Bringing Back Native Wild Bees

Humming Praises for the Wild Bee- New York Times:

The bumblebee and other native wild bees are all the more important in the garden now that the population of honeybees is in such decline — down to 2.4 million colonies last year from 5.5 million in 1945, according to the Department of Agriculture, due mainly, scientists say, to mites infesting the hives and, lately, to a mysterious epidemic called colony collapse disorder....

...But native bees are on the decline too and we need to encourage them, now that there are fewer honeybees.... MORE

Also see our article from the Archives...

MARKETING ‘SCENTS’ Why Flowers Make Scents - The Green Buzz:

Bees (and a few other insect groups) provide a useful and free service to us although it is mostly unseen. In exchange for a little pollen and nectar and some small space for nesting, bees pollinate the flowers of many of our ornamental, and edible plants.

To some plants, bees are an absolute necessity, but bees, wild and domestic, are disappearing at alarming rates, because of habitat loss, pesticide poisoning, and exotic pests and diseases. The Green Industry can do its part to ensure we do not lose these important pollinators, by reducing pesticide use and designing bee-friendly plants into landscapes.... MORE