Did You know....
The popular honey bee is not the only bee on the block! In fact, the honey bee is a newcomer to North America, having been imported by European settlers.
The bees native to Canada ‒ 800 different species ‒ don't produce honey at all. These bees can vary wildly in shape and colour, with some looking more like flies. Some have black and white stripes; others are bright blue or green. Some nest underground, while others make holes in wood logs or lay their eggs in the stems of flowers after the bloom has fallen off. Many of these bees are solitary, meaning a single female makes a nest for her eggs, while males fend for themselves.
In any case, native bees are keystone species, meaning their decline can damage entire ecosystems.
Here are some of the more common wild bees you might see in your area:
The bees native to Canada ‒ 800 different species ‒ don't produce honey at all. These bees can vary wildly in shape and colour, with some looking more like flies. Some have black and white stripes; others are bright blue or green. Some nest underground, while others make holes in wood logs or lay their eggs in the stems of flowers after the bloom has fallen off. Many of these bees are solitary, meaning a single female makes a nest for her eggs, while males fend for themselves.
In any case, native bees are keystone species, meaning their decline can damage entire ecosystems.
Here are some of the more common wild bees you might see in your area:
So What About Honey Bees?The honey bee found in Canada, the European Honey Bee (Apis mellifera), live in hives with a complex social structure with thousands of bees with various roles. Native bees need to compete for their food against the thousands of honey bees. Despite all the news about Colony Collapse Disorder, honey bees are not endangered, but are managed like cows as farm animals.
|
|
How are Native Bees and Honey Bees Similar?
All bees fall under the Hymenoptera order of insect. In a very general sense, they all share a common trait of having two sets of wings, three body segments, five eyes, and six legs. While bees can vary wildly in size, colour, and pattern, they all work as pollinators as they move from flowers and trees in the search of food.
What is a Pollinator?
Pollinators are any being or thing that carries pollen ‒ plant sperm ‒ from one flower to another. By doing so, the pollinating entity drops the pollen into the female plant parts and ‒ voila! Reproduction happens, resulting in fruits, vegetables, nut and so on, that feed not only us but other creatures as well.
Pollinators also include wasps, butterflies, hover flies, beetles, birds, bats, and even lizards, as well as wind and water.
Pollinators also include wasps, butterflies, hover flies, beetles, birds, bats, and even lizards, as well as wind and water.
What Can We Do to Protect Wild Bees?
|
If you want to protect bees, you don't need to learn beekeeping; instead, plant native flowers! Native bees have co-evolved with native flowers and they need each other to thrive. There are many ways to help! The easiest ways are to simply know more about what they look like, how they act, and why we need them (Don't forget to share what you know)! You can also plant native flowers for them to eat, and create comfortable spots for them to nest over winter. Consider planting a pollinator garden, or building a bee hotel at home or in your local community gardens.
You can also shop local for organic and sustainably sourced foods to reduce the use of harmful pesticides and emissions. Where possible, also consider creating new community gardens, green spaces, or asking local politicians to increase green space, and reduce pesticide use. |
|
Are Wasps Bees?
NO! Though they are from a similar family of insect, wasps and hornets are not bees.
There are some key differences that make telling them apart easy!
There are some key differences that make telling them apart easy!
|
|
|
|
Don't Bees Sting?
Yes, but...
How many people are allergic to hornet, wasp, or bee stings?
How many people are allergic to hornet, wasp, or bee stings?
- Less than 1% of children
- About 3% of adults
- Canada: ca 3-4 deaths/yr.
- CA population: 38 million
- US, 2000–2017: ca. 62 deaths/yr.
- US Pop: over 290 million
How Do You Treat a Bee Sting?
1. Move away from area where stung
2. Remove stinger if still in skin
3. Wash with soap and water
4. To soothe the skin, apply:
6. Keep an Epi-Pen on hand
2. Remove stinger if still in skin
3. Wash with soap and water
4. To soothe the skin, apply:
- calamine lotion
- baking soda
- apple cider vinegar OR
- Ice
6. Keep an Epi-Pen on hand
