Monthly Species Feature: Bees of British Columbia
If you were to visit a patch of lavender this time of year, we guarantee you’ll be surprised at the variety of shapes and sizes of bees attending to the purple flowerets!
There are a total of 20,000 bee species around the globe, with 800 species in Canada and approximately 500 species within British Columbia. Bees are vital in the ecosystem as 90% of all flowering plants require pollination in order to reproduce, and bees are more successful pollinators than flies, wasps, butterflies, and birds.
Bees are the most effective pollinators because they collect pollen and nectar to feed their offspring as well as themselves, and their bodies are covered in feather-like hairs that effectively pick-up pollen grains. Pollen accumulates on the bee as it forages, and this pollen is transferred from flower to flower.
The Honey bee is the only bee in North America that can produce honey used by humans, although this species is not native to Canada. It is originally from Europe, and typically needs human management to survive. Honey bees can sometimes have a negative impact on native bee species by competing with them for food and by spreading disease.
There are six families of bees in British Columbia: Apidae, Halictidae, Megachilidae, Andrenidae, Colletidae, and Melittidae. A commonly known family is the Apidae family which are the various bumblebees. There are six different types of bumblebee in the province: the yellow-faced Bumblebee, white-shouldered bumblebee, mixed bumblebee, two-form bumblebee, common Eastern bumblebee, and black-tailed bumblebee.
It has been confirmed that four species: the yellow-faced bumblebee, mixed bumblebee, two-form bumblebee, and black-tailed bumblebee, live on SḴŦAḴ | Mayne Island. Bumblebees can carry pollen in a special pollen basket, the “corbicula”, which is found on their hind legs. Bumblebees are social and have a queen and worker bees. They often nest in the ground, as well as above ground, and are active during the spring, summer, and fall.
To identify bees, one of the key characteristics is the colour and pattern on their abdomen. Match this to an image on a ID card or field guide. Apps like Seek or iNaturalist can also be very helpful.
Due to many human induced problems such as habitat degradation, intensive farming practices, mono-cropping, agricultural chemicals, and rising global temperatures, bee populations are declining. We can help out native bees by planting a garden that blooms at various times throughout the year, as opposed to just late spring and summer. Bees require blooms throughout the entire time they are active. You can help by planting native species that have long lasting blooms, growing plants in large patches, and not using pesticides. By doing this, you can help support healthy bee populations!
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