The presentation shows how urban gardens that contain flowering perennial plants provide food, habitat, and sanctuary for native bees and other beneficial insects.

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3. 1. context
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4. Biological Control Facility East Garden before planting flowering
perennials Garden design by Dr Christa Treichel. Initiated by Monika
perennials. Garden design by Dr. Christa Treichel Initiated by Monika
perennials. Garden design by Dr. Christa Treichel. Initiated by Monika
Chandler, MN Dept of Ag
Chandler, MN Dept of Ag.
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5. Installing the Biological Control Facility
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garden with help from Community Design
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Center Garden Corps members, Spring 2003.
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6. Spring 2003 Approx. summer 2008
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8. Bumblebee on creeping charlie.
Bumblebee on creeping charlie.
Photo: Coleopteraman (2010), from BugGuide.
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9. Waiting for plum blossoms, April 2008
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11. Solitary bees on plum trees , April 2009.
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12. Canada anenome, a spring blooming plant
Canada anenome, a spring blooming plant..
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13. Unidentified bee on a Canada anenome
Unidentified bee on a Canada anenome flower..
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20. Photo: Bumblebees on
Photo: Bumblebees on
goldenrod growing in
front of the former
MDA Biological Control
g
Teaching Greenhouse
(2008).
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22. Adult hoverfly on goldenrod flowers
Adult hoverfly on goldenrod flowers
Image by Gail Eichelberger
www.beautifulwildlife garden.com
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23. St. Paul Parks Horticulture Academy
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24. Metropolitan State University’s Upward Bound Program
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26. 2. the bees
2 h b
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27. Introducing: Bumblebees
Bumblebee life cycle from www.bumblebee.org
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28. Bumblebee life cycle stages
Bumblebee life cycle stages
• Colony begins: Queens emerge from
Co o y beg s: Quee s e e ge o
hibernations to forage and seek new nesting
places.
• Colony develops: The queen lays her eggs.
Workers (females) are produced.
• Colony reproduces: Toward the end of the
growing season, males and queens are produced.
• C l
Colony disintegrates. Males and new queens
di i t t M l d
mate. Males die, and new queens forage and
seek new overwintering places.
seek new overwintering places
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29. Different Bumblebee species
Different Bumblebee species
Bumblebee queen tricked into visiting a coneflower that grew and
B bl b i k di iii fl h d
blossomed in a greenhouse and was planted outside. (April 2009)
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30. Landscaping for bumblebees
Landscaping for bumblebees
• Let alone abandoned mouse burrows or create holes. Do nothing.
• Let alone brush piles. Call a friend.
• Maintain areas with loose soil.
• Cool and dry well‐drained places are preferred by bumblebees.
• Do not fill potential entrance holes under tree roots or
decomposing logs. Go watch tv instead.
• Leave a few leaf piles in the area. Be a little sloppier.
• Do not cut tussocky grass areas. Be a little lazier.
Sources: Bumblebees.org, Xerces Society, ATTRA
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31. Photo: Ecotorch, Flickr
Photo: Dr. David Inouye
Photo: Dr. David Inouye
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32. Guidelines for planting for bumblebees
Guidelines for planting for bumblebees
• Plant flowering perennials so that their bloom times will overlap
throughout the entire season.
th h t th ti
• Flower type, size, and shape and color should be considered. Bees
are attracted to Encourage early‐blooming spring plants, such as
are attracted to Encourage early blooming spring plants such as
creeping charlie, dandelions, American plums, rue anenome,
ornamental cherry apples, viburnum and false blue indigo.
• Bumblebees have long tongues. Plant mid‐summer flowers with
shapes that arfe aligned their mouthparts, such as bee balm,
hyssop, cup plant, fireweed, and columbine, et al.
• Encourage late‐blooming plants such as goldenrod, sedum, and
asters.
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33. Photo: MN Dept of Ag Biocontrol
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34. 34

35. Photo: Bumblebee
pollinating a tomato
blossom. Bumblebees are
considered effective
pollinators of tomatoes
pollinators of tomatoes
because of a technique
unique to bumblebees
known as buzz pollination.
[Photo: David L. Green
from www.pollinator.com]
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37. “Flowers visited by bumblebees produced
larger and heavier f it th
d fruits than non‐visited
i it d
flowers. Because external maximum diameter,
length and weight were highly dependent on
l h d i h hi hl d d
seed set, the use of pollinators seems to be
required to obtain sweet pepper fruits with
i d b i f i ih
improved quality characteristics.”
Source: Serrano, A.R. & Guerra‐Sanz, J.M., 2006
A somewhat random but interesting tidbit on the role of
A somewhat random but interesting tidbit on the role of
bumblebees and desirable fruit shapes.
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38. www.b
bumblebee.or
rg
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39. www
w.bumblebee.o
org
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40. www.bumblebee.org
g
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41. 41

