Mace Vaughan from the Xerces Society presents at the Deschutes Land Trust's Nature Night on Attracting Native Pollinators. Learn all about native bees, challenges they face, and how you can help.
2014 Nature Night: Attracting Native Pollinators by Mace Vaughan
1. Mace Vaughan, Pollinator Conservation Program Director
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
Attracting Native Pollinators!
Photo: Rollin Coville
2. What is the Xerces Society?
Photo:s California NRCS and Ed Ross
Since 1971, the Society has worked to protect
wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates
and their habitat.
Major Programs:
• Pollinator conservation
• Endangered species
• Aquatic invertebrates
Xerces blue butterfly (Glaucopsyche xerces), the first U.S.
butterfly to go extinct due to human activities
3. Photo: Eric Mader
What is the Xerces Society?
The Xerces Society’s Pollinator
Conservation Program
• Habitat restoration
• Technical guides and trainings
• Documenting at-risk pollinators
• Applied restoration research
Joint Staff Biologist Positions
• USDA-Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS)
• University of Minnesota Extension
Staff Backgrounds
• Farming, entomology, teaching,
habitat restoration, beekeeping,
wildlife conservation, and native
seed production
4. Xerces Society Pollinator Conservation
Xerces Society Pollinator Conservation Program
Supported creation of more than 120,000 acres of habitat since 2008
6. Bring Back the Pollinators
To bring back the pollinators,
I will:
• Protect and provide bee nests
and caterpillar host plants.
• Grow a variety of pollinator-
friendly flowers which bloom
from spring through fall.
• Avoid using pesticides,
especially insecticides.
• Talk to my neighbors about
the importance of pollinators
and their habitat!
8. Photo: Rollin Coville
More than 85 percent of flowering
plants require an animal, mostly
insects, to move pollen.
Ollerton, Winfree, and Tarrant. 2011. How many flowering plants are pollinated by animals? Oikos. 120:321-326.
Insect Pollinators: Ecological Keystone
10. Pollinators provide an ecosystem service
that enables plants to produce fruits and
seeds.
• 35% of crop production, worldwide
• Over $18 to $27 billion value of crops in
U.S. ($217 billion worldwide)
• Most of our vitamins and minerals are from
insect-pollinated plants
• One in three mouthfuls of food and drink
we consume
Importance of Pollinators: Nutrition
Photo: USDA-ARS/Peggy Greb
Morse RA, Calderone NW. 2000. The value of honey bees as pollinators of U.S. crops in 2000. Bee Culture 128: 1–15.
Klein et al. 2007. Importance of pollinators in changing landscapes for world crops. Proc. R. Soc. B 274: 303-313.
Eilers et al. 2011. Contribution of pollinator-mediated crops to nutrients in the human food supply. PLoS One 6 6): e21363.
14. Photos: James Cane; Jeff Adams; Dana Ross; Bruce Newhouse
Main Groups of Pollinators
Photos: Mace Vaughan, Bob Hammond, David Inouye, Bruce Newhouse
15. Bees: The Most Important Pollinators
Photo: Rollin Coville
• Collect and transport pollen
• Forage in area around nest
• Flower constancy
32. European honey bee is the
principal crop pollinator.
Disease, pests, and low honey
prices have lead to:
• 50% decline in managed hives
since 1950
• 70-100% decline in feral
colonies
Photo: USDA-ARS/Scott Bauer
Honey Bee Declines
33. Photo: Eric Mader, (Xerces Society)
Annual hive losses…
Before CCD (1995-2006):
15% - 22% per year
After CCD (2006-today):
29% - 36% per year
Honey Bee Losses
34. Rusty-patched
bumble bee
87% Range Loss
Yellow-banded
bumble bee
31% Range Loss
Western
bumble bee
28% Range Loss
Franklin’s
bumble bee
Possibly Extinct
Western North America
Sources: Cameron et al. 2011, Evans et al. 2009, Colla and Packer 2008; Photos (clockwise from upper left): P Schroeder, L Richardson, J Knutson, JC Jones, P Michaels
American
bumble bee
23% Range Loss
Eastern North America
Native Bees in Decline
According to a new analysis by
the Xerces Society (in press)
30% of North American bumble
bees are at-risk.
39. Bring Back the Pollinators
To bring back the pollinators,
I will:
• Protect and provide bee
nests.
• Grow a variety of pollinator-
friendly flowers which bloom
from spring through fall.
• Avoid using pesticides,
especially insecticides.
• Talk to my neighbors about
the importance of pollinators
and their habitat!
40. Beekeeping is not conservation.
Keep honey bees if you:
• Think it would be fun
• Want to produce your own honey
Photo: USDA-ARS/Scott Bauer
Bring Back the Pollinators
41. Beekeeping is not conservation.
Keep honey bees if you:
• Think it would be fun
• Want to produce your own honey
Photo: USDA-ARS/Scott Bauer
Bring Back the Pollinators
43. Photos: Dennis Briggs
Life Cycle of a Solitary Bee
Mining bee (Andrena sp.): a year in
its underground nest as egg, larva,
and pupa before emerging to
spend a few weeks as an adult.
