AKRON, Colo. — According to Xerces Society, Bumble Bees pollinate wild flowering plants and crops. They do not depend on one flower type to survive. But it is not that way with some plants. Some rare plants that depend on bumble bees are native monkshoods and lady’s tresses orchids. They are the only known pollinator of the potato worldwide.
Other flowers the they pollinates are snapdragons, mints, orchid, and peas. According to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, flowers pollinated by the bumble bee must have a sturdy lip, apron, or heel for a landing pad. When the bumble bee lands on the monkshood it opens the flower. The petals pop open and it clambers over the male and female parts collecting pollen on its feet while reaching with its head to the nectaries in the hood of the monkshood. Once it flies to the next monkshood, seeds are pollinated, and the species is ensured continuation.
What would the world look like without bumble bees as pollinators? There would be several plants missing from the world. However, there is some recent research according to www.inverse.com in an article Bumblebees Have Learned to Hack Plants by Nina Pullano. Pullano refers to the hacking of plants as bumble bees nibbling on the leaves that are not producing flowers. This may damage the plant but stimulates faster flower growth. Plants not in flower can bloom up to a month earlier. This behavior was found in a lab at the University of ETH Zurich by researchers Mark Mescher and Consuelo De Moraes. They found that this also happens in the wild. This is a particular characteristic that only bumble bees possess. Researchers are uncertain if the bumble bees have something in their saliva that causes the plants to flower. It seems that we can say bumble bees are adapting to climate change. But what can they tolerate as the climate continues to change remains to be seen?
Bumble bees still need our help. Creating gardens with plenty of diverse flowers and the right habitat for bees is essential. Here is a list of trees that benefit bumble bees:
- Oak
- Black Locust
- Elms
- Wild Cherry
- Maples
- Honey Locust
- Plum
- Peach
- Apricot
The following link is a Colorado State University Extension Fact Sheet Attracting Native Bees to the Landscape: https://extension.colostate.edu/docs/pubs/insect/05615.pdf
They need pollen because it is a great source of protein. They also need nectar which provides carbohydrates. The more diverse types of plants are in our landscapes, the more opportunities we give the bumble bees to obtain what they need when they need it. Having plants that bloom early to late season ensures the success of keeping bumble bees going.
The following link is a Colorado State University Extension Fact Sheet Creating Pollinator Habitat https://extension.colostate.edu/docs/pubs/insect/05616.pdf
–Linda Langelo, Colorado State University Extension