Bees
THERE ARE OVER 4,000 SPECIES OF BEES THAT LIVE IN THE UNITED STATES AND MORE THAN 3,500 OF THOSE SPECIES HELP INCREASE CROP YIELDS !
Why do bees love pollen? Because it's rich in protein! The pollen of many plant species is the main food source for developing bee larvae.
How do Bees pollinate?
Bees have a number of adaptations that aid them in harvesting pollen from flowers. They have branched hairs across their body that are electro-statically charged, this allows pollen to naturally stick to the hair; the charge builds up as the bee flies around! Bees will also use their tongues. Nectar provides bees with important carbs in the forms of sugars and amino acids. They'll use their tongue to suck or lap up nectar. Yum!
Additionally, bees have branched hairs on their legs, called the scopa or basket, that will collect pollen. Some bees even have hairs on their faces too! As bees travel from one flower to the next, pollen will travel with them to different flowers.
If you love to eat fruit, then you should be thanking the bees!
Bees of Texas
Bumblebees
Bumblebees are part of the Apidae family of bees. They typically range in size from medium to large and they are robust in shape. They will have baskets of hair on their hind legs which will carry most of the pollen they collect. Bumblebees also make a low buzzing noise when flying.
sweat bees
Green sweat bees are typically metallic and part of the family Halictidae. They are medium in size and have a slender body. Males will typically have a striped abdomen and females will have a brush of hair on their hind legs to carry pollen. These bees are fast flying, and attracted to sweat. Surprise!
leafcutter bees
Leaf cutter bees are a part of the family Megachilidae. These range from small to medium in size and from slender to robust in shape. They will typically have silvery hairs and white stripes on their abdomen. These bees will also have brushes of hair on their abdomen to help collect pollen while visiting flowers
carpenter bees: ceratina species
Tiny in size with a slender body shape. They are typically dark blue, green or metallic in color, some species will have white face marks. These bees will move fast and jaggedly.
carpenter bees: xylocopa species
These are very large in size and will look similar in shape to bumblebees as they are also robust in shape. These bees will have a shiny black or dark blue abdomen and they will have a bush of hair on their thorax and hind legs to carry pollen.
squash bees
These types of bees are (like the name) attracted to squashes! They are also efficient pollinators of zucchini, butternut squash, pumpkins, and gourds. They are often mistaken for honeybees, but squash bees are larger in size and bulkier.
Squash bees are also solitary in nature and will be most active in the early morning. You can sometimes find squash bees sleeping in the wilted flowers.
mason bees
There are about 140 species of mason bees found throughout North America. They are typically smaller than honeybees, and will be metallic blue or black/blue in color. Their name originates from their habits of building their nests using mud; they will seal off the cells where they lay their eggs, with mud.
We're saving the wrong bees!
Check out this great clip that explains the continued threats to bees, that are NOT the honeybee!