Pollinator Decline 6/8/2016. Why all this attention on bees? Why care about bees? Without bees, they ll all be off the menu. Why conserve bees?

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1 Diversifying Landscapes with Underutilized Bee Friendly Plants Why all this attention on bees? Can the Bee Issue help drive diversification of landscapes with underutilized plants? Daniel A. Potter & Bernadette Mach Dept. Of Entomology, Univ. of KY Can the Bee Issue create new business opportunities growers, garden centers, and landscapers? Pollinator Decline Why care about bees? Bee pollination services to US Agriculture valued at $20 billion/year Tomatoes Melons, squash Cherries The California almond industry alone requires use of 1.4 million honey bee colonies! Without bees, they ll all be off the menu Why conserve bees? Bees pollinate gardens and native plants that provide food for urban wildlife 1

2 Honey bees are of European Origin Brought to North America by early colonists in the 1600s Besides managed honey bees 4000 species of wild native bees also provide pollination services in the USA! Bumble bees Orchard, Mason, and Leafcutter bees Types of wild Bees Sweat Bees Mining bees Bees and Wasps are NOT the same Bees feed their young on pollen and nectar Bees and Wasps are NOT the same Wasps are bald or have a sparse hairs poorly suited for carrying pollen Honey bees are docile unless hive is threatened, and native bees rarely sting Branched hairs Feeding time! Body adapted to carry pollen Mason bee nest Wasps feed their young on meat! Most bee stings in urban settings are really from wasps Why are bee populations declining? Colony Collapse Disorder Beginning in 2006, beekeepers began reporting sudden widespread loss of hives Workers disappear leaving queen and immature bees no means to sustain them USDA estimates honey bee colony losses from all causes have averaged more than 30% annually since Congressional Research Service report ( 2

3 CCD is a syndrome caused by different factors, working in combination Varroa mites: Suck blood and transmit deadly bee diseases Yikes!! Diseases Parasites Management stress Environmental stress Why are honey bees declining? Pathogen loads are higher in colonies suffering from CCD Why are honey bees declining? Why are honey bees declining? Deformed wing virus Exotic bee viruses Nosema fungus causes dysentery in bees Not good Good Real honey boosts baby bees immune systems Why are honey bees declining? Travel stress! Why are ALL bees declining? Habitat loss Didn t I use to live here? Why are ALL bees declining? Environmental stressors Less varied, less nutritious pollen & nectar Accidental or chronic exposure to pesticides 3

4 Parasitic mites Diseases Parasites, diseases One stress can increase bees vulnerability to others It is harder to recover from a concussion If you are also being kicked in the head Other stressors Stressful management practices Habitat Loss Acute and chronic pesticide exposures Insecticide exposure Varroa mites, diseases, stressful management, habitat loss Other stressors, including insecticide exposure Public perception is that pesticides, esp. neonicotinoid insecticides are the main cause of bee decline Conflicting studies and media coverage The bee issue has become the new driver for pesticide politics Consumer attractive plants Only a small number of plants meets all three criteria! Linden A far bigger threat to urban pollinators Treated plants Bee attractive plants Crape myrtle Holly Boxwood Azalea Prairie rose Hawthorn Tea roses Ash trees Before & after 4

5 Urban bees need more and better sources of nectar and pollen The Bee Issue is creating opportunities for the Green Industry! Honey Bees: Reduce hive loss to no more than 15% within 10 years Monarch Butterflies: Increase population to 225 million butterflies Pollinator Habitat Acreage Restore or enhance 7 million acres of land in 5 years Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Monarch Butterfly and Caterpillar on Milkweed Monarchs Migrate to and From Overwintering Grounds in Mexico More than 13,000 registered Monarch Waystations so far 5

6 New Project: Operation Monarch for Golf Courses Operation Pollinator for Golf Courses Operation Pollinator at St. Andrews and Carnoustie, Scotland Carnoustie St. Andrews Establishing KY Operation Pollinator Plots Recommended Mix for Ohio Valley Region Primary species: Lakeside GC, Lexington (same site) Mow Seeding Herbicide Lanceleaf Coreopsis Bergamot Black eyed Susan New England Aster Plains Coreopsis Prairie coneflower Purple coneflower Scarify and rake And. smaller amounts of others to add variety and interest June 2013 July 2013 As of Spring 2015, Operation Pollinator had been implemented on ca. 200 U.S. golf courses in 30 states Research Project: Woody Ornamentals for Bee Friendly Landscapes Total of 49 different pollinator species Seven bumble bee species including three uncommon and declining ones 6

7 Sampling 75 species of flowering trees and shrubs Five sites (replicates) per plant species >16,000 bees sampled so far Bee Assemblages: 50 bee samples from each of 5 sites per plant species Attractiveness to bees: Snapshot (timed) counts; includes both attractive and non attractive plant species Different woody ornamentals attract unique bee assemblages Flowering crabapple Fuzzy Deutzia Good! Flower Form Matters! Diversity of bees varies by plant species Native and Non Native Plants Can Both Be Good for Bee friendly Landscapes! Prairie rose Hydrangea paniculata Chelosoma philadelphi Hawthorn American Holly Deutzia Chaste tree Pretty useless Hybrid tea rose Hydrangea arborescens Mock Orange (Philadelphus) Native Chaste tree (Vitex) Non native Yellowwood Redbud Pyracantha Some Great Native Trees for Bees Some Great Non Native Trees for Bees Some GREAT shrubs for bees Virginia spiraea Eastern redbud American linden American yellowwood Black gum (males) Seven son flower Higan cherry Chaste tree Golden raintree Buttonbush Dwarf fothergilla Fuzzy deutzia Glossy abelia Winterberry holly St. John s Wort Sourwood Winged sumac Bottlebrush buckeye Devil s walking stick Cornelian cherry dogwood Bee bee tree Amur maackia Summersweet Clethra Sweetspire (Itea) 7

8 How to Build a Bee Friendly Landscape (Choose some from each column) Spring Early Summer Late Summer Serviceberry Bottlebrush buckeye Bee bee tree Flowering Crabapple Climbing prairie rose Winged sumac False Indigo Clethra Glossy abelia Eastern redbud Hydrangea paniculata Seven son flower tree Cornus mas St. John's wort Chaste tree Winter king hawthorn Winterberry Devil's walking stick Higan cherry Golden raintree Buttonbush Foster holly Amur maackia Flowering cherry Virginia spirea American yellowwood Linden Opportunities for progressive small businesses Marketing plants for pollinator conservation Bee friendly plant tags: Conserving and enhancing pollinator habitat is good for bees, gardens, wildlife, and business Keep the Politics in Perspective IPM is more than Integrated Pollinator Management Emerald Ash Borer Impact: Toledo Ohio Before (2006) After (2009) Photos: Dan Herms (OSU) Keep the politics in perspective Flowering landscape plants from garden centers are GOOD for bees! Bee Friendly Land Care Diversify landscapes with a mix of bee friendly flowering plants Promote Underutilized, Pest free Plants Overplanted, buggy, poor for bees Interesting, pest free, great for bees 8

9 Handout Listing Bee-Friendly Woody Ornamentals is Posted on the Conference Website Research Supported by: Thanks! 9