The Importance of Native Pollinator Plants in the City
chats at the table with jana kinsman
NAME jana kinsman
DWELLING IN chicago, il
COMPANY bike-a-bee
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HONEY BEES AND NATIVE BEES?
Honey bees, Apis mellifera, are from eurasia where they’ve been a managed livestock for thousands of years. When North America was colonized, europeans brought over bees just like they brought over cows and sheep. In the modern US, honey bees’ main value is providing pollinations services to orchards and farms. The bees are trucked in their hives all over the country contracting with these monoculture farms that need pollination because they lack the resources to sustain populations of native pollinators. Who whats to live somewhere where you can only eat for 2-3 weeks out of the year!? Of course honeybees also provide honey, and there’s a diverse landscape of beekeepers making honey at every scale. So what are native bees then? There is no honey bee native to North America. Honey bees are unique in their large colonies with tens of thousands of individuals, their overwintering, and their ability to produce large amounts of honey. Native bees in North America that live in colonies are bumble bees, but their colonies are VERY small, only growing to around 60 individuals, and only producing a teeny amount of honey. Most other native bees are solitary, meaning they work and live alone. Sometimes they live in neighborhoods, but do not work collectively like bumble bees or honey bees. So why do native bees need our help? Well, honey bees have millions of dollars of research funding behind them since they are a vital part of the American food production chain. Native bees get much less attention, and we are rapidly losing populations due mainly to habitat loss, thanks to monoculture farming and urbanization. Individual stewardship of even a small patch of diverse plants CAN make a difference for them!
WHY ARE NATIVE POLLINATOR PLANTS IMPORTANT TO BEES AND OTHER POLLINATING INSECTS?
Native plants and native bees have coevolved in our regions now-threatened ecosystems. Providing native plants can better serve the pollinators as resources for food and habitat. Most of what grows in Chicago are unnatural landscapes such as lawns and ornamental gardens, as well as many vacant lots filled with nonnative weeds. While weeds are an excellent resource for pollinators of all types (and pretty much provide the base for all Chicago honey), it is a fraction of what a truly diverse ecosystem of plants can offer our native pollinators. it's like substituting a grass-fed, perfectly cooked steak dinner with a couple slices of salami.
HOW DO THESE PLANTS ALSO HELP REPAIR OUR ECOSYSTEM?
Less than 0.01% of Illinois’ native prairie remains. By planting native plants we can help create islands of habitat in our own yards, between larger swaths of habitat such as what exists in forest preserves and public parks. These linked islands can mean greater population diversity and therefore resilience!
WHAT VARIETAL OF PLANTS CAN WE PLANT IN OUR GARDENS TO HELP SUPPORT OUR POLLINATORS?
When buying seeds or starts, make sure there is an indication that the plant is pollinator friendly. Some types of roses, sunflowers, and hydrangeas have had the nectar and pollen bred out of them so they don’t attract “nuisance insects.” If you aren’t sure what plants are native in your area, ask the folks at the nursery or do some research online.
WHAT SHOULD WE AVOID WHEN SELECTING NATIVE POLLINATING PLANTS?
Avoid plants that have been treated with systemic pesticides and if possible purchase your plants from a local supplier. Big box stores are not reliable.
WHAT CAN WE DO IN OUR OWN GARDENS TO HELP SUPPORT NATIVE POLLINATORS?
Plant native plants in LARGE amounts. Just a few here and there won’t make a real difference. Keep a couple corners of your yard messy, with leaves and bare soil. Some pollinators will hide out there over the winter. Raking every inch of yard is very disruptive! When your tall plants senesce in the fall, cut the heads off but leave behind the stalks—some native bees build their nests in the hollow stems of plants! And of course the basics, use herbicides sparingly and properly, don’t use pesticides, and plant diversely!
WHAT SHOULD WE DO IF WE FIND A WILD HIVE IN OUR GARDEN?
The best advice is to leave them be! The chances of you finding a honey bee hive is very low, but any concerns about buzzing insects should be brought up with your local beekeeper before calling a pest removal service or poisoning them yourself. You may get lucky enough to host some bumblebees, carpenter bees, or mason bees, all of which are incredibly harmless. Consider it a blessing!