44. Photos: Eric Mader, Jim Cane, Matthew Shepherd, and Jennifer Hopwood
Nearly 70% of native
bee species nest
underground
• Resemble ant-nests
from above ground
• May be found in turf,
more often on bare,
exposed ground.
• Sandy to loam soils
preferred but some will
nest in clay too
Ground Nesting Solitary Bees
45. Photos: Betsy Betros, Rollin Coville, Dennis Briggs
• Nests may be
anywhere from several
cm deep or up to a
meter or more deep
• Nest chambers are
lined with waxy
glandular secretions,
and can sometimes
even resist flooding
Ground Nesting Solitary Bees
47. Retain or create bare soil:
• Keep areas of bare ground
• Maximize untilled areas
• Clear away some plants
from well drained slopes
• Experiment with no-till
farming techniques
• Plant native bunch grasses
Photos: Mace Vaughan
Photo: Mace Vaughan (Xerces Society)
Ground Nesting Solitary Bees
48. Retain or create bare soil:
• Keep areas of bare ground
• Maximize untilled areas
• Clear away some plants
from well drained slopes
• Experiment with no-till
farming techniques
• Plant native bunch grasses
Photo: Mace Vaughan (Xerces Society)
Ground Nesting Solitary Bees
51. Retain or create bare soil:
• Keep areas of bare ground
• Maximize untilled areas
• Clear away some plants
from well drained slopes
• Experiment with no-till
farming techniques
• Plant native bunch grasses
Photos: Mace Vaughan
Illustration: Ken Rumbaugh
Ground Nesting Solitary Bees
52. Photos: Edward Ross, Darrin O’Brien, Matthew Shepherd
Roughly 30% of native species
• Nest in hollow or pithy plant stems,
old beetle borer holes, man-made
cavities and even old snail shells
• Nest tunnel partitions constructed of
mud, leaf pieces, or sawdust
• Artificially managed for some crops
• Conserve snags, brush piles
Tunnel Nesting Bees
53. Photos: Mace Vaughan, Eric Mader, Jennifer Hopwood
Nest cells separated with
mud or leaf partitions
Tunnel Nesting Bees
54. Hollow stem example:
Silk cocoons with dormant bees inside Mud cap closure
Larva Pupa Adult
Pollen mass Egg Mud wall
Cross-section of silk cocoons
Tunnel Nesting Bees
56. Bombus vagans on clover
Bumble Bees (Social)
Photos: Elaine Evans, Nancy Adamson
45 species in U.S.
• Social colonies founded by single queen
• Annual, last only one season
• Nest may contain 25-400 workers
• Nests in abandoned rodent burrows or
under lodged grasses
• Conserve brush piles, un-mowed
areas
57. Life Cycle of a Bumble Bee Colony
Winter: Hibernating queen
Spring: Queen
establishes
nest and lays
eggs
Summer: Colony peak
Early Fall:
Males
leave nest,
then new
queens
leave to
find a mate
Fall: Mated queens
seek overwintering
sites, founding
queen dies
Illustration: David Wysotski
Early
Summer:
Worker
females help
grow the
colony
58. Bring Back the Pollinators
To bring back the pollinators,
I will:
• Protect and provide bee nests.
• Grow a variety of pollinator-
friendly flowers which bloom
from spring through fall.
• Avoid using pesticides,
especially insecticides.
• Talk to my neighbors about the
importance of pollinators and
their habitat!
59. Plants bloom everywhere but bees
need the right type of flower.
• Retain existing flower patches
• Create new patches
Forage Patches
Photo: Matthew Shepherd
60. Photos: Matthew Shepherd; Berry Botanic Garde,n Mace Vaughan
Plant Selection:
• Abundant pollen and nectar
• Preferred by pollinators
• Bloom throughout the year
• Create blocks of flowers
• Native vs. non-native
Forage Patches: Plant Selection
61. Forage Patches: Native Plants are Best
Garden varieties can look pretty but
may offer little or no nectar or pollen.
