know!
Green-eyed golden males (the females are all black) have huge perfume glands in their thoraces.
Territorial males take up positions in non-flowering plants near other males – often near Mulefat.
As a group (lek) they actively release their rose-scented blend of chemicals.
Females are attracted from downwind and choose a male with which to mate.
© Project SOUND
Landscape established: shrubs, lackluster
Considerations: 1. Appropriate size/scale
2. Fits with existing home/landscape: water; color scheme; etc.
3. Provide better bee habitat – focus on generalist foragers
© Project SOUND
http://www.estately.com/listings/info/1728-fraser-circle--1 http://yuba_city.california.freemls.us/
Lupines provide early/mid-season nectar
for large bees
© Project SOUND
© Project SOUND
Silver Bush Lupine – Lupinus albifrons
© Project SOUND
Longleaf Bush Lupine - Lupinus longifolius
http://www.solardarkroom.com/blog/2011/06/04/grizzly-flat-after-the-station-fire/
© Project SOUND
Longleaf Bush Lupine - Lupinus longifolius
Formerly Lupinus chamissonis var. longifolius
Southwestern CA from Santa Barbara to Baja
Coastal sage scrub, chaparral and oak woodland
Formerly frequent in the foothills and on bluffs along the seashore in Los Angeles, Orange & San Diego counties
Longifolius = long-leaved
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?3691,4023,4099
© Project SOUND
Ah… a bush lupine
for your CSS garden
Size: 3-5 ft tall & wide
Growth form: Mounded perennial shrub – typical
shrub Lupine Stems are woody, erect
Foliage: Gray-green leaves; slightly hairy Leaves on 4” petiole; 6-9 leaflets
that are slightly longer than other local bush lupines
Flowers: Spring: usually April-June Light violet-purple lupine flowers
with yellow banner spot Flowering quite typical for lupines
Seed pod: typical lupine pod
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/bushlupine.html
© Project SOUND
Lupines are good for sunny, dry places
Soils: Texture: well-drained is a must (as for
most local bush lupines) pH: any local is fine
Light: full sun (coastal) to part shade
Water: Young plants: weekly (as needed) until
established Winter: moist soils; monitor & supplement in
very dry years Summer:
Quite drought-tolerant; can get by with no water in part-shade
Will take infrequent (1-2 x per month) if soils are well-drained
Fertilizer: None needed & use will likely decrease
lifespan (true for all the bush lupines) Plant will improve soil fertility by increasing
available nitrogen (typical of Pea family)
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/bushlupine.html
Salvias: good bee
plants, but large size
Remember: consider mature size when choosing any plant to include in a mature landscape
You get a lot of ‘habitat’ area from shrubs – most productive
© Project SOUND
Sunflowers are good summer bee plants
But many of them are also rather large
So what choices do I have if I want attract these little bees – but have so little/no space?
© Project SOUND
Family Halictidae,
Sweat Bees
Large (> 2000 known species) and
diverse Family
Small (> 4 mm) to midsize (> 8 mm)
Usually dark-colored and often metallic in appearance. Several species are all or partly green
Commonly referred to as sweat bees (especially the smaller species), as they are often attracted to perspiration; when pinched, females can give a minor sting.
The oldest fossil record of Halictidae dates back to Early Eocene with a number of species known from amber deposits.
© Project SOUND
http://sjmastergardeners.ucdavis.edu/?start=474&blogasset=3627&close=yes
Halictid bees are summer foragers
Generalists – will visit many different species of summer-blooming plants; love sunflowers – but you’ll see them on other species as well
Adults are pollen eaters; larva are pollen & nectar eaters
Nesting:
Solitary or slightly social. Depending on the species, the females might dig their nests close together, sometimes even sharing a common entrance tunnel.
Build their vertical burrowed nests in the ground, usually in clay or sandy soil.
Populations are declining due to loss of habitat
© Project SOUND
http://www.laspilitas.com/animals/insects/halictini/halictini.htm
9. ‘Out of the way’ places can be utilized for bee habitat
a. Bees can seek out patchy resources and persist within small fragments of habitat
b. Restored patches can be largely located in less productive, larger “source” areas off-farm and as small patches of “stepping-stone” habitat on nonproductive farm areas [e.g., around tail water ponds and ditches, as hedgerows, along roads, etc.
