Why should we care?
You may only know bees as those pesky insects that hurt you when they sting, but they do play an integral role in our lives. Bees are pollinators, and over 20,000 different species of bees contribute to the growth of fruit, flowers, vegetables, and even some trees that bear nuts. The disappearance of such pollinators will have serious implications on our food supply, as plants that require pollination comprise about 35% of the worlds food supply. In monetary terms, this is about $577 million a year. Tom Melius, the Fish and Wildlife Services Midwest regional director, has also said that Without them (bumblebees), our forests, parks, meadows and shrub lands, and the abundant, vibrant life they support, cannot survive, and our crops require laborious, costly pollination by hand.
Bumblebees in particular are great pollinators. They are not picky with the plants they pollinate, and are able to withstand lower temperatures and can still fly when light is poor. They are also users of buzz pollination, which means they can release pollen that is tucked inside special tubes. Tomatoes, cranberries, and potatoes (to name a few) are plants that can only be pollinated through this method. Buzz pollination is so named because of the buzzing sound heard while the bumblebees are doing their jobs. Interestingly, honeybees are unable to use this method of pollination, making the survival of bumblebee population even more important than you might first think.