Photo: Matthew Shepherd
62. Slide and photos courtesy of Humble Roots Nursery (Mosier, OR). www.humblerootsnursery.com
Gold Currant
Ribes aureum
Tall Oregon Grape
Mahonia aquifolium
Forage Patches: Spring Bloom
63. Broad Leaf Lupine
Lupinus latifolius
Arrowleaf Balsamroot
Balsamorhiza sagittata
Slide and photos courtesy of Humble Roots Nursery (Mosier, OR). www.humblerootsnursery.com
Forage Patches: Spring Bloom
64. Slide and photos courtesy of Humble Roots Nursery (Mosier, OR). www.humblerootsnursery.com
Choke Cherry
Prunus virginiana
Serviceberry
Amelanchier alnifolia
Forage Patches: Spring Bloom
65. Slide and photos courtesy of Humble Roots Nursery (Mosier, OR). www.humblerootsnursery.com
Forage Patches: Spring Bloom
Oregon Sunshine
Eriophyllum lanatum
Fine Tooth Penstemon
Penstemon subserratus
66. Slide and photos courtesy of Humble Roots Nursery (Mosier, OR). www.humblerootsnursery.com
Forage Patches: Spring Bloom
California Poppy
Eschscholzia californica
Nettle Leaf Horsemint
Agastache urticifolia
67. Slide and photos courtesy of Humble Roots Nursery (Mosier, OR). www.humblerootsnursery.com
Forage Patches: Spring Bloom
Deerbrush
Ceanothus integerrimus
Desert Yellow Daisy
Erigeron linearis
68. Slide and photos courtesy of Humble Roots Nursery (Mosier, OR). www.humblerootsnursery.com
Forage Patches: Spring Early Summer
Blue Elderberry
Sambucus nigra
Ocean Spray
Holodiscus discolor
72. Slide and photos courtesy of Humble Roots Nursery (Mosier, OR). www.humblerootsnursery.com
Forage Patches: Summer Bloom
Blue Flax
Linum lewisii
Snowberry
Symphoricarpos albus
73. Slide and photos courtesy of Humble Roots Nursery (Mosier, OR). www.humblerootsnursery.com
Hairy Gold Aster
Heterotheca villosa
Blanket Flower
Gaillardia aristata
Forage Patches: Late Summer to Fall
74. Slide and photos courtesy of Humble Roots Nursery (Mosier, OR). www.humblerootsnursery.com
Late Goldenrod
Solidago gigantea
Meadow Goldenrod
Solidago canadensis v. salebrosa
Forage Patches: Late Summer to Fall
75. Slide and photos courtesy of Humble Roots Nursery (Mosier, OR). www.humblerootsnursery.com
Rabbitbrush
Ericameria sp.
Nuttall’s Sunflower
Helianthus nuttallii
Forage Patches: Late Summer to Fall
79. Bring Back the Pollinators
To bring back the pollinators,
I will:
• Protect and provide bee nests.
• Grow a variety of pollinator-
friendly flowers which bloom
from spring through fall.
• Avoid using pesticides,
especially insecticides.
• Talk to my neighbors about the
importance of pollinators and
their habitat!
83. Mass bumble bee kill in Oregon, June 2013
Photo: Mace Vaughan (Xerces Society)
Pesticides Kill Bees
84. Avoid using pesticides
If you must use pesticides:
• Minimize their use
• Read guidance carefully
But be warned: even when label
instructions are followed there is
limited protection for native bees.
Pesticides Kill Bees
Photo: Matthew Shepherd
www.xerces.org/pesticides
85. Neonicotinoid Insecticides
Photo: Regina Hirsch
Neonicotinoid Systemic
Insecticides:
• Increasingly used on crops
• Applied as sprays, soil
treatments, trunk injections,
or seed coatings
• Systemic mode of action
• Residues in pollen and
nectar
• Toxic at VERY low levels
• Can be persistent over time
in plants and soil
86. • Also used on ornamental
plants, and lawns
• Level of application is much
greater than on crops (up to
120x), which increases the risk
to pollinators
• Avoid use on pollinator-visited
plants in yards, parks (e.g.
maple trees, linden trees,
roses, etc)
• Check with your nursery to
make sure perennial plants you
purchase have not been
treated with neonicotinoids
Photo: Matthew Shepherd
Neonicotinoids for Ornamental plants
87. Organic-Approved Pesticides?
• Pyrethrins = Dangerous for Bees!
• Spinosad = Dangerous for Bees!
• Beauveria bassiana = Dangerous!
Okay when not directly applied to
bees (i.e. non-blooming crops or at
night):
• Insecticidal soap
• Horticultural oil
• Neem
Photo: NRCS/Toby Alexander
Insecticides: Organic Approved
88. Bring Back the Pollinators
To bring back the pollinators,
I will:
• Protect and provide bee nests.
• Grow a variety of pollinator-
friendly flowers which bloom
from spring through fall.
• Avoid using pesticides,
especially insecticides.
• Talk to my neighbors about
the importance of pollinators
and their habitat!
94. “Attracting Native Pollinators
belongs on the bookshelf of
everyone who values the future of
the natural world.”
- Douglas W. Tallamy, researcher and author of
Bringing Nature Home
“Precise, elegant and thoughtful,
the recommendations offered by
the Xerces Society will become
essential to advancing a healthy
and diverse food production
system.”
- Gary Nabhan, author of The Forgotten
Pollinators and Renewing America’s Food
Traditions
Attracting Native Pollinators
96. Thank You!
Deschutes Land Trust and
Sarah Mowry
Major financial support from:
§ Xerces Society Members
§ USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service
§ USDA Sustainable Agriculture
Research and Education program
§ Disney Worldwide Conservation
Fund
§ Turner Foundation
§ CS Fund
§ The Ceres Foundation
§ Sarah K. de Coizart Article TENTH
Perpetual Charitable Trust.
§ Whole Foods Markets and their
venders
§ Endangered Species Chocolate