© Project SOUND
http://www.citrona.com/nativeplanthedgerow.htm
http://dietrick.org/projects/bbb.html
Lessons about pollination from ag research
What’s all the buzz in farm land?
Native hedgerows & windbreaks around farm borders promotes pollinators and natural enemies to pests without taking land out of production.
Green manures/orchard groundcovers provide erosion & pollination services
Bee pastures and other native patch restoration
Riparian buffers provide habitat for bees and other wildlife as well as flood control and water purification
© Project SOUND
Providing habitat for native pollinators
Native groundcovers for
roadsides, irrigation ditches and
other non-cultivated areas
Applications to the home garden
Many Ag growers may already have an abundance of potential habitat for native pollinators on or near their land. Having semi-natural or natural habitat available significantly increases pollinator
You may also have ‘out-of-the-way’ places that can support pollinators
There are good pollinator plants that do well in small spaces: vines, sub-shrubs, perennials & annuals
© Project SOUND
Coastal (Dune) Buckwheat - Eriogonum parvifolium
© Project SOUND
Ashy-leaf Buckwheat – Eriogonum cinereum
© Project SOUND
California Buckwheat - Eriogonum fasciculatum
© Project SOUND
Characteristics of California Buckwheat
Size: similar to Dune Buckwheat
2-5 ft tall
3-5 ft wide; ‘fill-in’ an area
Growth form:
low mounded semi-evergreen shrub
Many-branched
http://www.newportbay.org/plants/index.html
Foliage:
Leave alternate, but densely clustered at nodes, evergreen, narrow lanceolate (nearly needle-like)
http://www.birdmom.net/wildflowerspink.html
© Project SOUND
Dune Buckwheat – E. parvifolium CA Buckwheat – E. fasciculatum
http://www.newportbay.org/plants/index.html
Garden requirements are similar for most
local Buckwheats Soils:
Texture: Best in well-drained soils; Dune
Buckwheat thrives in sandy soils
Most will do fine even in clays with careful water management
pH: any local
Light: Most are fairly adaptable; full sun
best near coast; part shade in hotter gardens
Summer water: Very drought tolerant once
established
Look a little better with occasional summer water; let soil dry
Fertilizer: none; like poor soils
© Project SOUND
CA Buckwheat:
showy for months Great for summer color: May-
Nov. possible
As an alternative to the non-native Rosemary
In perennial beds
On parking strips & bordering paths and driveways
For erosion control
larval foodsource for Morman
Metalmark, Bramble Hairstreak,
Common Hairstreak, Avalon Hairstreak
Shrubby Buckwheats can even be
sheared to shape for a more formal
look
© Project SOUND
CA Buckwheat cultivars make good
groundcovers
‘Dana Point’ - brighter green leaf, more mounding than species
'Bruce Dickinson' – good for
groundcover; stays close to the ground, spreads nicely, and holds good form throughout the year.