42. Introducing: solitary bees
Photo: Marlin, from cirrusimages.,com
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43. Solitary bees
Solitary bees
• 20,000 bee species worldwide. 3,500 species in North America. (Batra, 1997;
Xerces Society; Pacific Horticulture)
Society; Pacific Horticulture)
• About 85% of bees are solitary. (Batra, 1997)
• About 70% of solitary bees nest in the ground.
About 30% nest in wood or stems. (ATTRA, 2010)
• Because many solitary bees are foraging for pollen and nectar, they are considered
Because many solitary bees are foraging for pollen and nectar they are considered
highly efficient pollinators. (NBII, n.d.)
• Many are able to sting, but they are much less aggressive than social bees, and
because their stings don t have barbs, their stings are reported to be much less
because their stings don’t have barbs their stings are reported to be much less
painful.
• Some solitary bees are raised commercially, like the orchard mason bee (Osmia
lignaria).
lignaria)
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44. Families and common names of
common solitary bees
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• Apidae –
p
‐ Anthophoridae (digger bees)
‐ Xylocopidae (carpenter bees & small carpenter bees)
• Halictidae (sweat bees)
• Andrenidae (mining bees)
• Colletidae (
(plasterer, masked, yellow‐faced and sometimes
cellophane bees)
• Megachilidae (leafcutter or mason bees)
(leafcutter or mason bees)
• Melittidae (includes oil‐collecting bees)
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45. Bees
Short‐tongued bees
‐ Family Anthophoridae (digger bees and carpenter bees)
Family Anthophoridae (digger bees and carpenter bees)
‐ Family Andrenidae (small digger bees & ground nesters)
‐ Family Halictidae (green metallic bees or sweat bees, mining or
y (g , g
burrowing bees)
Long‐tongued bees
‐ Family Megachilidae (leaf cutter bees, stem nesters)
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‐ Family Apidae (honeybees, bumblebees, social bees)
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46. “Finally, far fewer blue orchard bees than honey bees
y, y
(Apis mellifera) are needed to provide pollination
services ‐ depending on the crop, about 250‐300
nesting blue orchard bee females per acre are required
nesting blue orchard bee females per acre are required
whereas one strong hive, between 25,000 and 30,000,
of honey bees per acre are required.”
Source: National Biological Information Infrastructure,
Blue Orchard Bees: Important Commercial
Blue Orchard Bees Important Commercial
Pollinators of Orchard Crops.
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47. • Illustration of different
Illustration of different
solitary bee nesting
behaviors by Celeste
Green and Phyllis
Thompson.
Illustration from the book
Bumblebee Economics
bl b
by Bernd Heinrich.
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48. • Anthophoridae (now Apidae)
Habropoda laboriosa
Melissodes spp. y
Southeastern blueberry bee
Photo: Jerry A. Payne, www.insectimages.org
Long‐horned bee
Photo:Whitney Cranshaw, forestryimages.org
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49. • Xylocopidae ( now Apidae)
‐ Carpenter bee
‐ Small carpenter bees
Small carpenter bees
‐ Can be considered a pest.
‐ Males don’t sting
Males don t sting.
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50. • Halictidae
‐ Usually do not fly more than 200‐
300 feet from nesting area (ATTRA,
2010.
Agapostemon virescens
Photo: Beatriz Moisset Bugguide.net
‐ Some Halictid species show
intermediate social behavior.
intermediate social behavior
‐ Can be misidentified as hover flies.
Agapostemon spp.
Photo: Hartmut Wisch, Bugguide.net
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51. • Andrenidae
Andrenids, or digger bees, Andrena spp.
are able to excavate dirt
bl t t di t Photo: Cheryl Moorehead, Forestry Images.org
from loose soil to
construct underground
construct underground
burrows they use to lay
their eggs.
Andrena wollastoni
Photo: Peter Wirtz, Forestry Images.org 51

