The Impact of ROW Management on Apiary Populations Gary S. Reuter, University of Minnesota www.beelab.umn.edu

Your breakfast without bees

Scientific American April 2009

Value of crops in US that depend on pollination: >$18.9 billion

$217 billion worldwide

Alfalfa Hay – Bee Pollination – Dairy and Beef

Your grocery store without bees

Healthy BeesHealthy FoodHealthy Lives

Honey Bees

Decline in U.S. honey bee colonies 1945-2007

Since 2007, 30-40% of all honey bee colonies die annuallyBeekeepers struggle to replace losses

Wild Bee Pollinators Also in Decline

Bumblebee

Sweat bee

Miner beeLeafcutter bee

Orchard Mason bee

Photo: Matthew Shepherd

Ground-nesting (~70%)

Wild Bee NestsTunnel-nesting (~30%)

Wild Bees:Larva feeds on pollen ball provisioned by mother bee

750,000 acres of almonds in Central CA requires 1.5 million colonies of honey bees for pollination

No Bees, No Nuts

72,000 acres of blueberries across U.S. requires 150,000 colonies of honey bees for pollination

No Bees, No Berries

Colonies trucked in and out because after bloom there are no flowers and

many pesticide applications

Protect Bees FoodIf there are flowers blooming, there will be

bees foraging

What bees eat• Pollen - protein• Nectar – carbs• Water

Pollination Happens

“Bee” FlowersMajor Honey Plants• Clover• Alfalfa• Basswood• Buckwheat

Wildflowers/ weeds• Mustards• Vetch• Dandelion• Goldenrod• Sumac

Trees - pollen• Maple• Willow• Oak

Gardens/ fruit trees• Vine crops• Berries• Canola• Apple

Bees collect corn pollen but only when hungry (low protein content)

Bees may collect nectar from soybeans in MN only when hot and humid

Bees forage 2.5 miles from colony, on average

What can the public do?

Plant flowers!www.xerces.org/

pollinator-conservation/

• Pay attention to neonicotinoid systemic insecticide use, especially in urban landscapes!

• Plant bee gardens

• Encourage roadside plantings of flowers

• CRP land: put legumes in mix

What can the public do?

Plant flowers!www.xerces.org/

pollinator-conservation/

• Pay attention to neonicotinoid systemic insecticide use, especially in urban landscapes!

• Plant bee gardens

• Encourage roadside plantings of flowers

• CRP land: put legumes in mix

Ice fishing in Minnesota

Collecting Pollen and Nectar

Foraging trip of a weakened bee in our modern landscape:

What can you do to help?

• Turn off the sprayer.

What can you do to help?

• Turn off the sprayer.

• Learn what the noxious weed look like.

Questions?

The endReferences

Gary S. Reuter reute001@umn.edu University of Minnesota, 1980 Folwell Ave. Rm 219, St. Paul, MN 55108

www.tc.umn.edu/~reute001Equipment plansCool PicturesBeekeeping information

BeeLab.umn.eduHelp build bee labBee Squad information“Healthy Bees” on-line course!

open for registration, $25 for 4 year accessBumble bee rearing manual, for sale!Book on “Alternative Pollinators” to be publishedProtecting Pollinators posterBeekeeping Manual & videoHoney bee Queen Rearing Manual & videoBeekeeping PostersMead Making Poster

1/3 of the food you eat is

dependent on pollination by honeybees.

allspice

Macadamia

Crops Pollinated by Honey Bees

Burdock

Thistle

Sunflower

Canola

Clover

DandelionBerries

Milkweed

Butterfly weed

Sumac

BerriesBasswood VetchVine crops

“Bee”

Flowers

Bumblebee Rearing Maunual available on web site

BEE RESEARCH FACILITY

PERSPECTIVE – Two Level Option

www.BeeLab.UMN.EDU

ReferencesGary S. Reuter reute001@umn.edu

University of Minnesota, 1980 Folwell Ave. Rm 219, St. Paul, MN 55108

www.tc.umn.edu/~reute001Equipment plansCool PicturesBeekeeping information

Its Back!BeeLab.umn.eduHelp build bee lab“Healthy Bees” on-line course!

open for registration, $25 for 4 year accessBumble bee rearing manual, for sale!Book on “Alternative Pollinators” to be publishedProtecting Pollinators posterBeekeeping Manual & videoHoney bee Queen Rearing Manual & videoBeekeeping PostersMead Making Poster