‘Theodore Payne' – low groundcover (1 ft high; 1-3 ft spread)
'Warriner Lytle' - A sprawling low growing California buckwheat; can grow to 2 feet tall but is often more prostrate, hugging the ground like a mat
‘Dana Point’
Even small spaces can be bee heaven
© Project SOUND
© Project SOUND
Phacelias are among our best general nectar sources
in spring
Many flowers per stalk
Produce lots of high-quality nectar
Nectar is easy for many types of pollinators to get to
Open over a long period of time – open ‘up the stalk’
High flower to foliage ratio – lots of energy put into floral production
Easy to grow – under many conditions - dependable
Large-flowered Phacelia - Phacelia grandiflora
Tansey-leaf Phacelia – Phacelia tanecetifolia
© Project SOUND
* Coast (California) Phacelia – Phacelia californica
© Project SOUND
* Coast Phacelia – Phacelia californica
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?4518,4587,4599
Coastal bluffs and canyons from Santa Clara County to Del Norte County, below 1500‘ & into OR
?? 1 report from San Gabriel Mtns
Rocky bluffs and canyons; grows in chaparral, woodland, and coastal bluffs and grassland
© Project SOUND
Coast Phacelia: a delightful perennial
Size: 1-3 ft tall (foliage ~ 1 ft)
1-3 ft wide
Growth form: Herbaceous perennial
Low-growing (1-2 ft in garden); ground-cover
Fast-growing
Foliage: Light to medium green; hairy
(contact dermatitis)
Large, mint-type leaves growing in basal rosette
Looks like a garden plant
© 2011 Neal Kramer
http://www.baynatives.com/plants/Phacelia-californica/
© Project SOUND
Showiest of Phacelias
Blooms: Long bloom season: spring to
summer
Can bloom April to July with some summer water
Flowers: Pale lavender to pink
Typical bell-shaped Phacelia flowers
Open up along a stout flowering stalk
Excellent nectar source for bees, butterflies
Seeds: many small seeds – will naturalize if happy
© 2011 Neal Kramer
Coast Phacelia: from seed or plugs
Phacelias tend to be easy to grow from seed
No pretreatments; plant in winter/spring
Plants available from Hedgerow Farms
© Project SOUND
http://hedgerowfarms.blogspot.c
om/2011/03/nursery-update.html
© Project SOUND
Versatile Phacelia Soils: Texture: likes a well-drained soil,
but will tale most any
pH: any local
Light: Quite adaptable
Full sun to part-sun, dappled shade; some shade best in hot gardens
Water: Winter: good winter rains
Summer: wide range from weekly irrigation to drought tolerant; best Zone 2 to 2-3
Fertilizer: fine with light fertilizer
Other: organic mulch OK but not required
© Br. Alfred Brousseau, Saint Mary's College
http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/14316
© Project SOUND
Coast Phacelia: a filler plant
In pots & planters; along walls
An herbaceous groundcover under high trees
Mixed with grasses & other plants for a N. CA coastal prairie
Around lawns & other irrigated areas
http://www.gapphotos.com/featuredetails.asp?featureref=75
Bees can be happy in
small spaces
© Project SOUND
9. Creating native ‘bee habitat’ confers additional benefits
a. Attracts other beneficial insects
b. Attracts beneficial birds and wildlife; food, cover & nest sites
c. Erosion/soil conservation benefits: wind & water
d. Makes the landscape more attractive for human inhabitants
© Project SOUND
http://www.bucknell.edu/x37317.xml
Lessons about pollination from ag research
© Project SOUND
Advantages of ‘Pollinator Plants’ for the
home garden
They are often showy & pretty; usually lots of blooms and attractive scents (remember, they have to attract their pollinators)
They will increase pollination of food plants, leading to better production
They will attract wonderful insects to your garden – hours of entertainment for the whole family (or neighborhood)
They are ecologically sound – an important part of local ecosystems
There are many attractive choices…
© Project SOUND
Indian Milkweed - Asclepias eriocarpa
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asclepias_eriocarpa
Milkweeds
Milkweeds are found in many areas of CA
In the South Bay, Narrow-leaf Milkweed found only in S. Channel Islands
Sites are typically
Dry
Sunny
Barren soil (bare areas in chaparral/Oak woodlands; streambeds; alluvial areas)
Narrow-leaf Milkweed
Indian Milkweed
Characteristics of Indian Milkweed
Hairy, gray-green perennial
2-3 ft. tall and wide
Flowers cream-pink, June-Aug.