52. • Andrenidae
Nest diagram featuring
tunnels Andrenid mining
tunnels Andrenid mining
bees by Christopher
O’Toole and Anthony
Raw s book Bees of the
Raw’s book “Bees of the
World.
Image taken from pencil
and leaf website by
Valerie Littlewood.
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53. • Collettidae
Yellow‐faced bee
Hylaeus spp.
Photo: Forest & Kim
Colletids secrete a Starr, Forestry
Images.org
Images org
plastic‐like
substance they
use to waterproof
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their brood cells
to protect them
from being
from being
damaged by
Yellow‐faced bee
Water (ATTRA, 2010). Hylaeus spp.
y pp
Photo: David Cappaert,
Forestry Images.org
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54. • Megachilidae
Leafcutting bee
Osmia lribifloris
Photo: Jack Dykinga,
Ph t J k D ki
Forestry Images.org
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55. • Megachilidae
leafcutter damage
leafcutter damage
Typical
leafcutter
damage
Photo: Whitney
Cranshaw,
Forestry
Images.org
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56. • Orchard mason bee
Orchard mason bee
One of the most
One of the most
popular of the
commercialized solitary
y
bees.
Orchard mason bee larval cells in a wood chamber.
Photo: Dave M.
Ph t D M
Photo from: BeeDiverse.com
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57. 3. habitat
Notable Quote
Found on the Xerces Society website
y
About a Melittid bee
“Macropis steironema opaca is a very rare
endemic and may be extinct . . .
endemic and may be extinct
‘This subspecies probably should be listed
under the Endangered Species Act if it still
exists.’”
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58. Homemade orchard mason bee shelters.
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59. Homemade orchard mason bee shelters
made from cup plant stems.
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60. Osmia spp. Blue orchard mason bee
Photo: Hartmut Wisch Osmia lignaria
Photo: n/a
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61. Orchard mason bee pupae in a wood chamber.
p p
Photo: Dave M.
Photo from: BeeDiverse.com
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62. Top: Leafcutter bee pupae. Middle: Resin bee larvae.
Bottom row: Orchard mason bee pupae.
B tt O h d b
Photo: Mike N.
Photo from: BeeDiverse.com
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63. Orchard mason bee houses sold by Knox Cellars (Washington)
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64. Bumblebee domicile design (New Zealand Journal of Science)
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65. Bumblebee domicile design (New Zealand Journal of Science)
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66. habitat
Biodiversity corridor concept map.
Image from: Asian Development Bank
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67. Onions growing along street in
Minneapolis
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68. Storm garden, Folwell Middle School.
South Minneapolis.
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69. Prairie area near Lake Elmo park reserve. Parking lot planting by Patrick’s Cabaret,
Minneapolis. (off Lake Street and
Minnehaha Avenue.)
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70. Richfield Community Garden by the MSP
Airport.
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71. Richfield Community Garden by the MSP
Airport.
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72. Landscaping work near the MN State Capitol.
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73. What can we do
1) create/preserve habitat
Preserve brush piles.
Preserve dead trees.
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74. Begin to see the beauty of bare dirt areas.
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75. See the beauty in mud.
See the beauty in mud.
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76. Holes from digger bees (University of Holes from digger bees (University of
Georgia Photo).
g ) Colorado Photo).
Colorado Photo).
Photo taken by Diane Stephens, Photo taken by Howard Ensign Evans,
Houston County (Georgia) Master Colorado State University
Gardener
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77. What can we do
What can we do
2. Reduce or eliminate
the use of pesticides.
th f ti id
Photo: Green Noise
*Inclusion does not mean or imply an endorsement
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78. Biological Control, Conservation
Photo: Green Noise
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79. Biological Control, Conservation
Photo: Green Noise 79

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81. what can we do
3) Plant the margins of existing
3) Plant the margins of existing
garden plots or other natural areas.
Concept image: Dr. Ayanava Majumdar, Louisiana Gardener, 2/28/11
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82. solitary bees and urban agriculture
Kremen et al. (2004) found that farms that were within a 2.4 km radius of
areas with forty percent or more natural habitat were able to rely solely on
native bee communities for pollination
native bee communities for pollination.
Additionally, Ricketts et al. (2008) found strong evidence that increased
isolation from natural habitat results in a decline of native bee visitation
rates.
t
There are many studies showing the
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relationship between distance and pollination in commercial agriculture,
but not in urban agriculture. Ultimately, there is the potential for native
pollinators to play a large role in urban agriculture, but we don’t know
how effective they will be in this very different landscape – one with
presumably less native habitat nearby.
Source: Pollination by Native Bee Communities in Berkeley, California Spring 2010 by
Source: “Pollination by Native Bee Communities in Berkeley California Spring 2010” by
Kevin Welzel.
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83. Concept image: USDA, from Conservation Buffers
http://www.unl.edu/nac/bufferguidelines/guidelines/2_biodiversity/5
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84. Concept images: USDA, from Conservation Buffers
http://www.unl.edu/nac/bufferguidelines/guidelines/2_biodiversity/5
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86. Biocontrol, Conservation
Biocontrol, Conservation
If organic practices in general promote an increased
If organic practices in general promote an increased
diversity of potential beneficial insects and
alternative prey, they should also be more
alternative prey they should also be more
sustainable in terms of ecological resilience
in the face of environmental changes in agricultural
in the face of environmental changes in agricultural
landscapes (Duelli, Obrist & Schmatz 1999).
Source: Letourneau & Goldstein, University of California
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87. Acknowledgements & Sources
Acknowledgements & Sources
• Minnesota Department of Agriculture IPM & Biocontrol
p g
Programs
• Dr. John Luhman, U of MN Dept of Entomology
• Cornell University Department of Entomology
• University of California IPM Program
• University of Minnesota Extension
University of Minnesota Extension
• Green Methods
• Association of Natural Biocontrol Producers
Association of Natural Biocontrol
• Organic Materials Research Institute
• Xerces Society
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