Pollinated by bees, insects and butterflies
Has a long taproot – best if planted in place
http://ww1.clunet.edu/wf/chap/scientific/bjc-974.htm
Indian Milkweed is a food source for
butterflies and other insects
Photo by Gabi McLean
http://www.natureathand.com/Gallery/Asclepias_eriocarpa
_29025.htm
Variable checkerspot butterfly
(Euphydryas chalcedona)
http://www.californiagardens.com/Plant_Pag
es/Tarantula_Hawk.htm
Tarantula Hawk (Pepsis mildei)
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Asclepias%20eriocarpa
Narrow-leaf Milkweed - Asclepias fascicularis
© Project SOUND
Showy Milkweed – Asclepias speciosa
© 2004 George W. Hartwell
Tricks to gardening with Milkweeds
Easy to grow
Plant (seeds) in place if possible
Do best in well-drained soil – but can tolerate clay if not over-watered
Full to part sun
Average water needs – keep somewhat dry. Can tolerate winter flooding
Cut back to ground in winter (native Californians burned it to encourage healthy growth)
Consider Using Milkweeds
For butterfly/pollinator gardens
For showy white-pink flowers in summer
Along paths and walkways
In mid-beds – would look nice with brighter pinks and purple flowers
http://www.fourdir.com/p_wooly_milkweed.htm
10. Farm practices matter a. Use of pesticides & herbicides
decreases number of native & honey bees
b. mowing, haying, burning or grazing and other farm (and garden) practices can destroy nests
c. Growing a diversity of plants – crop & native – benefits pollinator diversity
© Project SOUND
http://www.earthzine.org/2008/02/14/buzzing-about-climate-change/
Lessons about pollination from ag research
http://www.immersivmedia.com/gardensoft/garden_detail.aspx?garden=1085
© Project SOUND
Blue Toadflax – Nuttallanthus (Linaria) canadensis
http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/1721/nuttallanthus-texanus-texas-toadflax/
© Project SOUND
Blue Toadflax – Nuttallanthus (Linaria) canadensis
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Linaria+canadensis
Grows in much of N. America from Canada to Mexico
In western CA from OR to Baja; locally in coastal prairie, PV
Open sandy areas that are moist in winter/ spring , then dry with summer
http://flippetyfloppety.blogspot.com/2011/05/blue-toad-flax.html
© Project SOUND
Blue Toadflax: an annual for small places
Size:
1-2 ft tall
~ 1 ft wide
Growth form: Herbaceous biennial/
annual
Foliage: Blue-green to green
Leaves long & narrow
Many leafy stems from the base
Foliage poisonous if eaten
http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/bl_toadflax.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuttallanthus_canadensis
© Project SOUND
Flowers are dainty
Blooms: late spring/summer ; can be Apr-Sept with a little summer water
Flowers: Small (1/2”), lavender-white
Look like small snapdragons; on sturdy stalk
Open up the stalk – long bloom period
Butterflies (Buckeye larval food) & bees (bumblebees & long-tongued bees)
Seeds:
Many tiny seeds; will naturalize
http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/1721/nuttallanthus-texanus-texas-toadflax/
http://oc.encydia.com/es/Nuttallanthus
http://www.researchlearningcenter.com/bloom/species/Nuttallanthus_texanus.htm
Let Toadflax weave
through the garden
As a secondary plant in cottage gardens or mixed flower beds
In rock gardens, ‘streams’ or rain gardens
In a native prairie area
Consider non-native Purple toadflax as an alternative
© Project SOUND
http://mashpedia.es/Linaria
http://www.sbs.utexas.edu/bio406d/images/pics/vrn/linaria_texana.htm
http://www.mycornerofkaty.com/2011_03_01_archive.html
Summary: lessons about bee pollinators
1. Native pollinators and pollinator relationships are complex
2. Native bees are important pollinators when available in suitable numbers
3. Agricultural and native ecosystems are linked
4. Proximity matters: food sources must be near nest sites
5. Some plants are better nectar/pollen sources than others for native bees
6. Size matters: there must be enough suitable food
7. Lack of suitable nest sites can be a serious limitation
8. Often ‘out of the way’ (non-productive) places can be utilized for bee habitat
9. Creating native ‘bee habitat’ confers additional benefits
10. Farm/garden practices matter
© Project SOUND
© Project SOUND
What can we do to promote our native
pollinators? Plant the plants they need
for food – at all stages of their lives.
Provide places where they can reproduce and provide for their young
Protect them by practicing Integrated Pest Management – limited use of pesticides
Teach others – by word and example – about the importance of native pollinators
Remember, it takes a neighborhood to
provide habitat
© Project SOUND
© Project SOUND
Share with your neighbors: three simple things to
make your neighborhood pollinator friendly
provide a range of locally native flowering plants that bloom throughout the growing season
create nest sites for native pollinators
avoid using pesticides
Top Related